KEPA HUBWriting Person-Centred Care Plans
"Person-centred" is one of the most-used phrases in care documentation, and one of the easiest to write without actually doing. A care plan can use all the right language and still describe a generic service user rather than the specific person it's meant for.
What person-centred actually means
A genuinely person-centred care plan reflects how this individual wants to be supported — their routines, preferences, history, and what matters to them — not just their diagnoses and care tasks. Two people with identical mobility needs can need very different care plans if one values independence above all else and the other prioritises company and reassurance.
Signs a care plan isn't person-centred
- It reads the same as every other care plan in the file, just with the name changed
- It lists tasks ("assist with washing") without saying how the person likes this done
- It was written once at the start of care and never updated as needs changed
- It doesn't mention what the person can still do for themselves
- It was written about the person, not with them or their family
Our care plan templates are structured to prompt person-centred detail in every section, not just generic task lists. View Care Plan Templates →
A simple test for any care plan
Read the plan without the name at the top. If it could describe almost any service user, it needs more specific detail. If it clearly couldn't apply to anyone else, you're on the right track.
Involve the person — and where appropriate, their family — in writing and reviewing it. Their own words about their preferences and history are often the most person-centred content you can include, and they're hard to fake.
Keeping plans alive, not just compliant
A care plan that's accurate on the day it's written but never revisited stops being person-centred the moment something changes. Build in regular reviews, and update the plan immediately after any change in the person's needs, not just at the scheduled review date.
If you'd like a second opinion on whether your current care plans are genuinely person-centred, our consultancy service offers a full review. See Consultancy Services →
This article is general guidance. Always check current CQC or CIW standards for the specific requirements of person-centred care documentation.