Person-centred planning in education: an exploration of staff perceptions of using a person-centred framework in an alternative provision

Opportunities for children to be involved in the decisions made about them are part of current statutory educational legislation. Person-centred planning (PCP) has been proposed as an appropriate method of meeting statutory requirements to gather pupil views. However, young people within alternative provisions (APs) may lack opportunities to be heard. This paper reports on an action research project with staff from an AP for children at risk of exclusion. Participants opted to trial the use of the PCP approach 'Making Action Plans' ('MAPs'; carried out virtually due to Covid19 restrictions) and evaluated the project through two focus groups. Findings indicate that (virtual) use of MAPs requires staff to carefully consider their setting's structure, needs, capacity and capabilities. Pre-meeting preparation and adapting the MAP process with technology improved engagement, access and alternative ways of working. The MAP process provided a range of positive outcomes as a by-product of its implementation.