While the concept of person centred practice is not new, it is an issue that is coming to the fore particularly with the advent of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
In the past, the most common service approaches to working with people with a disability were ‘service centred’ where support was related to what the service provider could offer or ‘problem centred’ where a therapist or support worker made decisions about a person’s life based on their own skills and experience.
A person centred approach focuses on making sure a person with a disability is at the centre of all decisions and actions that relate to their life and their support.
What is person centred practice?
Being person centred assumes that an individual can determine the direction of their life based on their own strengths, abilities, networks and preferences to meet their goals at any stage in their life. The person requesting or requiring support is the driver, rather than the organisation providing the support.
What is self-direction?
Self-direction, or self-directed funding, lets the person with a disability and their family decide how to use their funding to best meet their needs. It provides choice and control over the supports and services used.
Whether you are an NDIS participant or not a person centred approach is valuable, call me to have a chat…