Key Area: Transition from School to Post-School
Effective Practice Area: Involving young people and families
Establishment: Edinburgh Development Group – Future Plans
Contact Details: Steve Coulson EDG 476 0522
Recorded by: Joan Melville Date: 2 November 2005
Background Statement:
Person centred planning with young people and their families to enable them to make plans for leaving school.
Rationale:
Focus on engaging and empowering young person and their parents/carers/other supporters to articulate their hopes and aspirations for a good life after school. The approach is underpinned by an inclusive philosophy which sees all young people as contributing citizens. Consequently, particular emphasis is given to a young person’s strengths, interests and gifts which in turn enable students to have a stronger and more coherent voice in planning processes for their future.
Procedure:
A meeting is planned where the young person determines who comes, where and when it is held and what the agenda should be. The meeting is led by two independent facilitators. One ensures that the meeting fully involves the young person and sticks to task, whilst the other records the meeting using coloured pens and pictures on a large piece of paper. This is called graphic recording and is a highly accessible, dynamic and creative process which usually enables the young person to engage fully with the process. Each meeting focuses on the young person’s hopes and fears for the future, as well as their gifts and contribution. Each meeting ends with agreed action points, including a number of immediate first steps.
Outcomes:
Independent evaluation of this approach shows that young people and parents are empowered by person centred planning and the information it produces can form a sound basis from which professionals can plan support for young people to achieve their stated aims.
(Reference: “Evaluation of Future Plans Project" by Jeremy Weston Research and Consultancy, copies available on request from steve@edg-sco-org.
Comments:
Edinburgh Development Group are able to do a small number of plans annually, but currently has no funding from Children and Families Department. There might be potential to build capacity within the Department to facilitate plans for those young people and families who would like to use person centred planning, but this would require investment in training and staff time.
|
