Person centred means doing things in the way a person wants and helping them to be part of their community. Really listening to and finding out about how people want to be supported to live their lives. Supporting people to think about what they want now and in the future. Family, friends, support staff and services working together with the person to make it happen.
5 members of staff have been trained in facilitating person centred plans using a number of different tools; Essential Life Style, Maps and PATH. We have been giving Person Centre Planning awareness presentations to parents, carers, staff and people with learning disabilities.
We have supported a number of our members to have successful plans which have helped them to say how they want to be supported, to move to more independent living and make choices. We have now set up a Person Centred Planning Project so we can support more of our members to have plans.
If you would like to find out more about our Person Centred Planning project then you can email Emily.
Amanda’s Golden Dream
On the 14th February 2005, I had my Person Centred Plan done (Supported by Bournemouth People First). My biggest wish was to have my own one bedroom flat in the Boscombe area, near the Bournemouth People First office where I work. I also wanted to work more hours for Bournemouth People First.
Thanks to my Person Centred Plan, I now have my dream flat, it is fantastic. I have my own front door, my own kitchen and my own lounge. I am now working 21 hours a week with Bournemouth People First, when I started; I was only doing 16 hours.
My Mum was told from the beginning that I would have a learning disability and not to have high expectations of me working or living an Independent life. But I have proved the doctors and education authorities wrong.
My Mum has a seen such a complete change in my confidence, health and happiness since working for Bournemouth People First and being supported to have my Person Centred Plan. My Mum said “In all our wildest dreams did we ever imagine that Amanda could live independently”.
Donald's Story
We have supported Donald, one of our trustees with learning disabilities, to move out of NHS hospital Living. Donald had lived in a number of large group homes for most of his life; Donald said “it’s too noisy, there”.
Bournemouth People First supported Donald to have a Person Centered Plan so he could get the life he wanted and had a right to.
In February this year Donald moved into a small home in the community. Donald says: “It is very nice; they let me do things, like make my own food”. “I can make a coffee when I want and drink beer”, “I go out more, swimming and to the gym”. We have worked to “our Bill of Rights” so that our members get the life they want and deserve.
