The Impact of Person-Centered Planning

The British Department of Health launched the Learning Disability Research Initiative in 2001. This was a policy-related program of research that sought to commission a range of research projects addressing person-centered planning (PCP) issues. The project sought to provide robust evidence of the impact of introducing PCP or of those factors which either facilitate or impede the introduction and effectiveness of PCP. The project sought to:

• Evaluate the impact of the introduction of PCP on the life experiences of people with learning disabilities
   
• Determine the nature and costs of supports provided to people with learning disabilities.
   
• Identify personal, contextual and organizational factors which appear to either facilitate or impede the introduction and effectiveness of PCP

After a two-year project with four sites, the research team conducted a review that included documentation review and interviews with the participants and service providers. The research team observed that PCP improved quality of life in some areas, but had no measurable impact on  creating more inclusive social networks, increasing physical activity, employment, or reducing the use of psychotropic medications. Persons with the following disabilities were less likely to receive a PCP: mental health, emotional, or behavioral problems, autism, health problems, and restricted mobility. The contextual factors of care management and proximity to family members improved a person's likelihood of PCP involvement.