Introducing our new Managing Director, Rachael Dodgson

We are very pleased to welcome Rachael Dodgson as the new Managing Director of Dimensions UK, succeeding Bob Tindall who is retiring. We asked Rachael to introduce herself:

What attracted you to Dimensions?

I’ve known of Dimensions for a long time. I knew it to be an organisation with a good reputation and values, truly focused on supporting people to lead great lives and achieve their goals. So, when this post became available, I knew I wanted to apply. The recruitment process was tough with some difficult lines of questioning from the people we support, so when Steve offered me the role, I was absolutely delighted.

What have your first impressions been since starting at Dimensions?

I’m writing this at the end of my first week and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve been lucky enough to attend two ‘listening events’ where I got the chance to meet some of the people we support, family members and our colleagues. I was struck by their stories about how much Dimensions has helped them achieve and how much they value their support staff. Several of the family members I spoke to were similarly positive about what our front line colleagues do to support their loved ones. And I met some amazing colleagues who are so passionate about what they do.

The other thing I’ve been struck by is the culture of the organisation. There seems to be a genuine willingness to listen and learn. As with any organisation there are things that aren’t perfect but there is a real determination to understand those issues and to work to improve them.

What do you think are the key issues facing Dimensions and the social care sector more generally?

As a large social care provider, the issues facing the social care sector as a whole are also many of our issues. Recruitment and retention of good staff is the foundation of any social care provider and I’ve been interested to hear about what we do on that. Continuing austerity and challenges for local authority funding are also huge issues for both the sector and us.

In one or two sentences, how would you sum up your aspirations for Dimensions?

I am joining the organisation just when the new strategy for 2025 is being developed. There’s been a great deal of engagement both internally and externally and, from what I’ve seen and heard, that’s going to set us a clear direction of travel for the next five years. Our focus needs to be making sure every person we support leads a great life and is an active member of their local community. Tto do that we need to deliver high quality, safe services with motivated and passionate staff – if we can achieve that in every single service we provide, that’s fantastic.

Welcome from Steve

Group Chief Executive Steve Scown said,

“I am delighted to welcome Rachael to our team as Dimensions UK Managing Director and I look forward to working with her closely in making sure the support we provide across the country is the best it can be. Rachael brings with her a wealth of experience in the social care sector, including as Head of Adult Social Care Policy at the Care Quality Commission, and I am sure that we will learn a lot from her insights and unique perspectives.

“I would also like to thank retiring Managing Director Bob Tindall for his tireless work in moving us forward over the last few years, and I am very grateful that he will be staying on in post during a transition period to help make the handover as smooth as possible.”