Part of the Process

Isn't it funny how everything today is controlled by process. In the age of the computer brain, the age of the systems, in a future that was only dreamed about even as recent as twenty years ago.

I was talking to an elderly lady recently who could not get her head around the fact that you could not talk to a person concerning any utilities or services anymore.

Through the necessity for faster processing and throughput which is enabling a computers strengths, we must gather information in a uniformed, standard way. As computers are used for now archiving, accessing and process flow, there is no escape from the standardisation of the information gathering.

I'm afraid though that this is here to stay and the only hope is that we get better at it. The money that we save by not doing a process properly is enough to continue in the same vein.

Apologies for this brief interlude, but the reason for the break from the norm, and the tangent rant, is the school application process for Sophie and Dylan.

A quick summary; we have applied online for Dylan's application in Stockport, selecting three schools as our preferences, but now we must apply via a paper copy to the Isle of Wight as you can only choose three schools online. Also, as we don't have an address on the Island then this means that we will be treated as a late entry. (I understand this.)

For Sophie we are going through 'The Statement' process, which is an application with attached evidence, advice and suggestion from the relevant professionals working with her. The experts suggest which type of school is appropriate and then, if there is a choice, we can choose.

But the Isle of Wight have also now sent us a paper form for Sophie, in which they have requested that we tick a box if we are going through 'The Statement' process, and accompany this with a letter from her Paediatric Consultant. Although her consultant will be part of the statement process, and due to the 'late entry' treatment of this application as well, then they will have a completed statement in time for the applications processing.

We always seem to add in about ten extra steps over and above the stripped down process that you would follow if you weren't standardising everything. Ideally we would talk to our education person in Stockport and alert them to the fact that we are looking to leave in the summer (which we have done), they would then communicate with the education person on the Isle of Wight, and between them they would co-ordinate the exceptional situation. But due to resource constraints and process constraints this is impossible, so we will fill in two separate forms for two separate authorities, and you just know that this will cause a gap to appear in the summer in which, after anxiety, we will have to put in effort to fill.

Anyway, aside from this minor frustration, I have also made some good progress yesterday with some of the other irons in the fire. I re-formatted the book manuscript last night, and I have also found some premises that would be suitable for The Change Institute. I can hire an office for hours or half days at a time which is near my house. This quiet space is exactly what is needed, and so there is no reason now to not start marketing. I seem to have gained another client as well, but one that will need a lot more therapy, so after explaining what is needed it will be their choice to assess the benefit and cost balance.

Also, Claire went on a Makaton course yesterday, which is sign language to the average Joe. So we had a sign language quiz last night, which surprisingly showed that you can guess most words from the signs, which makes you wonder how clever people are to make this stuff up in the first place.

Location:The Ave,Alderley Edge,United Kingdom