how often should the individual support plan be reviewed?

An Individual Support Plan (ISP) is normally reviewed at least once a year, but it should be checked sooner and more often if the person’s needs or situation change.

Quick Scoop: Core Answer

• In many education and care contexts, the ISP is reviewed once a year as the minimum standard.

• A first “early check‑in” review is often done a few weeks after the plan starts (for example 6–8 weeks) to see if it’s working.

• Reviews should happen immediately if there is a significant change (health, behaviour, family situation, school or living setting).

Typical review patterns you’ll see

• Annual full review : Comprehensive look at goals, progress, risks, and support strategies, at least every 12 months.

• Early follow‑up : Many services do a “light‑touch” review 6–8 weeks after a new plan starts to catch problems early.

• More frequent checks when needed :
  • If needs are unstable or changing, reviews may be every 3–6 months or even more often.

* Some disability and residential services use **monthly or quarterly** monitoring visits, even though the formal written review is annual.

Why “at least once a year” is common

• A yearly cycle gives enough time to see real progress toward medium‑term goals and to gather meaningful evidence.

• It balances stability (not changing the plan every week) with safety (not leaving an outdated plan in place for years).

A good rule of thumb:
Review the Individual Support Plan at least once a year – and any time the person’s needs, risks, or circumstances change.

Mini example

Imagine a learner who starts a new Individual Support Plan in February.

• April: A short review after about two months checks if classroom accommodations and therapy times still fit.

• November: A full annual review updates goals for the next year, based on progress and new assessment info.

• If their health suddenly worsens in June, the team meets again and revises the plan immediately instead of waiting until November.

Bottom line: “Once a year” is the minimum; good practice is **early review

• annual review + extra reviews whenever things change.**

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.