Information and advice

The first in a series of factsheets written to inform families about health issues that might arise in their loved one’s life. Everyone gets ill at some point in their life. We think it is better to have all the information you need ahead of a health concern or crisis so that you can make advance plans in a more considered way.

Download Health series – DNAR

Our Jargon Buster explains some commonly used terms when talking about autism and learning disability support. Written as a factsheet for families of people we support, this glossary of terms is a useful tool for anyone navigating their way through support options.

Download our Jargon buster

Our Transitions guide aims to help you understand your child’s transition from children’s to adult services and what choices are available to you.

This was written with involvement from both families and a range of professionals, aiming to make a complex time for you as simple as possible.

Download Transition – your child’s journey into adult services

Download a  Transitions checklist of things you must remember to do – stick it on your fridge

Intended for families, support teams and others, this guide outlines different communication methods for people with autism and learning disabilities.

Communication is a two-way process and the approaches, behaviours and systems outlined in this guide may help you pinpoint ways to improve your existing communication, even identify gaps you were previously unaware of. The content has been created by family experts and our behaviour support team working together.

Download Let’s talk about communication

‘Making it personal’ and ‘Making it personal for everyone’ are two books about our journey into personalised and person-centred support. We believe everyone with learning disabilities and autism has the right to live the life they choose and in 2008 we started a journey to change the way we work – putting control back into the hands of the people we support and their loved ones.

Download Making it Personal

Download Making it Personal for Everyone

One woman was so intolerant of Martin Boniface’s learning disabled son Harry, that he had to leave the theatre while watching Martin perform. As a result, Martin has put together his top 10 (11) tips for avoiding, and dealing with, difficult moments in public.

Download Handling difficult situations in public

Securing suitable housing has long been a barrier to providing successful independent living support. Now, following strong success in Essex, we are adding dedicated housing brokers to our referrals offer. Here, we offer a few tips to maximise your chances of success.

Download housing brokerage information sheet

Dimensions has successfully supported many people to leave ATUs, but thousands more remain stuck in the system. That’s why we have created this practical, can-do guide.

We’ve included a very wide range of individual stories; we hope they will inspire people – families and professionals alike – to believe that in almost every case, better is possible.

Download Moving out of ATUs guide

Building the right relationship with neighbours can make the difference between somebody living a difficult life and a great life, with all the consequent impact on community involvement, staff morale and retention, and so on.

This short guide describes a wide range of difficult situations that Dimensions colleagues have experienced, and how these have been resolved.

Download What makes a good neighbour