Resources for all families
Transition: your child’s journey into adult services
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.
Let’s talk about communication
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.
Handling difficult situations in public
Securing suitable housing
Securing suitable housing has long been a barrier to providing successful independent living support. Here, our housing brokers discuss ways to maximise your chances of success.
Moving out of ATUs
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.
What makes a good neighbour
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.
Family Factsheets
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Facts for Families27th August 2025
A guide to the Mental Capacity Act for family carers
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Facts for Families22nd August 2025
Dimensions Family Charter: Our Commitment to Families
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Facts for Families13th August 2025
Facts for Families: What Dimensions does about concerns and complaints
Who you can contact for advice
Referrals
If you have a personal budget in place and are looking for a support package, contact us to discuss support options.
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
Other organisations that can help
- Top ten tips for choosing someone to support you, is an independent publication, produced by the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG). It offers ten top tips for choosing someone to support you
- Ambitious About Autism is a charity that runs specialist schools and colleges, and national youth and employability programmes
- Beyond Words is a charity that co-creates word-free picture stories for people with learning disabilities. Every story is co-created with people with lived experience and trialled by people with learning disabilities.
- British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) is a national membership charity that promotes the principles and delivery of supported employment services.
- British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) supports organisations across multiple practices to champion the rights of people with learning disabilities, ensuring quality support and continuous improvement.
- Carers UK provide information, advice and support to unpaid carers within the UK.
- Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) founded by parent Vivien Cooper OBE, is a UK charity that ‘provides information, support and workshops specifically focused on the needs of people with learning disabilities who display behaviours of distress.’
- Contact A Family provide ‘support and advice to families of disabled children’
- Council For Disabled Children is a membership body, ‘providing a collective voice that champions the rights of disabled children, young people and their families, and challenges barriers to inclusion.’
- Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA) ‘supports people who have Down’s Syndrome, and their parents and carers.’
- In Control is a charity that ‘provides information, advice and support to enable people to take control of their lives.’
- Learning Disability England
- Respond‘exist to lessen the effect of trauma and abuse on people with learning disabilities, their families and supporters’.
- Victim Support‘provides victims and witnesses with high quality emotional and practical support’.
- Ann Craft Trust‘A leading UK authority on safeguarding adults and young people at risk’.
- Social Care for Excellence (SCIE)‘improves the lives of people of all ages by co-producing, sharing and supporting the use of the best available knowledge and evidence about what works in social care and social work’