Short version: a good individualised care plan answers four questions in plain language: who is this person, what matters to them, what support do they need, and how do we know it is working? The examples below are illustrative only. Always build real plans around the person and check the requirements that apply to your service.
What is an individualised care plan?
An individualised care plan is the document that tells every worker how to support one particular person. It records their needs, goals, preferences, routines and risks, and the specific support agreed to address them. In disability services it often sits alongside the participant's goals and funded supports. In aged care and home care it is the working record that guides daily support and is updated as the person's circumstances change.
The word that matters is individualised. If you can swap the name at the top and the plan still reads correctly for someone else, it is a generic checklist, not a care plan.
What to include in a care plan
Formats vary between providers, but most useful plans cover the same ground:
- About me: preferred name, communication style, cultural background, language, what a good day looks like.
- Goals: what the person wants to achieve, in their own words wherever possible.
- Support needs: what help is needed, when, and how much.
- Preferences and routines: how the person likes things done, in the order they like them done.
- Health and safety: known risks, medication support arrangements, emergency contacts and any plans prepared by health professionals.
- People involved: family, guardians, advocates, coordinators and clinicians.
- Review: who reviews the plan, when, and what would trigger an earlier review.
Example 1: disability support, community participation
An illustrative example. Names and details are fictional.
| Section | Weak (generic) | Stronger (individualised) |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Increase community participation. | Sam wants to go to his Thursday woodworking group on his own bus route by the end of the year. |
| Support | Assist with transport. | Travel the route with Sam twice, then wait at the stop until the bus arrives. Sam prefers to carry his own travel card. |
| Communication | Communicates verbally. | Sam needs a few seconds to answer. Ask one question at a time and do not finish his sentences. |
| Risk | Falls risk. | Steps at the group entrance are uneven. Offer an arm only if Sam asks. |
The stronger version tells a new worker exactly what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do. It also keeps the person's independence and choice visible.
Example 2: aged care or home care, morning routine
Another illustrative example. Names and details are fictional.
- About Margaret: prefers to be called Maggie. Likes the radio on in the kitchen and her tea made before anything else.
- Goal: keep showering independently for as long as safely possible.
- Support: set out towels and clothes, stay within earshot, and offer help with her back and hair only. Maggie washes everything else herself.
- Preferences: showers before breakfast, in warm rather than hot water, with the bathroom door closed but not locked.
- Health notes: follow the instructions in her health professional's documentation. Do not rely on this plan for clinical instructions.
- Review: review with Maggie and her daughter if her mobility changes or after any fall.
How to word goals and preferences
- Use the person's voice. "Maggie wants to keep showering herself" is better than "Client requires assistance with personal care".
- Be specific. Say what, when and how. "Support to cook" tells a worker nothing, whereas "cook dinner together on Tuesdays, Sam chops, worker supervises the stove" does.
- Write what to do and what to avoid. Both matter when a worker meets someone for the first time.
- Keep sentences short. Workers read plans before a shift, often on a phone or in a car.
- Avoid labels and jargon. Describe behaviour and support, not diagnoses used as shorthand.
Common care plan mistakes
- Copying a previous plan. Old goals stay in the document long after they stop being the person's goals.
- Writing for the auditor, not the worker. A plan nobody can use on shift is not doing its job.
- No review trail. Record when the plan was last reviewed, by whom, and what changed.
- Leaving the person out. If the person did not help shape the plan, it is unlikely to reflect what matters to them.
- Burying risks. Put critical safety information where a worker will see it first.
Care plans and the cost of time
Writing and reviewing plans is real work, and it often happens outside direct support hours. Providers who do not account for that time can find it quietly eroding the margin on a service. If you want to see how time and pay assumptions affect a shift, try the free Shift Profit Calculator.
Where RaddeCare+ fits
RaddeCare+ has a form builder you can use to create your own compliance and documentation forms, so care plan templates can sit in the same system as your rostering and timesheets. To be clear about its scope, forms are built in the web platform and are not dynamic forms inside the worker mobile app. The worker app handles sign in and out with geolocation, timesheets and leave, and works offline. What goes into a care plan, and how often it is reviewed, remains your organisation's decision based on the requirements that apply to your service.
Frequently asked questions
What is an individualised care plan?
An individualised care plan is a written record of one person's needs, goals, preferences and the support agreed to meet them, written so that any worker supporting that person can deliver consistent, respectful care.
How often should a care plan be reviewed?
Review it whenever the person's needs, health or circumstances change, and on a regular schedule set by your organisation and any funding or regulatory requirements that apply to you. Check the current requirements for your service type rather than relying on a general rule.
Who should be involved in writing a care plan?
The person receiving support should be at the centre, along with family, guardians or advocates where appropriate, plus the relevant health professionals and the workers who know the person's routines best.
Can I use a template for individualised care plans?
Yes, a template keeps the structure consistent, but each plan must be filled in with that person's own goals, preferences and routines. A plan that could describe anyone is not individualised.