Person Centred Planning

Turning confusion into clarity, and plans into action

Helping support start with the individual, not the system

Person – Centred Planning is about building support around the child or young person, not around what is available, convenient, or already in place.Too often, decisions are shaped by:
9

What a setting can manage

9

What has been done before

9

What fits within existing systems

Instead of what the child actually needs.

This is where things start to go wrong.

At Family Pathway, we use person-centred planning to:

9

Bring clarity

9

Refocus conversations

9

Build support that actually reflects the individual

What is Person-Centred Planning?

Person-Centred Planning is a structured, practical approach that brings together the people, information, and understanding needed to make better decisions.It focuses on:
9

Who the young person is

9

What matters to them

9

What support helps them thrive

9

What is getting in the way

9

What needs to change

Not just what is currently happening.

This shifts support from:

9

Reactive → to intentional

9

Fragmented → to joined-up

9

Assumption-based → to evidence-informed

One Page Profiles

One of the most effective tools within this approach is the One Page Profile.

A One Page Profile captures the essence of a child or young person in a clear, accessible way helping everyone involved understand how to support them more effectively.

It includes:

Z

What people like and admire about them

Z

What is important to them

Z

How best to support them

This ensures planning starts with strengths and identity not just difficulty or behaviour.

Supporting Better Decisions

Person Centred Planning Becomes Particularly Important When Things Feel:

9

Unclear

9

Stuck

9

Or at Risk of Escalating

This is often the point where families feel things are slipping.

Our Role Is To:

9

Bring people together

9

Create a shared understanding

9

Support clearer, more defensible decision-making

It can help when:
9

A child or young person is disengaging

9

Support in school is not working

9

Communication between home and school has broken down

9

Decisions are being made without a full understanding of need

9

Provision is being questioned or changed

Part-time Timetables and Planning Support

Part-time timetables should only ever be used in exceptional circumstances, and with clear, structured planning.

Too often, They Become:

9

Informal

9

Open - Ended

9

Or used as a way to manage difficulty rather than address it

We Support Families and Professionals to:

9

Think through these decisions carefully

9

Ensure they are appropriate and lawful

9

keep a clear focus on reintegration and inclusion

Not just short-term management.

Why Early Identification Matters

Many children disengage not because they do not want to learn but because their needs are not being recognised early enough.

When unmet need is misunderstood, responses can quickly become:
9

Punitive

9

Reactive

9

Or focused on behaviour rather than cause

This can lead to:

9

Exclusion

9

Reduced Confidence

9

Emotional Distress

9

Isolation

9

Long-term Disengagement

Early clarity changes outcomes.

Person – Centred Planning helps identify need earlier and respond more effectively before things escalate.

A More Joined-up Approach

Support works best when everyone involved is working from the same understanding.

We help:

9

Bring together different perspectives

9

Reduce conflict between home and school

9

Create a clearer shared picture

9

Align support across environments

This is where things start to stabilise.

Who This Support is For

Person – Centred Planning is helpful for:

9

Parents and carers seeking clearer direction

9

Schools wanting to strengthen planning and decision-making

9

Professionals supporting complex or unclear situations

9

Children and young people at risk of exclusion or disengagement

9

Situations where attendance or provision is becoming a concern

Start a Conversation

If you would like to explore how person centred planning could support a child, young person, family, or education setting, we are here to help.