Anne Markwick offers a personal account of how bespoke flexible processes and a sophisticated method of care can give clients choices, opportunities and control over their lives

Comparisons of recovery-oriented and person-centred approaches to the care of people with learning disabilities reveal that the two complementary processes enable clients to have some control in their lives. However, both approaches require thoughtful, creative work rather than homogeneous, quick-fix solutions. This article explains why person-centred planning and recovery approaches should be bespoke and flexible, rather than mechanistic, processes that require sophisticated practice.