Having a person centred approach means:

1. Seeing the person first and not the label. (labels include: service user, dementia, older person, person with a learning disability, mentally ill etc.)
2. Providing a service which is relevant to the person to meet his or her individual and specific needs. The starting point is to recognise the person’s strengths and abilities and to enable the person to use these to maximise their independence. By working from this starting point the person is valued and not seen as the problem.
3. The person-centred approach involves enabling people to make choices they are able to make according to their likes and dislikes, needs and wishes
4. It enables those providing a service to the person to engage meaningfully with the person by working in partnership with him or her. Working in such a way fosters a culture of respect and compassion and it reduces the likelihood of discrimination and the infringement of people’s rights and dignity

Person –centred care is not provided by using a ‘one size fit all approach’: it is not about making people fit into services but about providing services which are tailored to meeting a person’s needs.

Where a person-centred approach is being used the person (or those acting in their best interests if they lack the mental capacity) makes the decisions and remains in control of what is done and sets the goals to be achieved.

Use to answer question 5.1a of the Care Certificate