Information and support for families
Helpline for families
We have set up a helpline for the families of the people we support. The line is open from 10am to 12pm, Monday to Friday, and will give family members the opportunity to ask questions of our team of family consultants.
Phone 0300 303 9161 or Email: Family.helpline@dimensions-uk.org
This page was last updated on 21 Dec 2022
New face covering guidance for adult support teams
On 15th December, the Government announced changes to masking guidance across adult social care in England, moving towards a risk-based use of masks.
This updated guidance details the risk-based approach of using face masks and replaces previous guidance that stated face masks should be worn at all times across adult social care. Please note, there will be times when masks still need to be worn.
We have produced an easy read guide, summarising the changes to guidance, which you can download here.
Our roadmap out of the pandemic
We are very pleased to share our roadmap out of the pandemic for the Dimensions group. The roadmap uses the same dates as the government’s roadmap for England, and if the government’s dates change due to unforeseen circumstances, ours will too.
You can download a summary of the roadmap in a poster by clicking here.
NHS app
As you may have seen in the news, the NHS app, which can be downloaded to both Android and Apple smartphones, can now be used as a ‘vaccine passport’ to prove that you have been vaccinated against Covid-19. This app is not the same as the government’s Covid-19 app which is used for contact tracing and to check into venues.
The ability to prove our vaccine status will probably become increasingly useful for a variety of purposes. However, the NHS app does work with confidential health data and so, while we encourage you to consider downloading it on your personal mobile device, please do not download it on to a Dimensions device. More information on the app, and options to download it, are available here.
People we support and Learning Disability Registers
We believe that the vast majority of the people we support are on their GP’s Learning Disability Register, and so are being prioritised for vaccination. However, there may be some who aren’t and so Access Social Care has produced this guide to Learning Disability Registers and this letter template for family members to request that their loved one is included in the register.
Court of Protection’s view on vaccination
The Court of Protection this week ruled that an 80-year-old woman lacking capacity should be given the Covid-19 vaccine against the wishes of her son. Although all court decisions are based on individual situations, the judgement indicates how thinking is developing when it comes to best interest decisions. If you’d like to read further, you can find the full judgement here.
Advance care planning
In response to Covid-19 we are aware that some providers are being contacted by primary care services to ensure that advanced care planning is in place for people who receive care and support. This includes people who have learning disabilities and autism, in particular those who are in care homes. Dimensions position statement sets out some key points for colleagues about which to be vigilant, so as to support processes around advanced care planning.
Letters to families
Our CEO Rachael Dodgson (previously Steve Scown) writes regularly to families, which can be downloaded below.
Dimensions letters:
Dimensions first letter to families
Dimensions second letter to families
Dimensions third letter to families
Dimensions fourth letter to families
Dimensions fifth letter to families
Dimensions sixth letter to families
Dimensions seventh letter to families
Dimensions eighth letter to families
Dimensions ninth letter to families
Dimensions tenth letter to families
Dimensions eleventh letter to families
Dimensions twelfth letter to families
Dimensions thirteenth letter to families
Dimensions fourteenth letter to families
Dimensions sixteenth letter to families
Dimensions seventeenth letter to families
Dimensions eighteenth letter to families
Dimensions nineteenth letter to families of people supported by Dimensions in the North region
Dimensions nineteenth letter to families of people supported by Dimensions in the West region
Dimensions nineteenth letter to families of people supported by Dimensions in the South region
Dimensions nineteenth letter to families of people supported by Dimensions Cymru
Dimensions twentieth letter to families
Dimensions twentieth letter to families of people supported by Dimensions Cymru
Dimensions twenty first letter to families
Dimensions twenty first letter to families of people supported by Dimensions Cymru
Discovery letters:
Discovery first letter to families
Discovery second letter to families
Discovery third letter to families
Discovery fourth letter to families
Discovery fifth letter to families
Discovery sixth letter to families
Discovery seventh letter to families
Discovery eighth letter to families
Discovery ninth letter to families
Discovery tenth letter to families
Discovery eleventh letter to families
Discovery twelfth letter to families
Discovery thirteenth letter to families
Discovery fourteenth letter to families
Discovery sixteenth letter to families
Discovery seventeenth letter to families
Discovery eighteenth letter to families
Discovery nineteenth letter to families
Discovery twentieth letter to families
Discovery twenty first letter to families
Accessible advice, resources and activities to get through the coronavirus crisis
Now that the government has told everyone to stay indoors as much as possible, there is a greater need than ever for people to stay active and connected from home. Visit our ‘Advice, resources and activities to get through the coronavirus crisis’ resources page to find a wealth of ideas, activities and resources for life at home, so you and your loved one can stay active and connected.