Family involvement
We expect our staff to listen to the people we support and their families.
Our Family Consultants are there to make sure you’re understood and help prevent issues or difficulties – many of our consultants are family carers and understands the pressures and issues families face.
Help us understand your Transition experience
Dimensions is currently researching Transition, to better understand the experience of the young adults at the centre of it alongside all those around them: families, colleges and local authorities. We’ll publish everything we learn to help make #BetterTransitions for others.
How we involve families
The Dimensions Family Charter
Created with families, our charter outlines our commitment to working with you and how you can help us. Covering communication, making decisions, health and wellbeing and when things go wrong these promises are ingrained in the ways we work with you.
Download Dimensions Family Charter
Download Dimensions Cymru Family Charter
Listening and learning report
Dimensions is a person-centred organisation. Listening to the views of the people who matter is important to us and families are a huge part of this.
As a result, we have developed our annual listening and learning report to summarise findings from our most recent surveys and indicate some of the actions we’re taking as a result.
Download the Dimensions Listening and learning report 2020-21
Person-centred planning
We use an approach to support called person-centred planning. This means the people we support and their families are involved at all levels. Find out more.
Staff appraisals
Your relative’s support plan shapes staff and team objectives. To help make sure our staff provide good support in the right way, each year we may ask for your feedback for their appraisals. This is an opportunity to compliment their work, or raise any issues you feel need focusing on.
Staff recruitment and matching
If we’re looking for a new member of staff or team to support your relative, you can get involved in colleague recruitment or matching.
As well as having the right skills and aptitude, we make sure our support workers connect with the people they support, and have similar interests. This is important to help with building a trusting and productive relationship. To do this, you can get involved in their recruitment. You can help write job descriptions, interview candidates and see how they interact with you and your relative. This helps to direct who we recruit to support your relative.
Groups and feedback
Each of our areas and regions has its own way of working with families to meet local needs. Our Executive Team visits each region regularly to listen to families and the people we support.
To find out how to get involved locally, contact your Locality Manager or Operations Director. Find who to contact locally through our ‘Find local services’ search at the top of the page.
Download our Facts for Families – Being involved Factsheet.
Every year we also conduct a family survey, which asks questions about the quality of support we’re providing for your relative and how we’re treating you. We use this to strengthen our Family Charter and improve how we work.
To find out more about the support options we offer in your area, click the button below: