Person Centred Planning

What is it? Types of Planning Our Work Examples Other Approaches Training Books Links

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What 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.

Person Centred Planning was first developed in the 1980's by a small number of people including John O'Brien, Connie Lyle O'Brien, Beth Mount, Jack Pearpoint, Marsha Forest and Michael Smull. 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. happy graphicers

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.

"Person centred planning is a way of organising around one person to define and create a better future" (Pete Richie, 2002)

Person Centred Planning is not one defined process but a range of processes all sharing the same underpinning values base and goal - to help a person who has been disempowered -for what ever reason -to move toward the life that they want and to get the right support in doing this. Although person centred planning was developed for disabled people it is a tool for everyone.

Connie Lyle O'Brien and John O'Brien's The Origins of Person -Centered Planning A Community of Practice Perspective is well worth reading.

The book "Person Centred Planning - Research, Practice and Future Directions (2002) by Steve Holburn and Peter Vietze - is also worth reading and has a good chapter person centred planning and organisational change.

Very little research has taken place into person centred planning, however vol. 27 number 4 of the TASH journal (2002) was partly devoted to the theme of evaluating Person Centred Planning and contains a strong paper by John O'Brien on the kind of research mindset that he feels will best serve the values of this area of work.

Download our person centred planning factsheet here

Types of Planning

MAPS and PATH

MAPS and PATH are creative planning tools that utilize graphic facilitaion to collect information and develop positive future plans. MAPS focuses on gathering information for planning - based on the story (history) of a person or organization. PATH goes directly to the future and implements backwards planning to create a step by step path to a desirable future. (Inclusion Press, 2000). These tools were developed by Jack Pearpoint, Marsha Forest and John O'Brien to help marginalised people be included in society and to enable people to develop a shared vision for the future.

MAP and PATH can be used with individuals and their circle of support, families teams and organisations.

Joesph and his PATH

Both MAP and PATH are facilitated by two trained facilitators - one process facilitator who guides people through the stages and ensures that the person is at the centre and one graphic facilitator who develops a graphic record of the conversations taking place in the room.

For more information about MAP and PATH go to www.inclusion.com

Essential Lifestyle Planning

Essential Lifestyle Planning is a method of planning that was developed by Michael Smull and Susan Burke-Harrison to support people who were moving out of institutions into their communities to ensure that learning about what is important to people and what support they need was captured and used.

An essential lifestyle plan focuses on what is important to someone now andbalancing this with things that we need to know or do to keep the person healthy, happy and safe. An essential lifestyle plan should always have a action plan and it is vital that the plan changes and grows as the person is - it is a living document.

Check out the ELP learning community website for more information www.elpnet.net

One Page Profiles, Person Centred Thinking and Living Descriptions

Essential Lifestyle Planning is slowing being replaced with one page profiles and living descriptions on the premise that makes sense to start small and build on our learning. Many of the same tools are used - these tools are called the person centred thinking tools.

For more information about this visit www.helensandersonassociates.co.uk

Our Work

Training on Person Centered Planning can be provided as introductory workshops or full days or much more in depth over a number of sessions.

We can join with you and your organisation to lead visioning, personal or organisational futures planning using tools such as MAPS or PATH around an individual person or a team searching for consensus and direction.

Inclusive Solutions can model and coach the use of a range of person centered planning processes with children, young people and adults, in collaboration with families and friends. We have and still are working with a number of education teams developing skills in the use of MAPS and PATH. These tools can replacereviews and transitional planning processes for many young people with high support needs and can break in to destructive cycles of blame and exclusion around young people labelled as 'trouble'.

See a detailed copy of a MAP for the future of Nottingham City's SEN Support Services that we facilitated.

The focus of this work can include:

children with challenging behaviour
children with disabilities in transition
teams planning their future
schools visioning
councillors clarifying their vison
LEA Teams planning ahead
schools in special measures
Education Action Zone planning
and many more possibilities...

circle of 3 We actively work to include children and young people in problem solving and planning processes. Pictures, key words, and graphics help support our work

We have been busy this year facilitating PATHs and MAPS around the UK, for all kinds of reasons.

Abbie's MAP: Colin joined Marnie a Staffordshire EP to carry out a MAP with staff and family at the mainstream secondary school that Abbie wishes to go in September where her brother already attends. This was a strategically very important meeting for inclusive secondary education in Staffordshire.

abbie's map

Click here to find out more about our training.

Getting Practical...

In the UK we need to find much more person centred approaches to annual reviews, transition reviews, and all the rest! Our planning too needs to reflect our wish to respectfully involve the student in meaningful ways. Our Individual Education Planning (IEPs) could be so much more person centred and child friendly, both in process and actual plan produced. Check out this completely different but very powerful Individual Education Plan:

All About me: This excellent booklet has been written by a young person from Scotland with help from those who know him best, starting with his family.

Essential Lifestyle Planning has informed many of the questions posed in Stephen's book. Radically change your IEP and review work today!!

Another fine example was created by Joe and his family and friends just beforesecondary transfer. It has already proved invaluable.

‘All about Joe'

How do you compile a book like this? Joe's family tell us how.....

Other Approaches

Circle of Adults and Solution Circles are two excellent approaches to person centred planning and problem solving which we are able to use with your team on request.Both processes can be learned and are powerful ways of supporting inclusion.

Solution Circles: 30 minute Creative Problem Solving Process designed by Marsha Forest and Jack Pearpoint for getting unstuck...Ideal for busy people! This is a short and powerful tool that takes no more than a half hour. It is effective in getting "unstuck" from a problem in life or work. Solution Circles are tools of "community capacity". It assumes and demonstrates that nearby people - in any community or work place have the capacity to help - if asked. It requires a person to ASK - not an easy thing in our culture of privacy and "do it circle of adults alone". This tool puts all the values we espouse into practice and demonstrates that TOGETHER WE'RE BETTER (small Word doc handout) (web link showing graphic and process).

Circles of Adults (Click for Summary)using both process and graphic facilitation the group is guided through a set of key questions to reach a shared and deeper understanding of the young person's challenging behaviours, unmet emotional needs and to develop fresh strategies to support change.

Jack Pearpoint nd some very inclusive associates have created a wonderful Person Centred CD 'Tools for Change' which covers a whole range of creative tools.

PATH - Solution Circles - MAPS - Circles of Adults and many more problem solving and planning approaches can be brought to your organisation to build futures.

Training and Books

Our Training

Person centred planning and support services for young people with complex needs

Creating community circles

Educational psychologists and person centred planning

Visioning in the early years

Person centred approaches in schools

Extreme person centred thinking

Person centred planning using PATH and MAPS

Graphic facilitation an introduction

"Thanks for enabling me to become an ardent MAP seeker and a fellow PATH finder in our soul searching journey towards inclusion. Thanks for keeping our dreams alive and reminding us that we are never too old enough to set a new goal or to dream a new dream... believing and doing is the brush that converts our dreams into a masterpiece of reality."

Parent