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Wales - Know the Process

Person Centred Planning

The best place to start is with a detailed person-centred plan (PCP). A PCP is an ongoing recording with a positive ‘vision’ of what life should look like for the individual and the support needed to achieve the vision, maintain it, evaluate and review it.

A range of people should be involved in creating the plan, including family, friends, support staff, an advocate and social worker as well as the individual themselves, and it should focus on the individual’s strengths, abilities and preferences. It can cover information on how the person can be supported and stay healthy as well as who is important to the person and what they want for the future in terms of housing, support, education, employment and leisure.

In person-centred planning the process, as well as the plan, is owned and controlled by the person (and sometimes their closest family and friends).

For more information please refer to:

Circles Network Wales: Telephone 029 2048 7575, email info.wales@circlesnetwork.org.uk or visit www.circlesnetwork.org.uk

The plan can be used to help obtain the services and support that the individual requires. The plan should also be regularly reviewed and added to over time to kep it relevant and useful.

Transition

In this pack the term transition is used to describe the period during which a young person is preparing to move into adulthood, ie from child to adult services.

The transition planning process should begin in Year 9 (age 13-14), involving a range of people including parents/family carers and should plan the supports needed for the child to access opportunities as they enter adulthood. The transition review process should be led by the Head Teacher of the child’s school, who has responsibility for the development of the transition plan, although this can be delegated. The first transition plan should be completed after the young person’s annual review in year 9, and should form part of his/her overall person-centred plan. A transition plan should “draw together information from a range of individuals within and beyond the school in order to plan coherently with the young person for their transition to adult life” (SEN Toolkit)

Transition plans should be reviewed at least annually and cover all aspects of the young person’s future, identifying the strengths and needs of the individual and including education, benefit entitlements, employment, housing, social and leisure opportunities, health and social care needs into adulthood. (All Change, Pavillion 2003)

Once the transition plan has been agreed it should be reviewed regularly as “transition planning is a continuous and evolving process…. the transition plan can also change and grow over time” (SEN Toolkit)

In the past, the transition plan has been seen as a separate entity from a person centred plan. However, it makes more sense to incorporate it into an overall person centred plan, which is an evolving plan. Person centred transition reviews are an opportunity for everyone to begin thinking in a person centred way at an earlier stage, to ensure that the person receives the support he/she needs to achieve the life they want, rather than “fitting the person in” to what is currently available.

The Person Centred Transition review process recommends that Year 10 (age 14-15) reviews should look at the five “keys to citizenship”:

Self determination (including communication & advocacy)
Direction (planning and tools for planning)
Money (including employment opportunities, direct payments, Further Education and individualised budgets)
Support (how to get what you need)
Community involvement

Key points

The key points to remember when you are trying to champion local individualised services or support for your family member are:

Aim high. Think about what an “ideal” scenario for your son/daughter would be. It may be that not all aspects of this vision will be achieved, but at least some will be.
Identify “allies” that can help and support you. (The CBF is one!)
Think creatively. Don’t accept that you can only choose from what is currently available.
Don’t give up if you encounter barriers - barriers can be overcome.
Find out what other families have done. Many families known to the CBF are happy to share their experiences and can provide valuable insight into how to make things happen.

Whether you are facing transition or trying to change services or support for your son or daughter, we know what a lengthy and difficult process it can be. There are times when you will forge ahead and other times when progress will seem painfully slow – and it may feel easier to ‘stay the same’ rather than try to change things. Don’t give up! Ask for help if you need it. At the CBF we know how hard it can be, and we will do all we can to support you.

Remember: it’s never too soon to start – and it’s never too late to change for the better!