Involving Families in Person-Centred Planning: How Much Is Too Much?
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Blog 1 of 7 – Part of our series on involving families and advocates in person-centred planning.
Scroll to the bottom for links to explore all seven blogs in the series.
👥 Involving families and advocates is about more than communication — it's about partnership. Here's how to get it right in a person-centred way.
👥 Why Involving Families and Advocates Matters
Person-centred care doesn’t happen in isolation. For many individuals who draw on care and support, family members and advocates play a vital role in shaping what matters, what works, and what feels right. Whether it’s a parent of an adult with learning disabilities (something commissioners want to see reflected in learning disability tenders), a friend acting as an informal advocate, or a professional IMCA, these voices bring insight that providers simply can’t get elsewhere.
Commissioners are increasingly looking for evidence that services:
- Engage proactively with family and advocates
- Build these relationships into care planning and reviews
- Have processes to capture and respond to their input
This is particularly important in domiciliary care bids and home care submissions, where staff often work alone and family voices become an essential safeguard. It’s not just about being open to involvement. It’s about actively creating the space and mechanisms for it to happen — even when views may differ.
🛠️ Practical Ways to Involve Families and Advocates
- Invite them into the planning process: Ensure families and advocates are included from the outset when developing support plans, not just reviewing them later.
- Adapt communication styles: Use plain English, visual formats, or supported decision-making tools to help everyone take part meaningfully.
- Record their input: Show how family or advocate feedback has shaped decisions. This is especially useful evidence in CQC inspections and tender submissions. Many providers use our proofreading services to make sure this evidence reads clearly and persuasively.
- Respect boundaries: Ensure the individual receiving care remains at the centre — even when families or advocates have strong views.
Involving others isn’t about handing over control — it’s about building a shared understanding and working together in the person’s best interests.
📚 Explore the full series on involving families and advocates in person-centred planning:
- 👥 1 – Involving Families in Person-Centred Planning: How Much Is Too Much?
- ⚖️ 2 – Balancing Autonomy and Support: Involving Families Without Undermining the Person
- 👂 3 – The Power of Listening: Why Family and Advocates Hold the Missing Pieces
- 🗣️ 4 – Care Planning Conversations That Count: Making Meetings Inclusive
- 🤝 5 – When Families Disagree: Navigating Conflict in Person-Centred Planning
- ⏰ 6 – Making Time for Families: Why It’s Worth It (Even When You’re Busy)
- 🌟 7 – From Tokenism to True Partnership: Families as Equal Voices in Care Planning