Person-Centred Planning (PCP) is a way of working with people with learning disabilities that puts the individual at the centre and ensures that the support and services the person receives is what they want as well as need.  It starts by finding out what is important to the person in their life and aims to help the person have control over how they live their life and what they want to achieve now and in the future. PCP promotes the principles of choice and inclusion.


How does Person-Centred Planning work?

It is important that the citizens whom Life Path supports are helped to express their views as part of identifying their personal goals and this is recorded in their person centred plan. The citizen’s plan is owned by them and is at the heart of the support provided to the person in living their life to the full.

There are a range of tools that our staff have learnt to help people express their views. All of the tools use pictures and graphics to help the person to understand the issues and capture how they want to live their life.


How often is the care plan reviewed and how is it made?

The care plan is reviewed every year at a chosen place by the citizen. They also choose who attends this meeting.

The care plan is written from the citizen’s point of view. The care plan includes their history, their preferences, what they like and don’t like, what they want to do and what they don’t want to do any more.

During the meeting they tell us about the support they currently receive, what they want to change and if they have any request specific for the following year such as: visiting some family, getting work experience, planning a holiday.

Depending on the person the care plan will be recorder in the written form with pictures.


Why do you do this?

Life Path Trust is committed to helping people achieve their personal goals and live life to the full. The person centred planning work helps people to work out what their goals are and how they are going to achieve them.

This allocated time is not only a time for the staff to understand what the citizens want, but it is also a good time for the person to think about what they want and to express their needs.