How to Show Person-Centred Support in Learning Disability Bids

November 10, 2025

🧩 Blog 6 of 7 in our Learning Disability Bid Writing Series

Links to all 7 blogs in this series are at the bottom of this post.

“We provide person-centred care.” It’s a phrase that appears in almost every learning disability tender — yet it rarely convinces commissioners on its own. In 2025, commissioners expect bidders to demonstrate what person-centred support looks like day-to-day, how it is embedded through staff culture, and how outcomes are measured. Simply stating it is no longer enough.

That’s why many providers now work with a specialist bid writer for learning disability services — to translate genuine person-centred practice into structured, evidence-based answers that align with scoring criteria. This blog explores how to do exactly that.

🧍 Start with the Individual, Not the Service

Person-centred practice begins by recognising that no two people experience support in the same way. Commissioners want to see that your service:

Starts with the person’s identity, culture, and lived experience — not their diagnosis.
Listens actively to what the person values, enjoys, and wants to change.
Shapes care delivery around personal aspirations and risk preferences.

In your tender, avoid describing standardised systems; instead, describe how you flex those systems to fit each person. For instance:

“Each person co-develops a ‘My Week My Way’ plan that maps preferred routines, communication cues, and community goals. Staff receive a one-page summary for every person to ensure preferences guide daily practice.”

That’s what commissioners mean by individualised support — translating philosophy into process.

📋 Avoid Generic Statements

“We treat everyone as an individual” scores nothing unless backed by detail. Instead, show evaluators how individualisation is operationalised:

Co-production: How people and families co-design plans or review meetings.
Communication: How staff adapt language, tone, or visual aids to ensure understanding.
Risk enablement: How positive risk-taking supports independence while maintaining safety.
Consistency: How shifts or agency staff maintain continuity through digital care plans or key-worker models.

Concrete evidence demonstrates maturity of practice. Use audit findings, satisfaction data, or compliments logs to prove that your person-centred framework delivers measurable benefits.

🧠 Tailor Examples to Learning Disability Support

Commissioners know learning disability support requires nuance. They expect to see how your team understands the intersection between learning disability, autism, sensory processing, communication, and mental health. To score well, provide examples such as:

Autism-specific training influencing environmental design (e.g., low-arousal décor, predictable routines).
Use of assistive technology or visual timetables to support decision-making.
Implementation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans co-developed with multidisciplinary teams.
Staff reflection logs demonstrating de-escalation practice and reduction in restrictive interventions.

These show commissioners that person-centredness is technically competent — rooted in professional standards and evidence-based frameworks, not just values statements.

📊 Show How People Shape Their Own Support

True person-centred care gives people control. Your tender should show how individuals:

Set and review their own goals, using accessible formats.
Choose staff who support them best (gender, personality match, communication style).
Contribute to recruitment, training sessions, or peer-support roles.
Provide feedback that leads directly to change — with examples.

For instance:

“Following feedback from one individual who preferred female staff for personal-care tasks, rotas were adjusted within a week. Her satisfaction score improved from 76% to 96% on her next review.”

That level of specificity shows responsiveness and accountability — two qualities commissioners consistently reward.

💬 Bring Person-Centredness to Life with Stories

Case examples help transform process into impact. Example:

“James, a 28-year-old man with autism, found changes in staff distressing. Through co-produced routines and a visual handover board showing who was on shift, his anxiety reduced and incidents of self-harm fell by 40% over six months.”

Stories like this connect emotionally while providing measurable evidence. They demonstrate dignity, empathy, and professional skill in action.

🏠 Embed It Across Your Organisation

Commissioners want assurance that person-centred practice isn’t limited to a few skilled staff. Show how you embed it organisation-wide through:

Induction modules focused on rights, empowerment, and communication.
Supervision that includes reflection on each person’s goals and progress.
Team meetings reviewing learning from compliments, incidents, and audits.
Recognition schemes that celebrate staff demonstrating exceptional person-centred practice.

Include data or examples that prove these systems work. For example, “98% of staff said supervision helped them link daily tasks to people’s outcomes” demonstrates culture, not compliance.

🧩 Evidence Through Documentation and Data

High-scoring bids integrate person-centred thinking with measurable systems. Use examples such as:

Person-centred planning audits – with improvement actions and follow-up dates.
Outcome-tracking tools (e.g. Outcome Star, Independence Index).
Feedback loops showing ‘you said / we did’ outcomes.
Links to external reviews (CQC feedback, commissioner monitoring reports).

Where possible, quantify progress:

“Across 14 supported-living services, 87% of people achieved at least one personal goal within 12 months, verified through quarterly outcome reviews.”

This moves your tender from narrative to evidence — a critical distinction in competitive learning-disability procurements.

🧩 Show How Families and Professionals Are Involved

Strong tenders show collaboration beyond the person supported. Commissioners value partnership with families, advocates, and MDTs. Demonstrate how you:

Include families in reviews (with consent).
Balance independence with natural-support networks.
Coordinate with health professionals to align care and therapy goals.
Capture and act on family feedback — both positive and critical.

Quote examples of co-designed service improvements or joint initiatives. This reinforces reliability and relational practice.

📈 Connect Person-Centred Support to Commissioning Outcomes

Always link individual outcomes to system outcomes. Commissioners often assess tenders against priorities like independence, inclusion, prevention, and equality. Align your evidence:

“Our focus on supported decision-making directly supports Priority 3 of the Council’s Learning Disability Strategy: enhancing independence and voice.”
“By embedding person-led risk assessment, we reduced avoidable admissions by 22% year-on-year.”
“Our co-production model supports NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 focus on reducing inequalities.”

This ensures your answers feel local, current, and strategically aligned — helping evaluators award higher marks for relevance.

🧩 The Role of a Bid Writer and Proofreader

Person-centredness is often the hardest area to evidence concisely. A learning disability bid writer helps refine wording, structure examples, and ensure alignment with marking criteria. A proofreading and tender review service then provides the final layer of quality control — checking tone, consistency, and narrative flow.

These services turn everyday practice into persuasive, commissioner-friendly language — helping good providers score at the level they deserve.

💡 Additional Resources for Providers

Editable Method Statements — ready-made templates to express person-centred practice clearly.
Editable Strategies — CQC-ready, evidence-based policies supporting your bids.
Bid Strategy Training for Providers — tailored coaching to improve in-house bid skills.

🧠 7-Part Blog Series: Learning Disability Bid Writing

This focused blog series explores what commissioners expect in learning-disability tenders — and how to present your service clearly, confidently, and competitively.