Dimensions Care has generated more than £1 million in social value in the last 12 months, as the children’s services provider prepares to open its sixth home in a year of continued growth.
Since 2021, the Shropshire-based company has seen the value of social impact rise to over £3 million through the creation of jobs, training, improving the physical and mental wellbeing of its workforce, while contributing to local causes. This follows the opening of the company’s fifth home at the end of 2024 – a specialist crisis and assessment centre in the Midlands.
In the summer, Dimensions Care will open its sixth home, with a seventh currently at project stage working towards registration and due to open later this year. The company currently has homes in Ludlow, Telford, Coventry, Rowley Regis, Northampton, Leicester, with new site in Oswestry.
According to the latest figures from Shropshire Council, there are more than 700 looked after children in the region, with numbers increasing by 60% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dimensions Care managing director, Wayne Price, said: “Both regionally and industry-wide there is a real sufficiency problem in children’s social care that desperately needs to be addressed. As a result, we are investing significantly in opening specialist children’s homes that not only help to meet that local need, but also provide a positive and nurturing environment where children can thrive.
“Our aim is to create up to 15 children’s homes in Shropshire and the surrounding regions that allow us to deliver positive outcomes for vulnerable young people through the Dyadic Development Practice (DDP) model of care.”
This approach guides the team’s daily interactions with the young people under their care, offering valuable support for children who have faced trauma by focusing on building strong relationships.
Through principles like PACE – Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy – staff provide the nurturing environment these children need to heal. Their approach emphasises positive parenting, combining structure, routine and love to address underlying emotions rather than just behaviours.
Price added: “We believe that with proper support, children can overcome their early traumas and grow into successful adults. As such, over the next 12 months, we intend to cement our commitment to the DDP model and confirm our status as one of the only providers in the UK to deliver such an effective model of care.”
Since launching at the end of 2019, Dimensions Care employee numbers have risen to nearly 100, with every member of the team trained in DDP. Currently, 60% of employees have achieved the Level 1 qualification over five training courses since December 2021.
Price continued: “We’re committed to providing the highest standards of care and support to children and staff alike. Training and development plays a vital role in achieving this. What’s more, it has been instrumental in helping us to deliver significant social value over the last three-and-a-half years, totalling more than £3 million, as we strive to create a positive ripple effect beyond our homes and into the surrounding communities.”
Business Manager Ruth Scalise (right), pictured with Managing Director Wayne Price (left)