Person Centred Planning is the vehicle by which people with a learning disability have a voice to ensure their preferences, needs wishes and aspirations are known, understood and met.
There are many examples of tools to help provide person-centred care. However, the service may only be one element of the process. In order to respond fully and effectively to individuals choices in all areas of their life the Person Centred Plan may include; family members, friends, other service providers, or neighbours. Each person’s network will be different but crucial to being person-centred is that those involved know the individual well and therefore can make a valuable and effective contribution to the Person Centred Plan.
This results in the individual being heard, even those individuals who are unable to communicate easily with us, as the wider network of people around him or her will help us to understand their own needs and desires better.
Person Centred Planning can inform us of a person’s wishes and aspirations, but of equal importance is to understand the person, their likes and dislikes, and their preferences as to how things are done, when and who with.
As with all plans the people involved need to meet to provide feedback, to reassess and to continue on the appropriate path. The time, duration and venue of such a meeting should suit the individual service user’s preferences.
Person Centred Planning reminds us that people have a right to change their mind. With information, opportunities and experience comes knowledge from which decisions are made.
We at Exalon Care Homes Limited support people in developing their Person Centred Plans through facilitating meetings held wherever the service user feels most comfortable.
