EHC: One-Page Profiles, Assessments, and Plans - WNC

What is a One-Page Profile?

A one-page profile is a summary of what matters to a child or young person and explains how best to support them. They are the starting point building person-centred plans.

Why Use a One Page Profile?

They are a way for a child or young person to have a voice. One-page profiles list their strengths and what is important to them (as an individual). They also describe how they need to be supported.

One-page profiles are a way for parents and carers to share their knowledge and expertise on how best to support their child or young person.

One-page profiles capture information that enables teachers to personalise the learning for the child or young person.

One-page profiles inform teachers of a child or young person’s strengths, interests, and specific support needs.

One-page profiles inform person-centred action-planning and target-setting. They ensure plans and targets reflect what matters to the child or young person (and how best to support them). They make outcomes and targets more meaningful and relevant to the individual.

One-page profiles are a great way for staff to share information. For example: when a school employs a supply-teachers to cover a class, they can use one-page profiles to ensure a smooth transition. One-page profiles can help supply-teachers get the best out of every pupil. When a teacher has prior knowledge of a pupil’s interests and strengths, it helps them build positive relationships.

How Do One-Page Profiles Link to EHC Assessments and Plans?

One-page profiles can be included in the EHC Plan and can help with Section A of the Plan (‘All About Me’). Section A should give a clear idea of the child or young person’s views on what is important to them, their aspirations, and how they want to be supported.

The one-page profile is the first opportunity to get the child or young person’s voice heard in the statutory process. They can be developed with the individual throughout their education to enable greater understanding amongst professionals.

Please note: One-page profiles must be included in Requests for Statutory Assessments (RSAs) and Funding applications.

How Can You Develop a One-Page Profile?

Building a one-page profile involves collating information about what matters most to the child or young person. The aim is to capture the following in an easily-accessible, personalised format: 

What People Like and Admire About the Individual

This gives the one-page profile a positive focus on the child or young person’s gifts and skills. Listing what is likeable and admirable about them counteracts the tendency to focus on deficits. Instead of giving the individual a negative label, it presents them in the way they wish to be seen. This is known as a ‘capacity view’ or a ‘positive reputation’ within the one-page profile that belongs to them. Gifts, skills, and positive attributes are crucial to person-centred approaches because they enable individuals to make connections and overcome barriers.

What Is Important to the Individual

These are the things that the child or young person tells us (with their words and behaviour) matters most to them. Learning to listen appropriately is fundamental to the person-centred approach.

How Best to Support the Individual

These are the things that the child or young person needs to stay healthy, to keep safe, and to access the community (in ways that make sense for them). They must be considered alongside the things that are most important to the individual. Within the person-centred approach, this is seen as striking a balance between what is ‘important TO’ an individual, and what is ‘important FOR’ an individual. How this balance is achieved depends on the purpose of the one-page profile in question.

Common Reasons to Build a One-Page Profile with a Child or Young Person

To describe an individual and the support they need in a particular situation or time. For example: at school, at work, or in the evening.

To gather together the most important person-centred information in one place, so it’s possible to support the individual well.

To help other people get to know the individual quickly and easily.

Once the one-page profile is complete, it can be updated and shared at different points throughout the academic year. This will ensure there’s an up-to-date version for the Annual Review of the child or young person’s EHC Plan.

The Headings That Can Be Used in a One-Page Profile

Photograph:

Each one-page profile can have a current photograph of the child or young person.

Like and Admire:

This section lists the positive qualities, strengths, and talents of the child / young person.

What’s Important:

This should be a bullet list of what matters most to the child or young person from their perspective (even if others don’t agree). It should be detailed and specific. It could include:

Who the important people are in the individual’s life, including how and when they spend time together. For example: “Sitting next to my best friend Lucy in class, and going to her house after school on Tuesdays.”

Activities and hobbies that are important to the individual, including when, where, and how often they take place. For example: “Playing on my Xbox as soon as I get home from school every day.”

Routines that are important to the individual. For example: “Getting to school early, so I have time to play football with James and Lucas in the playground before the bell goes.”

Favourite lessons and school activities. For example: “Singing and playing the guitar at school, and being in the school band.”

Hopes and aspirations for the future. For example: “When I grow up, I want to drive a lorry like my dad.”

Important things to avoid. For example: “That people do not take things from my pencil case without asking.”

How to Support:

This should be a bullet list of ways to support the child or young person, including what is helpful and what is not. It can cover any specific ‘buttons’ that get pushed, how to avoid them, or how to handle them. The information in this section includes what people need to know and what people need to do. For example:

Laura can perceive a negative comment as a ‘big telling off.’

Anna is naturally quiet and can seem like she is ‘no trouble.’ She needs gentle questions to draw her out.

James struggles to ask people to work in pairs with him. It helps if you suggest people he could work with, or use other ways to pair children up.

Joe finds ‘circle time’ very difficult. It is easier for him if he sits near the front and has an opportunity to say something early on.

Constructing a One-Page Profile

As you take the information gathered and put into a one-page profile, here are some points to remember: 

One-page-profiles don’t have to be in a written format. Audio and video profiles can be considered.

Write positively and respectfully. Include enough detail so that people feel like they know the individual, and know what to do to support them.

Avoid generalisations. Be as specific as possible, including ‘who, what and when.’

Write in plain English. Avoid jargon such as ‘accessibility.’

Use appropriate illustrations (photos, clip art, etc.), ideally chosen by the child or young person.

Digital files can be huge, so it might help to condense the file if you plan to share it electronically.

Useful Links

• Person-Centered Thinking Tools - Helen Sanderson Associates