What's your dream?

By including conversations about ‘Dreams’ in Person Centred Planning, we gather valuable information which leads to ideas and opportunities for us to explore, skills and connections to develop and new experiences.

Following a group coproduction event in Staffordshire, a follow-up session was arranged at the home of three people we support who live together.

The three people supported were young women with learning disabilities who had shared a home together over a number of years. The session was planned to be relaxed and using an activity which the ladies enjoyed- drawing and colouring. Two of the ladies took part in the activity, supported by staff.

The intention of the session was to use the concept of dreaming to learn about the aspirations, hopes and dreams of the people supported- something which is not often spoken about within the context of day to day support. Each person had an A3 sheet of paper, and we had a generous selection of colourful pens.

We started off by talking about our ‘dreams’. This can often be an abstract or difficult concept for people with learning disabilities. Indeed, many people with learning disabilities living in support settings may never have been asked about this before, so having a facilitator providing visual examples helped to support thinking and the processing of ideas.

We started off by exploring questions such as:

• If nothing was stopping you, what would you love to do?
• Is there anywhere you haven’t been before that you’d like to visit?
• Are there any activities you haven’t tried before that you’d like to try?
• Are there any types of food you haven’t tried or favourite foods that you’d like to have more of?
• If you had all the money you wanted, what would you spend it on?

The conversation took time to develop, and the ladies captured their ideas in a format which worked for each of them individually- one using words, and one using pictures. Plenty of time was given for processing and thinking. We played quiet music in the background, drank tea, and the atmosphere was relaxed. We did not rush to capture ideas.

The value of the information was in the conversation which took place while they were drawing and writing, and the ideas which they shared together (and with their staff) about new things they could try, new places they could visit, and plans they could make towards their bigger dreams and goals.

The staff supporting the two ladies in the session captured their responses as part of their daily care record on Nourish, and the information was used to review support plans and explore new opportunities.