Contact our spokespeople

We can provide analysis and comment on a wide range of topics related to learning disabilities and autism. Some of our spokespeople have autism and/or learning disabilities and either work for us or are supported by us.

To contact our press office and spokespeople call 0300 303 9062 or email duncan.bell@dimensions-uk.org

Our spokespeople

Dr Mark Brookes MBE – Advocacy Lead

Mark (pictured above in the yellow tie) has a learning disability and a keen interest in ensuring people with learning disabilities are safe, while remaining independent.

Mark has a deeply powerful story and often speaks publicly about disability hate crime and is an advocate for people with learning disabilities and autism being treated equally. He is also employed by Dimensions as a Quality Auditor, a role that sees him visiting services to check people are supported in a personalised way.

Mark was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent for his work on Hate Crime, a huge accolade that has since been followed by an MBE, a place of the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list and membership of the Learning Disability Leaders List run by Dimensions in association with VODG and Learning Disability England.

Rachael Dodgson – Group Chief Executive

Rachael has worked in social care for over 30 years. She is a qualified social worker and has worked in a wide range of roles both in the voluntary and for profit sector. She began her career in social care as a support worker with people with learning disabilities and has also worked as a registered manager and as operations director in services for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

She worked for Birmingham People First (the self-advocacy organisation of people with learning disabilities) and then spent 13 years working for the social care regulator in a number of different posts.  She began her time there as an inspector but her final post at CQC was as Head of Adult Social Care Policy leading on strategy, regulatory frameworks and policy.  She joined Dimensions in 2019 as our Managing Director and in 2022 became our CEO.

Rachael is passionate about ensuring people have choice and control over their lives and delivering high quality support.  She is strongly committed to involving and engaging the people we support and their families, to raising the profile of social care across government, and to enabling colleagues to have great careers at Dimensions.