This article explores best practice in co-creating recovery-orientated care plans. Recovery is a holistic experience that involves the service user beginning to regain a sense of control, alongside a reduction or absence of symptoms of mental distress. A care plan documents the needs of the service user and the interventions that will support their recovery. The history and development of care plans are explored and the benefits of care planning, involving good-practice guidelines and co-production, with service users are discussed. A case study is used to show strategies for planning care and recovery tools, and troubleshooting suggestions are provided for when there is a lack of engagement from the service user.

Care planning is an important part of a mental health nurse’s role, as a legal record of care given and as a therapeutic tool to encourage recovery.