Person-centred planning has been one of the most important innovations in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, opening up a rich pathway into deeper human understandings and passionate and engaged social change. But like so many social innovations, with ‘success’ comes trouble.
In this short but important paper John O’Brien, one of the innovators who developed person-centred planning, reflects on the trouble that comes as systems begin to adopt the innovation – and, so often – undermine its essential strengths. Yet, as John reminds us, the beauty of person-centred planning remains, for we can continue to look beyond the system, nothing forces us to obey its constraints, real humanity can keep on breaking through.