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Person Centred Society

What is a Person Centred Society

A Person Centred Society (PCS) is a small non-profit organization that is created to provide a circle of support for a single person and is governed by the BC Societies Act.

A PCS has a Board of Directors with a minimum of three people who bring a variety of skills, experience and community connections.

The PCS will help guide and support the person in achieving their goals and disability related needs by doing things like:

  • Helping plan for the future.
  • Advocating for what the person needs.
  • Managing the funding for a person’s services.
  • Acting as an employer for a person’s services.
  • Connecting a person to the broader community.
  • Monitoring services to ensure their personal safety, applicable laws are followed, and their needs are being met.

Some Person Centred Societies don’t manage funds or services directly but act as an advisory group to help with life choices, support, and planning.

Person Centred Societies that receive funding directly from government funders can hire people to provide services.

A Microboard  is a specific type of Person Centred Society that is created using Vela’s processes and documents and upholds the guiding principles of Vela Microboards.

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Services

  • Person led planning assistance.
  • Support with development of a personal support plan and/or proposal for funding.
  • General information about how to incorporate a society in British Columbia under the BC Societies Act.
  • Assistance to understand CLBC’s Person Centred Society Framework, policy, contract obligations, service terms and conditions, service standards, monitoring and reporting obligations.
  • Information, templates, samples, events, and resources for managing self-directed support contracts.

*Due to the wide amount of possible variation in constituting documents for those who create Person Centred Societies, we do not have sample incorporation documents available for those who choose this option.

  • Explore options available for funding and support.
  • Assistance to work with government funders to obtain a funded PCS contract.
  • Information about what is available for funding and how funding decisions are made.
  • Budget creation.
  • Information on determining if workers are employees or contractors.
  • Support and information to set up as an employer.
  • Information on WorkSafe BC, Employment Standards, Criminal Records Review Program, and Canada Revenue Agency – including how to obtain relevant accounts.
  • Free events, webinars and documentation to support being an employer.