Dimensions was established in 1976 and has grown to become one of the country’s largest not-for-profit organisations, operating across England and Wales. It provides a wide range of support for adults with learning disabilities and/or autistic people, including those with complex needs, with a vision of Better Lives for More People. It is also a small Registered Provider of social housing. As a result of the different activities it undertakes, Dimensions has multiple regulators and is operating within a challenging and ever changing landscape.
Project start-up
We held a start-up meeting to take a wider brief from Dimensions, agree key contacts, information requirements (and sources), key stakeholders with whom we would need to engage and Board and Committee meetings to be observed. A timeline for reporting was also agreed and DTP produced a project plan following the meeting.
Desk-top analysis/structured interviews/meeting observations
We conducted desk-top analysis of a range of governance documentation to initially inform our review. We then undertook interviews with all members of the Group Board, the Group Executive Team and the Head of Corporate Governance to gather feedback on the operation and effectiveness of the Board and governance generally, along with understanding members’ skills, experience, knowledge and contributions. We also observed meetings of the Board and four Committees and a Task & Finish Group. Throughout the process we worked collaboratively with Dimensions colleagues to deliver the review to the agreed timescales and budget.
We found governance at Dimensions to be effective, with the current structure (legal entities and the committees) supporting effective governance and the delivery of the corporate strategy and objectives. We found many examples of good practice, observed a strong appetite for continuous improvement and sound awareness of the board’s regulatory remit and responsibilities. We found Dimensions to be an exemplar in its approach to hearing and considering the voice of people supported and their families, with a strong culture centred around delivering outcomes for them.
We used our findings and analysis to produce a report which validated these matters of positive governance and made evidence-based recommendations for any change and observations for further continuous improvement. We presented our report initially to the Group Executive Team in July 2025 followed by the Board in August 2025.
Jo Greenbank, Head of Corporate Governance