The collaboration between Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity and TheSoftwareFarm exemplifies the transformative power of digital solutions in the non-profit sector. By leveraging modern technologies and a user-centric design approach, the project not only overcame the initial challenges but also set a new standard for operational excellence within the charity. As Helen Arkell continues to grow and serve its community, the platform will remain a cornerstone of its mission to support individuals with dyslexia, ensuring that both the charity and those it serves can look forward to a brighter, more empowered future.
Client Overview
Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity is a leading organization dedicated to supporting individuals with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. The charity offers a range of services, including assessments, tuition, courses for educators, and awareness initiatives to foster understanding and support for those with dyslexia. With a strong commitment to improving lives through education and support, Helen Arkell has established itself as a beacon of hope and empowerment for those it serves.
Project Scope
The project aimed to develop a comprehensive digital platform to streamline Helen Arkell’s internal processes and enhance its service delivery. Key functionalities included professional and client accounting, management of therapy sessions, and an intuitive interface for both clients and staff. The platform was designed to support monthly timesheets, session sign-offs, rating cards, and front-end inquiries, enabling efficient assignment of inquiries to professionals and facilitating deeper understanding of clients and patients through detailed questionnaires. Additional features included bursary application processing, session notes and reporting, administrative reporting, professional availability scheduling, a visual session planner, booking management, notifications, invoice handling, operational auditing, and comprehensive venue management.
Challenges and Objectives
The primary challenges revolved around creating a seamless, user-friendly system capable of handling the diverse and complex needs of the charity’s operations. Objectives included:
- Automating and optimizing professional and client accounting processes.
- Developing a robust system for managing therapy sessions, including bookings, session notes, and reports.
- Implementing a dynamic system for handling front-end inquiries and assigning them to the appropriate professionals.
- Facilitating efficient bursary application and review processes.
- Enhancing administrative and operational reporting capabilities.
- Ensuring flexible scheduling for professionals’ availability.
- Incorporating a comprehensive notification system via email and SMS.
- Streamlining invoice processing and venue management.
- Ensuring data security and compliance with relevant regulations.
Technology Used
The project leveraged a range of modern technologies to meet its objectives:
- Laravel and PHP 8: The backend of the platform was developed using Laravel, a powerful PHP framework known for its elegant syntax and robust features. PHP 8’s latest features were utilized to ensure high performance and reliability.
- AWS Cloud Services: The application was hosted on AWS to leverage its scalable and secure cloud computing environment. Services such as AWS Aurora database clusters, AWS S3 for storage, and AWS’s queue and worker management service, Horizon, were integral to the platform’s architecture.
- Vue.js and Bootstrap:: For the front end, Vue.js was chosen for its reactive components and ease of integration with Laravel, while Bootstrap facilitated responsive design, ensuring the platform’s accessibility across devices.
- Sentry: To maintain the system’s reliability, Sentry was implemented for real-time monitoring and error tracking, enabling quick identification and resolution of issues.
- Comprehensive Features: The platform included an extensive range of features such as a visual session planner, automated booking systems from inquiries, detailed questionnaires for clients, bursary management, session sign-offs, rating cards, notifications (including emails and SMS), invoice handling, operational auditing, and detailed user roles and permissions for granular access control.
Outcomes and Impact
The digital platform developed for Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity significantly transformed its operational capabilities, enhancing efficiency, and service delivery. Professionals and staff benefited from streamlined processes, reducing administrative burdens and enabling a greater focus on service provision. Clients experienced improved interaction with the charity through easier session booking, direct communication channels, and a more personalized service approach.
The platform’s financial and operational reporting tools provided valuable insights for strategic decision-making, helping the charity to allocate resources more effectively and measure the impact of its services. The bursary application process became more accessible and transparent, supporting Helen Arkell’s mission to provide services to those in need.
What we did
- Dyslexia Support
- Laravel Development
- AWS Integration
- Therapy Management
- Session Planning
- Bursary System
- Invoice Automation
- User Experience
- Operational Efficiency