The current policy drive is towards person-centred care, but more traditional approaches can still be used when planning care, argues Jonathan Anderson

This article explores the literature and issues surrounding planning care for individuals with learning disabilities. Key issues covered are the consideration of interdependence, the amalgamation of traditional and person-centred planning approaches and the involvement of significant others in a collaborative process of care planning. A limitation of the discussion is that little attention has been paid to the reality of working in a system of finite resource and how this can affect the processes.