Complex Health Needs
Dimensions is a charitable registered society that provides complex care and support for people with autism and complex disability needs across the UK. We work with more than 80 local authorities and parts of the NHS to ensure that every individual receives the complex health care they need.
Our person-centred approach takes into account additional needs such as complex dyslexia, dysphagia and epilepsy, along with any complex mental health needs exhibited by the individual, to construct a complex care plan that prevents these conditions from becoming life-limiting.
What are Complex Health Needs?
Complex health care takes into account all of the conditions experienced by the individual, including complex learning disabilities, complex mental health needs, and those that may become life-limiting if managed incorrectly.
Every individual will have unique complex care needs. That’s why Dimensions takes a person-centred approach to offering complex care at home where possible and improving the quality of life for people like John, Karen and Katy.
It’s not just about quality of life. Nationwide, people with complex learning disabilities die on average about two decades earlier than their non-learning-disabled counterparts. We believe this can and must change.
What is Complex Care?
At Dimensions, we believe in a complex care definition guided by the best outcomes for the individual. By putting the person first, we avoid becoming distracted by processes that might not work for everyone, allowing us to offer complex care at home to keep people living safely and independently.
Our status as registered charitable complex care providers means we are in the perfect position to deliver services with a focus on outcomes instead of profit. Where possible, we will develop a complex care plan that gradually phases out third-party support, to eliminate excess costs for local authorities.
This is without ignoring the individual’s complex care needs, which will continue to be met by ourselves and the complex care providers we work with for as long as required.
Our Complex Care and Support Services
We provide specialist, personalised autism and learning disability support for people with complex needs all across the UK. Our person-centred thinking tools help improve the quality of life for each person we support.
Our approach to supporting people is always bespoke to their needs. We passionately believe that good support around health and personal care is essential for a good life; often, behaviours of distress occurs because a person is not in good health. Living in the right home plays a key part, too.
Catering for complex health care needs
When a person’s health needs are well managed, there is time and space for them to be more ambitious. There will be more opportunities to develop relationships, enjoy the community, seek work, and live an ordinary life just like anybody else.
We work hard to ensure the people we support are registered with their GP and have Personal Support Plans, including Health Action Plans and schedules for regular, comprehensive GP-led health checks.
Working with complex care providers
Dimensions are part of various learning disability services and groups, to ensure we are leading the way to better care.
We actively support the NHS ‘STOMP’ programme to greatly reduce the use of psychotropic medication amongst people with learning disabilities and autism. And we are active members of the NHS LeDeR programme to reduce the premature deaths of people with learning disabilities.
These are just a few complex care examples that highlight the person-led approach used by Dimensions and the organisations with whom we work. We aim to address complex disability care needs, improve quality of life, and support independent living.
Funding for complex care
Dimensions work with local authorities to develop your personal budget and to translate this into a funded care and support plan, taking into account all of your eligible complex care needs.
Funding for complex care support is covered by different laws in different parts of the UK:
- In England under the Care Act (2014)
- In Wales under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act (2014)
- In Scotland and Northern Ireland under other laws
In England and Wales, the legislation states that your local authority should:
- Assess the individual’s needs and eligibility
- Provide funding to ensure access to appropriate services
- Consider individual well-being and promote independence
Eligible needs often arise from the kinds of complex care examples given above, including struggles like personal care, getting dressed, maintaining social relationships, maintaining the home environment, accessing work, education or volunteering, and accessing the community.
As a charitable registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, Dimensions operates not-for-profit. Unlike private care providers, our actions are driven by the best interests of care recipients, and not by shareholders.
Who we support
Our person-centred approach is built on complex care, which means different things to different people. The age of someone is one major factor influencing the definition of complex care for individuals.
Care for adults
A complex care plan can be a way to continue to live independently despite a physical disability or acquired brain injury.
We appreciate that residential care is not the right solution for all everyone. By providing support services for complex care at home, we allow individuals to live in the place where they want to be, for as long as possible.
Types of Complex Care
Many different conditions can contribute to making complex care meaningful. Below are some common types of complex care needs.
Learning Disabilities
Complex learning disabilities can hold back educational achievement, they can include a variety of neurodevelopmental conditions, but also may significantly impact the individual’s health and/or behaviour. Examples include down syndrome, autism, ADHD and complex dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and/or dyspraxia.
Mental Health Issues
Mental health conditions can be challenging in isolation. Combined with other conditions, complex mental health needs demand agile, individual care plans. Dimensions can create personal care plans for people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other conditions.
Physical Disability
Physical disabilities often begin from birth and may include conditions like cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and spina bifida. Complex care services can help people to communicate more clearly, including through speech therapy, as well as enabling more independent living at home.
Acquired Brain Injury
Acquired brain injury, also known as ABI, can be caused by physical trauma, stroke, brain tumours, brain infections (e.g. meningitis) or asphyxiation. Individuals need bespoke care plans catering to the additional challenges of acquiring the injury in later life.
Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries can be caused by a range of different trauma, including workplace injuries, damage sustained during sporting events, road traffic accidents and others. These life-altering injuries can leave the individual with significant mobility impairment, and complex care plans may incorporate long-term nursing care at home, as well as physiotherapy where appropriate to encourage independent mobility.
We can help
If you would like to discuss any of the complex care needs described above in more detail, or you want to know if your condition(s) are eligible for funding support, please contact Dimensions and we will be happy to help.