Best years are gone

[TomJoad]

Originally Posted by Whenurhappy

SLAM Blocks were specified to have 'snack preparation areas' and were provided with Microwaves, fridges, dischwashers, kettles and toasters. Yes, oven and hobs woud be good but, to be honest, who would clean them?

As Customer 1 for SLAM for a brief few months, I had some rather stiff words with several Garrison and Stn cdrs, who removed all these facilites the moment the blcoks were accepted from the Contractors. Firstly, they had been provided as part of the deal, secondly they remained the property of the contractors for a period of 5 years (and therefore had to maintain and PAT them etc) and thirdly, it meant that guys and girls would replicate the equipment in the bedrooms which are not suitable locations for cooking.

Part of the SLAM design (and I mean SLAM, not some of the PFI 'SLAM-like' blocks that have been put up) was to have the snack preparation area opposite the communual area (provided with sofas, chairs, tv etc) and with large windows facing the wing corridors to encourage social interaction. On one Army site, within a couple of days of accepting the Blocks, the Garrison Commander had boarded up these (expensive) windows and removed the SALM provided furniture from the communual room and turned them into a 'Duty room' for the block Cpl.

The next addition was unauthorised coat-hooks in the suites. Now, in case you think I am being rather analy-retentive, SLAM accn had to meet various Government standards, inter alia, had to be 'ligature-proof' ie, design optimised to reduce suicide attempts by hanging. Accordingly, upper doors for the wardrobes had frangible hinges, hooks in bathrooms were adhesive and therefore would pull away from the walls at certain loads.

The final one was at a Joint site, where the 3/4 sized Double Beds that came as standard were removed by Barrack Stores and replaced with nasty, narrow steel-framed beds, which didn't comply with the anti-ligature design requirements (ie they could be stood on their ends and a noose attached to the top frame). When quizzed why the beds had been removed, the Stn Cdr indicated that 'they were too good for the troops and anyway, we don't have linen and duvets for them'.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and we simply don't embue our people with the modicum of common sense.

You have hit the nail firmly on the head Whenurhappy. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with SLAM in fact had it been executed properly it would have brought single accom arrangements into the 20 century never mind the 21 century. Always thought we had a patronising attitude towards singlies. We seamed to conveniently forget that students from age 17 onwards the length and breadth of the country all manage to look after themselves. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that varied and nutritious meals cannot be provided by private contract at reasonable cost - we have simply frigged the contracts as per usual.