Creative Care Planning: When Standard Forms Fall Short
Creative Care Planning: When Standard Forms Fall Short
Published: Friday, 10 April 2026
Category: Practical Tools & Skills
Reading time: 7 minutes
The care plan is 12 pages long, written in 10-point font, full of service jargon and complex sentences. It lives in a folder the person has never looked at and probably couldn't understand if they did.
And yet, technically, it's their plan. About their life. For their goals.
How did we get here?
We got here because care planning has been designed for auditors, funders, and managers—not for the people whose lives the plans are supposed to be about.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
Care plans can be:
Visual instead of text-heavy
Story-based instead of form-based
Multimedia instead of paper-only
Accessible instead of excluding
They can be documents people actually want to look at, can understand, and might even find useful.
Let me show you what's possible when we get creative.
Why Standard Care Plans Fail
Problem 1: Text-Heavy and Inaccessible
Traditional care plans assume:
The person can read (and read well)
English is their first language
They understand professional terminology
They can process complex sentences and abstract concepts
For people with intellectual disability, literacy challenges, limited English, or cognitive differences, standard care plans are incomprehensible.
And if you can't understand your own care plan, is it really yours?
Problem 2: Boring and Impersonal
Standard templates are designed for efficiency, not engagement. They're:
Generic (could be anyone)
Formal (no personality)
Sterile (no warmth or humanity)
Repetitive (same format, every person, every service)
Nothing about them invites someone to engage with them.
Problem 3: Professional Language, Not Their Words
"Client will demonstrate increased capacity for independent living skills through participation in supported accommodation program."
Versus: "I want to learn to cook so I can have friends over for dinner."
One is written for other professionals. One is written for the person.
Guess which one feels meaningful?
Problem 4: Deficit-Focused
Standard forms often have sections for:
Problems
Barriers
Risks
Needs
Areas for improvement
And maybe, if you're lucky, a small section for "strengths."
Starting from a deficit is demoralising. Creative care planning starts from possibility.
Problem 5: Created Once, Never Revisited
Standard care plans often get filed after the initial meeting and only emerge for annual reviews (if then).
They're not living documents. They're compliance paperwork.
Creative care plans are designed to be used—looked at, referred to, updated, lived with.
What Creative Care Planning Looks Like
Visual Care Plans
Who benefits:
People with intellectual disability
Non-readers or people with low literacy
Visual learners
People who find text overwhelming
Actually everyone—visual plans are just better
Formats:
Pictures and photos
Icons and symbols
Drawings (by them or with them)
Color-coding
Mind maps
Infographics
Photo boards
Example: Instead of "Goal: Increase social connections," create a visual board with:
Photos of places they want to visit (community centre, library, café)
Pictures of activities they enjoy (art, music, walking)
Images representing feelings (happy, connected, calm)
Photos of themselves doing things they love
This isn't "dumbing down." It's universal design. It's accessible. And it's meaningful.
Story-Based Plans
Instead of:
Background: Client has experienced homelessness for 3 years...
Goals: Client will secure stable housing...
Actions: Client will attend housing appointments...
Try:
This is James's story.
For the past three years, James has been moving between temporary housing and sleeping rough. He describes this time as "exhausting and lonely." What James wants most is "a place that feels like home, where I can close the door and it's mine."
James is great at building things—he used to work in construction and misses it. He's proud of being reliable and showing up on time. He's worried about affording rent and managing bills, but he's ready to learn.
Here's what we're working on together:
- Finding a place James feels safe and comfortable
- Setting up systems so bills get paid without stress
- Connecting James with people who get what he's been through
- Maybe exploring work in construction again if James wants
James will know things are working when he has his own key, feels settled, and isn't worrying about where he'll sleep tonight.
See the difference? The second tells a story. It's in James's voice. It's human.
Video Plans
How it works: Record the person talking about:
What they want
What matters to them
Their goals in their words
What support they need
Benefits:
Captures their voice, tone, emotion
No literacy required
Can be watched multiple times
Shows their personality
Powerful advocacy tool (show it to funding bodies, decision-makers)
Tip: Keep videos short (2-5 minutes). Focus on what matters most.
Audio Plans
For people who:
Prefer listening to reading
Are blind or have low vision
Have dyslexia or reading difficulties
Want to hear information in their own voice
How: Record them (or you) reading the plan aloud. Save it on their phone or a USB they can access anytime.
Photo-Based Plans
Use photos to show:
What their goals look like (photo of them at the gym, at the community garden, with family)
Steps in a process (cooking, catching the bus, using equipment)
Places they want to go
People who support them
What "success" looks like to them
Create:
Photo books
Digital photo albums
Printed posters
Photo sequence strips (like a comic)
Mind Maps and Flowcharts
For people who think non-linearly:
Standard care plans are linear: Goal → Action → Outcome.
Some people think in webs: multiple interconnected goals, overlapping strategies, circular processes.
Mind maps honour that.
Example: Centre: "Living my best life" Branches: Health, housing, relationships, work, fun, money Sub-branches: Specific goals and actions under each
It's all visible at once. It shows connections. It feels manageable.
Symbolic or Pictographic Plans
Use symbols to represent:
Emotions (smiley faces, colours)
Actions (arrows, checkmarks)
People (stick figures, icons)
Time (calendars, clocks)
Success (stars, trophies)
Great for:
Young children
People with cognitive disabilities
People who are pre-literate
Anyone who responds better to symbols than words
Tools:
Boardmaker
Widgit Symbols
Hand-drawn pictures
Free symbol libraries online
One-Page Plans
Who it's for: Everyone, but especially people who find long documents overwhelming.
What it includes:
Name and photo
What matters to me (1-2 sentences)
What I want to work on (3-5 goals)
How people can best support me
Who to contact
What to do if I'm struggling
That's it. One page. Clear. Simple. Actually usable.
Easy Read Plans
Easy Read is:
Short sentences
One idea per sentence
Simple words (no jargon)
Active voice ("I will..." not "Client will demonstrate...")
Supported by pictures
Lots of white space
Example:
❌ Standard: "Client will participate in therapeutic interventions to develop emotional regulation strategies."
✅ Easy Read: "I will learn ways to calm down when I feel upset. [Picture of person breathing deeply] Someone will help me practice."
Resources: Easy Read guidelines are freely available online. Many services now create Easy Read versions of all documents.
The Creative Process
Step 1: Ask What Works for Them
"What's the best way for you to take in information? Do you prefer:
Pictures or words?
Listening or reading?
Seeing examples or having things explained?
Something visual you can look at, or something you can listen to?"
Start with their preferences, not what's easiest for you.
Step 2: Co-Create
Don't make the plan for them. Make it with them.
If visual:
They choose or draw the pictures
They decide layout and colours
They direct what goes where
If story-based:
They tell the story
You write it in their words
They approve the final version
If video:
They speak
They decide what to say
They watch and can re-do if they want
The process is the point. Engagement matters more than perfection.
Step 3: Keep It Simple
Creative doesn't mean complicated.
Simple is better:
One goal per page/slide/photo
Clear headings
Not too much information at once
Easy to navigate
Resist the urge to include everything. Include what matters.
Step 4: Make It Beautiful
This matters more than you think.
People are more likely to engage with plans that:
Look good
Feel personal
Reflect their style
Feel like care went into creating them
Use colour. Use images they like. Make it feel like theirs.
Step 5: Make It Accessible to Them
Store it where they can access it:
On their phone
In a folder they keep
Printed and laminated
On USB
In email they can open
Combination of formats
Not:
Only in your file
Only in a database they can't access
In a format they can't open
Step 6: Use It
Creative care plans aren't art projects to file away.
Use them in sessions:
Pull it out
Review together
Update it
Celebrate progress
Adjust goals
Encourage them to use it:
"Take a photo of this so you have it on your phone"
"You can show this to [support person] if you want"
"Look at this when you're feeling stuck"
Practical Examples
Example 1: Young Child with Autism
Format: Comic strip style plan
What it shows:
Visual sequence of their day
Social stories about new situations
Pictures of calming strategies
Faces showing different emotions
Simple text bubbles with their words
Why it works: Concrete, visual, follows how they process information, engaging format they're familiar with.
Example 2: Adult with Intellectual Disability
Format: Photo book with Easy Read text
What it includes:
Photos of them doing activities they enjoy
Pictures of their goals (at the gym, cooking, with friends)
Photos of people who support them
Easy Read sentences describing each goal
Symbols showing progress (stars for achievements)
Why it works: Accessible language, visual, personal, something they can show others with pride.
Example 3: Person with Acquired Brain Injury
Format: Audio plan with visual cues
What it includes:
Recording of conversation about their goals
One-page visual summary with pictures
Reminder cards with key actions
Checklist format (tick boxes)
Why it works: Addresses memory challenges, multiple formats reinforce information, simple and practical.
Example 4: Older Person with Dementia
Format: Large-print photo plan
What it includes:
Current photos of family members (with names)
Pictures of their home and familiar places
Simple daily routine with pictures
Emergency contacts with photos
Things that bring comfort (music, pet, garden)
Why it works: Memory support, reassuring, focused on what brings comfort and orientation.
Example 5: Person with Limited English
Format: Visual plan with minimal text
What it includes:
International symbols where possible
Photos and drawings
Numbers and dates (universal)
Translated key words in their language
Color-coding
Why it works: Language barrier is reduced, visual communication is cross-cultural, respectful of linguistic diversity.
When Organisational Templates Don't Allow Creativity
Reality check: Many organisations require specific formats for compliance or funding.
What you can do:
Option 1: Two versions
Create the standard template for the file/funder
Create the accessible/creative version for the person
Both exist, but the person gets the version they can actually use
Option 2: Creative elements within standard format
Add photos to standard templates
Use coloured sections
Include their quotes throughout
Attach creative version as appendix
Option 3: Advocate for change
Show examples to management
Demonstrate engagement improves
Pilot creative approaches
Build case for updating organisational templates
Don't let organisational constraints stop you from creating something useful for the person—just find workarounds.
The Heart of It
Creative care planning isn't about being fancy. It's about accessibility and respect.
It says:
Your plan should be in a format you can understand
You should be able to look at your plan and recognise yourself
The process of creating your plan should be collaborative and even enjoyable
Your plan should be something you want to engage with, not something you dread
When we create care plans that are visual, story-based, multimedia, or symbolic, we're not simplifying for people who "can't understand."
We're creating universal design that works better for everyone.
Because here's the truth: No one wants to read 12 pages of jargon about their own life.
Everyone wants a plan that makes sense, feels personal, and gives them hope.
That's what creative care planning offers.
And once you start creating this way, you'll never want to go back.
Key Takeaways
Standard care plans are text-heavy, jargon-filled, and inaccessible to many people
Creative formats include visual plans, story-based approaches, video/audio, photos, mind maps, and Easy Read
Universal design benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities
Co-creation is essential—the person should direct what format and content works for them
Plans should be beautiful, personal, and actually accessible to the person (not just filed away)
You can create accessible versions even within organisational constraints
Reflection Questions
If someone handed you a 12-page document full of jargon about your own life, would you read it?
What assumptions do standard care plan formats make about literacy, language, and learning styles?
Think of someone you're supporting—what format would actually work for them?
What's stopping you from getting creative with care planning?
Further Learning
Transform your planning practice with The Community Workers Hub:
Creative Approaches to Care Planning - Tools and techniques for accessible, engaging plans
Collaborative Care Planning with Clients - Co-creation and person-led processes
Digital Inclusion and Accessibility - Using technology to enhance accessibility
Join The Hub for practical tools that centre accessibility and engagement.
Sarah Smallman is the founder of The Community Workers Hub and believes care plans should be as unique and accessible as the people they're about.
