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Dimensions (UK)

Dimensions supports people with learning disabilities and people with autism to make their own choices and decisions in their lives. A longstanding national not-for-profit provider, Dimensions supports around 3,500 people and their families across England and Wales.

Dimensions provides support for people living in their own homes or in shared housing, behaviour support, supported employment and opportunities for learning and participating in the community. It helps individuals and their families with a personal budget and offers a range of services to young people and adults of all ages, including those with complex needs and/or challenging behaviour. Its Behaviour Support team is the largest in-house team of any non-profit social care provider. The quality of its service is based on a stated commitment to person-centred support, tailored around each individual. It employs a team of approx. 4,500 staff who are trained beyond national minimum standards. Dimensions says it aims to offer a solutions-focused approach and has a commitment to achieving positive outcomes and better lives for the people it supports. Dimensions head offices at are located in Theale just outside of Reading: Dimensions (UK) Ltd, 9-10 Commerce Park, Brunel Road, Theale, RG7 4AB

Person-centred support:

Dimensions is focussed on person-centred support and personalisation[]. Its website states that:

‘We put people at the centre of everything we do and we value everyone’s unique contribution – the people we support, their families and our workforce. We believe that our commitment to person-centred support and our work on personalisation makes us expertly placed to ensure you get the support services that are right for you and your family.’

CEO: Steve Scown

Steve Scown, chief executive of Dimensions, has authored two books on personalisation : ‘Making it Personal: A provider’s journey from tradition to transformation’ and ‘Making it Personal for Everyone: From block contracts towards individual service funds’. The books explore how Dimensions has transformed the way it works as an organisation to provide people with more choice and control over their lives Steve Scown also writes a regular blog sharing learning and experience. Partners :

Ambitious About Autism Challenging Behaviour Foundation Council for Disabled Children Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities Helen Sanderson Associates National Autistic Society National Development Team for Inclusion Talk About Autism The Rise School Tunstall

Love your vote

Love your vote is a campaign started by Dimensions, a not-for-profit provider of support to people with learning disabilities and autism, to raise awareness of voting and to increase the number of people who vote, to give everyone the chance to shape the future of the country. Dimensions carried out research in 2012 where it found that less than 10% of people with learning disabilities voted in their local elections. Dimensions has collaborated with the Houses of Parliament Outreach Service to provide workshops which use picture cards, training scripts and group role-play to help participants understand how Parliament works. It has also produced an Easy Read guide to Love Your Vote. Dimensions says that over 1,000 people have attended Love your vote workshops since the project began.

Autism Friendly Film Screenings

In 2011, Dimensions initiated Autism Friendly Film Screenings which now run at over 250 cinemas monthly in partnership with ODEON, Cineworld, Showcase and Vue cinemas as part of its commitment to community inclusion. Adjustments are made to the cinema environment to make it suitable for people with sensory needs. What makes the screenings autism friendly ?

-	The lights are on low

-	The volume is turned down

-	There are no trailers at the beginning of the film

-	Guests can take your own food and drinks

-	Guests can move around the cinema as necessary

Most films are aimed at families but a pilot run by Odeon is currently targeting older adults.