• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• List of Abbreviations
• 1 Introduction
• 2 What is Person Centred Planning?
• 3 Key Principles
• 4 Why Person Centred Planning?
• 5 How to get started on Person Centred Planning
• 6 The Plan Itself
• 7 Monitoring and evaluation
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• Further Information

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3 Key Principles

The six key principles underpinning person centred planning are:

1. Person centred planning is planning from an individual’s perspective on his or her life: The individual around whom planning is conducted and his or her wishes are taken as the single most important point of reference for the entire planning venture (after Mansell & Beadle-Brown, 2004).
2. Person centred planning entails a creative approach to planning which asks ‘what might this mean?’ and ‘what is possible?’ rather than assuming common understandings and limiting itself to what is available: Person centred planning aims to ‘unpack’ and understand what people desire and connect what is discovered with practical ways of making things happen for them (despite apparent difficulties) - exploring what is possible for them rather than simply what is available to them (Frizzell, 2000).
3. Person centred planning takes into consideration all the resources available to the person – it does not limit itself to what is available within specialist services: A person centred approach to planning seeks to identify the full range of resources available to the individual. It actively explores the individual’s own resources and what is or might be made available in the broader community, including all non-specialised services (the draft National Standards for Disability Services – FAQs, April, 2003; the draft National Standards for Disability Services, September, 2004). It is very much focused on cultivating a shared commitment to action which has a bias towards inclusion, supporting the individual “in moving from dependence to independence and ultimately to interdependence within his or her own community”. (The Joint Working Group of the Disability Federation of Ireland, National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, Not for Profit Business Organisations – for the Department of Health and Children and the National Disability Drafting Group).
4. Person centred planning requires serious and genuine commitment and co-operation of all participants in the process: It may take some quite considerable time and effort to develop plans that are meaningful for the focus person let alone begin to realise these plans. Both the quality of plans developed and their final effects on the life of the focus person depend hugely on all participants (family, friends, service providers, etc.) realising this from the outset and being prepared and committed to see the planning process through to fruition.
5. Person centred planning is an art – not a science: It is best viewed as an organic, evolving process which emphasises:
   • taking time to really get to know people and build relationships and rapport over time;
   • encouraging open and flexible attitudes in all participants in the planning process;
   • listening carefully, acknowledging and exploring various and, in particular, opposing perspectives;
   • responding creatively, practically and reasonably to what is heard.
6. The development of a plan is not the objective of person centred planning: making real, positive differences to someone’s life is.

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