Person centred planning is a collection of tools and approaches that is used to plan with a person and not for them. The planning builds upon the person's support network and will involve all the people who are important in that person's life.

Person centred planning enables disabled people to be included and involved in their community. It is a person centred approach that differs from traditional types of planning, which are based upon the medical model of disability and which are set up to asses need, allocate services and make decisions for people.

Person centred planning tools

Person centred planning tools are used to develop a person centred plan. The tools used will depend on each individual and their needs but they all put the person at the centre of the process and focus on what they want and need. Some of the tools used include:

• Essential lifestyle planning - a tool that focuses on a person's life now and how things can be improved;
• MAPS - a tool used to learn from a person's past problems to help shape their better future;
• PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) - a tool that can solve problems and create short and long-term goals; and
• Personal futures planning - a tool that looks at a person's current life, develops ideas about what they would like in the future and works out the actions needed to make this happen.

These tools all have the following in common:

• The person is at the centre of the plan;
• Family members and friends are partners in the process;
• They reflect what is important to the person;
• They reflect what the person's capacity is;
• They specify the level of support the person needs to make a contribution to their community;
• They build a shared commitment between those involved; and
• The person's situation is constantly reviewed to ensure they get what they want from their life.

Facilitators

Facilitators help to make person centred planning successful. They are people who know how to use person centred planning tools and will be present at meetings where these tools are used. Friends or family members can be facilitators, if they know how to use person centred planning tools. We also employ trained facilitators who can give you advice, information and support about developing your own person centred plan.

The person centred plan

Person centred plans can be in a range of formats. The format used for a person's plan will depend on their capabilities and wishes. For example, it could be a document, drawing, audio or video recording.

A person's plan can be updated as and when they wish or when a goal or aspiration is achieved.

Person centred planning for people with learning difficulties

Everyone with a learning difficulty who wants a person centred plan is entitled to have one, although in some areas there might be a waiting list. The priorities for plans are: young people leaving school; those people who live with older carers; and people who are changing things in their life, for example leaving home or changing day service.

How to ask for your own person centred plan

You should contact the customer services centre or your social care worker, if you have one, to ask for a person centred plan. They will discuss the options with you and decide the best way of creating a plan unique to you and your needs.