principles into practice network

Care Plans

Topics covered in this article: Care & treatment, Participation & involvement

Below are examples of partial care plans which address specific individual aspects of care . Whilst these care plans were developed within a learning disability service, they address issues which are commonly found in most psychiatric settings:-

• Mental health assessment
• Management of unescorted passes
• Management of mood  

We identified these care plans as examples of good practice because they are clearly based on the needs of the individual and an assessment of risks. They are person specific and provide guidance which accurately informs care delivery.

Whilst these are examples of good practice for the reasons mentioned above we would suggest that these could be further improved by the inclusion of either the individuals signature or, if this is not possible some other confirmation, to say that the individual had been involved in the development /review of the care plan or was aware of the contents.