Direct Link Care takes a person-centered approach to support individuals and we use person-centered planning to enable them to work towards the goals they wish to achieve. This means that we tailor what we do and how we do it to suit each person’s specific, and often, complex needs.
They’re individual in their requirements, so the solutions and plans we put in place – with their full input – to help them achieve their goals must be individual too.
We spend time listening to, and understanding, an individual. We learn about what’s important to them, what their needs and wants are, and how they would like to live their life. Then we work closely with them and their family, as well as other support professionals, to create a person-centered plan. This sets out what their goals are and how we will work together to help them achieve them.
A person-centered plan is a living document – regularly updated as needs or goals change. It’s also regularly referred to by everyone involved so that we can ensure we’re working together to provide consistent, appropriate support.
What’s in a person-centered plan?
We use person-centered planning to set out how Direct Link Care will support each person to live the life they want. A person-centered plan tells the story of how the individual wants to live their life now, and in the future. We use many different communication tools, so even if an individual finds verbal or written communication difficult, they can still be at the heart of the process of developing their plan.
A person-centered plan sets out:
- What support they need and how they want to use it?
- What’s important to the individual?
- What do they want to achieve?
- Where they want to live?
- What do they want to learn?
- How they can live a healthy life?
- What their hobbies are?
We’re always working to improve the person-centered planning process so that it’s easier, quicker, and more effective for everyone. Our senior management team, service managers, support workers, and supported individuals regularly work together to share ideas on things we can change for the better.