Person Centred Planning

Person centred planning is a process for continual listening and learning, focussing on what is important to someone now and in the future, and acting upon this in alliance with their family and friends.

In the UK the government policy 'Putting People First' stated that person centred planning must become mainstream. In 2010 guidance was issued to help councils use person centred thinking and planning to deliver the personalisation agenda.

 

Books

People, Plans and Practicalities - Achieving change through person centred planning. by Pete Ritchie, Helen Sanderson, Jackie Kilbane, Martin Routledge.

This book is available from HSAPress.

Papers and Articles

Experiences with Person-Centred Planning in South Tyrol, Italy -  By Sascha Plangger

Sascha shares her experiences using person centred planning and how powerful this can be. The story of Elmar demonstrates how good support, guaranteed by person-centred planning, can change the path of life in a positive way. 

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

  

What is Person Centred Thinking and Planning? by Helen Sanderson and Michael Smull.
For people being supported by services, it is not person centred planning that matters as much as the pervasive presence of person centred thinking. If people who use services are to have positive control over their lives, if they are to have self directed lives within their own communities then those who are around the person, especially those who do the day to day work need to have person centred thinking skills. Only a small percentage of people need to know how to write good person centred plans, but everyone involved needs to have good skills in person centred thinking, in the value based skills that underlie the planning.

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

What is Person Centred Planning?

We all think about, and plan our lives in different ways. Some people have very clear ideas about what they want and how to achieve it, others take opportunities as they arise. Some people dream and then see how they can match their dreams to reality. You might also like to read the following: a Key Features and Approaches a What is Person Centred Planning? (Easy Read Version) Sometimes it is useful to plan in a structured way, and person centred planning provides a family of styles that can help do this. Person centred planning is not just about services, or disability, it is something that everyone can use to plan their lives.

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Person Centred Planning Key Features and Approaches

This paper was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It is one of a collection of papers commissioned by JRF to explore the experiences in the UK of using Person Centred Planning and develop a better understanding of what is being achieved through Person Centred Planning and what barriers exist to its continued development. This paper defines person centred planning; identifies five key features that will be recognised in all approaches to person centred planning; suggests where different approaches may be useful; and introduces three issues that practitioners may have different views about.

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

The Impact of Person Centered Planning - Final Report.
The main reasons for commissioning the project were that there was, at that time, no robust evidence either of the impact of introducing person centred planning or of those factors which may either facilitate or impede the introduction and effectiveness of person centred planning. Thus the mains aims of our project were to:
• Evaluate the impact of the introduction of person centred planning on the life experiences of people with learning disabilities or the nature and costs of supports provided to people with learning disabilities.
• Identify personal, contextual and organisational factors which appear to either facilitate or impede the introduction and effectiveness of person centred planning.

To read this report see the downloads box on the left.

 

The Impact of Person Centred Planning.
Person centred planning is now evidenced based practice. Recent research has shown that person centred planning led to significant changes in the areas of social networks; contact with family; contact with friends; community based activities; scheduled day activities; and levels of choice. This article looks at some of the practical implications of the research. To read this paper see the downloads box on the left. The Emergence of Person Centred Planning as Evidence Based Practice. Recent research has demonstrated that Person Centred Planning leads to positive changes for people. This research shows how Person Centred Planning is associated with benefits in the areas of: community involvement; contact with friends; contact with family; and choice. This paper briefly describes this research and its recommendations. In addition it explores the implications of this for managers and professionals supporting people with learning disabilities.

To read this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Person Centred Planning and Care Management.
Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001) stresses the important role that Person Centred Planning can play in helping people with learning difficulties take charge of their own lives. The Guidance (Department of Health, 2002) stressed that Person Centred Planning is not a professional activity done to people; instead people themselves and their friends, families or other allies, must lead it. However, professional services still have an enormous role to play in responding in a more person centred way to people with learning difficulties.

To read this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Person Centred Planning and Professionals.
This article is third in the series exploring person centred planning. The second article focussed on exploring person centred planning and the challenges and opportunities it may present to professionals. The purpose of this article is to identify a range of person centred planning styles and approaches and highlight different contributions to plans from professionals. We begin with stories about planning, describing the planning styles that are used and the contributions that professionals made to them. Dimensions of potential involvement from professionals are explored in more depth and key implications for practice are identified.

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Using Person Centred Planning to Support Day Service Modernisation.
These ideas will be of use to those responsible for day service modernisation and for groups implementing person centred planning frameworks. Indeed it is vital these two initiatives be closely linked. Plans for implementing person centred planning should show how it will influence in the key priority areas, including day supports.

To view this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Health Action Planning.
This paper will introduce one page Health Action Plans, a way of supporting people to achieve and maintain good health that places person centred thinking at the centre of the process. It will examine what Government policy said about Health Action Planning and will look at what has been tried since 2001. The learning that has taken place will be considered and the components of a one page Health Action Plan will be discussed. The best people to do Health Action Planning with individuals will be suggested and the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of method will be examined.

To read this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

'It's my meeting': Finding ways to involve people with high support needs in person centred planning by Helen Sanderson.

Person centred planning is central to the White Paper 'Valuing People' (Department of Health, 2001). One of the challenges this presents is how we can fully involve people with high support needs, who may not use words to speak, in person centred planning. Traditionally, when we have considered how we can involve people in planning we have concentrated on the planning meeting (Sullivan and Hooker, 2001). Person centred planning is much more than a meeting. It is a process of continually listening, and learning; focussed on what is important to the person now, and for the future; and acting upon this in alliance with their family and friends. It is vital that we think about how the person can be central throughout the process, from gathering information about their life, preparing for meetings, monitoring actions and on-going learning, to reflection and further action. There is a danger that efforts to develop person centred planning simply focus on having better meetings. Any planning without implementation leaves people feeling frustrated and cynical, which is often worse than not planning at all.

To read this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Personalisation Through Person Centred Planning.
Helen Sanderson was commissioned to write "Personalisation through Person-Centred Planning: guidance to help deliver Putting People First", on behalf of the Department of Health's Valuing People and Putting People First teams This guidance illustrates, for the first time in government guidance - how to use person-centred thinking tools and techniques can ensure services and supports are personalised to the individual. The guidance applies to everyone using adult social care, and has examples of how person centred thinking can be used with older people, people who use mental health services and people who have long term conditions, as well as people who have learning disabilities.

To read this paper see the downloads box on the left.

 

Examples and Stories

Nora's Person Centred Plan.

Kenny's Person Centred Plan.

Katie's Person Centred Plan.

Tim's Person Centred Plan.

A collection of short stories about Person Centred Planning.
People have asked us to share more stories. We have put together a collection of short stories (from publications we have written or been involved in), and longer stories, often written by people themselves.