And so, ever reluctantly, we returned from Pembrokeshire - a 6-hour, 300 mile run with 2 breaks. Sarah loves it there: 3 consecutive days on the beach sheltering from the sun under beach umbrellas; picnics every day; sleeps well at night - and, for "Auntie Sarah", niece Ria and nephew Ryan to look out for. She takes her duties as an Aunt most seriously!
So, back to an important meeting first thing this Monday morning. A tough meeting for all present, I suspect, trying to sort out 'stuff' that's been building up and getting in the way. I'll say no more on that. Tough meetings, though, I don't mind, provided, like this Monday morning's meeting, there's a meeting of minds and a sense of goodwill and people coming together.
An important issue for the meeting - stated and unstated - was "Governance": The systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness,supervision and accountability of an organisation.
Sounds dry and heavy, compared with the 'real work' of delivering conductive education. There's much advice about Governance - just google the word. ("Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector" still available on the website of the now defunct ChangeUp Governance Hub, is one useful example.)
For the past 15 months (and more, as we took part in the first national BoardsCountâ„¢ programme before that) Governance has not been far from my working thoughts: preparing for and then introducing a Board of Governors for Paces School, as a sub-committee of Paces' main Board of Trustees. This has proved a major change that, despite all my engagement with governance, still surprised me with its impact.
One thought has come to me though: although much is written on Governance, for me, it comes down in its essence to one thing: conversations. Were I allowed one word to define or characterise good governance, that would be it: conversations. And if allowed to expand a little, I would say good governance is about managing formal conversations: who is talking with whom about what, where.
Now take a leap: when it comes to conductive education in the UK who is talking with whom about what, where ?