Choice Isn’t Just About Options — It’s About Control
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Blog 6 of 7 in our mini-series on Person-Centred Approaches: Core Principles & Values
In this post, we reflect on what real choice looks like — and why offering options isn’t enough without also handing over meaningful control.
In many services, “choice” is listed on the wall as a value. But when you dig into the day-to-day experience of people drawing on support, it doesn’t always feel that way. Because offering options isn’t the same as offering control.
Person-centred support isn’t about giving people a menu — it’s about giving them power.
🎯 Real Choice Starts with Listening
Too often, services decide what someone needs and offer ‘choices’ within that narrow box. A truly person-centred approach means:
- Asking open questions, not leading ones
- Listening to what matters to the person — not what matters to the service
- Making sure every choice is meaningful, not tokenistic
It also means understanding that people have the right to change their minds, to take risks, and to make decisions that staff might not always agree with.
🔑 Control Means Ownership
Giving people control goes beyond day-to-day choices about meals or clothing. It includes:
- Involvement in who supports them, and how that support is delivered
- Having full access to — and control over — their own support plans
- Shaping service delivery, policies and recruitment through co-production
Control is about ownership. It’s about making sure support happens with the person, not just to them.
📝 Evidencing This in Tenders
When writing bids, don’t just say “we offer choice.” Describe:
- How staff support people to make informed decisions
- How you promote autonomy even where capacity may be limited
- How you record and act on people’s preferences
Commissioners want to see services that actively empower — not just accommodate. Demonstrate how your culture and practice are built around people having real, daily control over their lives.
Explore all 7 blogs in our mini-series on Person-Centred Approaches: Core Principles & Values
- What Person-Centred Support Really Means – and Why It Matters in Tenders
- Personalisation in Practice: How to Embed Choice and Control
- Relationships First: Why Person-Centred Support Starts with Human Connection
- Control, Choice and Consent: Foundations of Person-Centred Support
- Relationships, Community and Belonging: The Often-Forgotten Side of Person-Centred Support
- Choice Isn’t Just About Options – It’s About Control
- Co-Production Isn’t a Buzzword – It’s a Mindset