| Staff Ranks |
 |
| Staff 18+ year olds |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Civilian Instructor (CI) |
| Any adult who is prepared to give up their free time to assist with teaching cadets will normally start out as a civilian instructor. A CI is just that, a civilian who instructs. They have no uniform, but should be addressed by cadets as Sir/Ma'am or by their name and title, eg. Mr Bloggs. Cadets who turn eighteen AFTER REACHING THE RATE of LC or POCdt become CIs straight away. If a cadet does not reach a senior cadet rate, they have to wait for a minimum of 6 months before rejoining their unit as a CI. All appointments are subject to the OICs approval. |
| Probationary Petty Officer (PPO) |
| If a cadet reached POCdt before they turned 18, or have spent 6 months as a CI if they made LC, or a year as a CI if they did neither, then the next stage is advancement to PPO, on recommendation from the CO and District Officer. The member of staff receives best and working uniforms, which differ from the cadets rig, and a PPO wears two gold crossed fouled anchors on their sleeve in best rig, and the same device, in gold again on their epaulettes, which do not have CADET on them but do still have SCC. |
| Petty Officer (PO) |
| Once being advanced to PPO, a member of staff has three years in which they must complete a week long course known as a PO(Qualifying) or PO(Q) course. The only difference to their uniform after passing this, is that a crown is added above the crossed anchors, on both sleeve and epaulettes. |
| Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
| After a number of years as a PO, it is possible to be promoted to Chief. This involves another course, and the badge of rank is three gold buttons on the sleeve, or an anchor in a laurel wreath, surmounted by a crown, on the epaulettes. Chiefs also wear their specialisation instructor badges on their collar rather than right sleeve. |
| Warrant Officer (WO) |
| There is one Warrant Officer per area (six in total). Their badge of rank is a royal crest worn on the sleeve |
| SLt is the lowest of the commissioned ranks available in the Sea Cadet Corps, and can be attained from the rate of PO or CPO, after a period of time. The badge of rank of a SLt is one wavy gold ring, surmounted by a squared off curl. |
| Sub Lieutenant (SLt) |
| Lieutenant (Lt) |
| After a period of time serving as a SLt, an officer may be promoted to Lt, whose badge of rank is two wavy rings, surmounted by a squared off curl. |
| Lieutenant Commander (LtCdr) |
| To be promoted to LtCdr, an officer has to be either a District Officer, Deputy Area Officer, or CO of a very large unit. The badge of rank of a LtCdr is two wavy rings, with a much thinner wavy ring in between, sometimes called 'two and a half rings', surmounted by a squared off curl. LtCdr is the highest rank a Sea Cadet Officer can become. |