What the heck is person-centred planning?

Person centred planning is a collection of tools and approaches based upon a set of shared values that can be used to plan with a person - not for them . These tools can be used to help the person think about what is important in their lives now and also to think about what would make a good future. Planning should build the person's circle of support and involve all the people who are important in that person's life.

It was developed as a way of enabling people - children and adults - to move out of special segregated places schools, hospital and institutionals into mainstream life - schools and communities.

Person Centred Planning is built on the values of inclusion and looks at what support a person needs to be included and involved in their community. Person centred approaches offer an alternative to traditional types of planning which are based upon the medical model of disability and which are set up to assess need, allocate services and make descisions for people. Person centred planning is rooted in the social model and aims to empower people who have traditionally been disempowered by 'specialist' or segregated services by handing power and control back to them.

For mental health services where the return to mainstream is a key component of the care pathway, person-centred approaches are essential.  It's not solely the person-centred  approach which is vital but equally, the settings in which those approaches take place.  The client who has requested access to a mainstream social domain of their own choosing has every right to be introduced directly to that setting.

A conversation about mainstream access should take place in the appropriate mainstream venue.  A client who has requested access to a football group as a player has a right to be introduced to that team.

A client who has requested access to a recording studio for rehearsal his or her music, has the right to be introduced to a mainstream recording studio.  A client who has expressed a desire to access a higher or adult education course has the right to be introduced to the venue of their choosing.  All of this is entirely in line with the philosophy and practice of mainstream recovery as an 'alternative to traditional types of planning which are based upon the medical model of disability'.