Who said jargon was dead and buried

Alan Cleaver discovers jargon that even baffles him!

A suggested more softer poster. Picture by Rose White.

Firstly, it seems our new blogging software on this website can only handle one picture at a time so attached to this blog is the second proposed 'more cheerful' poster for a waiting room.

As a sub-editor, I have to keep an eye out for jargon that is heading the public's way. It's surely our job to remove jargon and turn it into plain English. But it can be difficult. Take a look at these two examples (both from public bodies supposedly there to help the public) and tell me if you know what on earth they are going on about...

The Copeland Unit is a community/rehabilitation unit, designed to help patients leave the acute hospital at an earlier point in their journey (step down care) and avoid others needing to enter the acute sector (step up care) unnecessarily.

The reason for refusal was given as “due to the prevailing adverse conditions of the relevant estate roads and the potential ability to enforce the obligations it is considered that the Section 106 Agreement is still relevant.’’ Section 106 relates to the creation of roads to an adoptable standard.