Dimensions Care has had a meteoric social value journey so far.
From taking the first steps in early 2023, the Midlands-based children’s residential care provider celebrated business manager Ruth Scalise winning the Social Value Leader Award at the Social Care Leadership Awards late last year.
We spoke to Ruth to learn more about how Dimensions Care went about generating £1.16 million in social value to date, how the company has been advocating for social value among its suppliers and partners, and about the role that Thrive has played in supporting and enabling that work.
What Dimensions Care Did
Founded in 2019, Dimensions Care works to provide vulnerable children with a positive and nurturing environment in which to thrive and grow. The company believes that every child deserves a home where they feel valued, understood and empowered.
With a strong sense of purpose underpinning the business, it was perhaps only natural that by 2023 Dimensions Care was looking for new ways to enhance and showcase its positive social impact.
The social impact work that Ruth has initiated and led in that time has seen:
- 56 jobs created across four different children’s care homes, contributing to local economies and providing stable work with good prospects – with many of the posts being filled by people with either disabilities or care leavers themselves
- Given the demanding requirements put on children’s residential care providers by Ofsted, Dimensions Care has a strong focus on training. Staff have undergone more than 1,500 hours of training through inductions, face-to-face sessions and online courses
- To date, 21 staff members have enrolled on Level 4 Children, Young People and Families Practitioner and Level 5 Children, Young People and Families Manager programmes – which benefits their own professional development, as well as the standards of care they can provide,
Having started her own career working in one of Dimensions Care’s homes, Ruth explained that it was their own people who first made the company want to know more about social value creation.
“If we look at the staff who we’ve employed, a lot of them come into the profession for lots of different reasons, as well as coming from a variety of backgrounds. We have quite a few care leavers who work with us. So it’s showing that no matter your background, you can achieve so much in social care.”
Dimensions Care creates a lot of social value by ensuring its people have rewarding careers with real prospects. Ruth went on:
“I think four out of our five home managers started as either a senior or a care practitioner and they’ve worked up the ranks. For us, we want to promote and train in house so that we have people who understand the values of Dimensions Care – values that focus as much on the wellbeing and support of our staff, as the children we care for.”
That commitment is being noticed. Dimensions Care has been shortlisted for the Exceptional Employer Award (Midlands & South) at the Stars of Children & Young People Awards 2025.
In turn, that approach and success leads to happier, safer and more nurturing homes. “The end product is to help these kids have better lives,” Ruth noted.
Motivated and well-trained staff are more invested in the success of the children in their care. Ruth shared a story of how the team made one young person’s dream come true – while teaching valuable skills for life after care along the way.
“One of our young people went to New York, having never been on holiday. That resulted from staff using all their training and skills to support that young person and help them save, saving on the side as well. We matched everything they were trying to save. And, before leaving care, she got her dream trip to New York.”
How Thrive Supports Dimensions Care’s Journey
Dimensions Care doesn’t bid for public sector contracts, so it’s not obliged to report on or measure its social value. But even so, Ruth explained that the local authorities they work with are taking increasing note.
“We’ve only had it requested on two occasions, but we have been told that this is something that they will be looking at in more detail moving forward. Social value is becoming more recognised and something that people want to know more about.”
Although social value isn’t a formal decision-making factor, Dimensions Care’s track record is giving them a reputational advantage in being awarded placements.
“For the local authority, they want to see that we’re inclusive, that we’re offering the right training to staff, that we’re keeping up with regulations, which is all part of why our social value is so high.”
Ruth proactively uses the Impact Evaluation Standard metrics and proxy values in the Thrive platform to decide how to maximise the impact of the business’s choices on the community.
The penny-drop moment came for her when she input the data into the platform, relating to two new home openings and immediately saw the vast social value they had created.
“We have come a really long way and we’re already looking at home six,” she added.
What’s Next?
We’re delighted to report that Ruth and Dimensions Care have no intention of resting on their laurels!
The experience over the last two years of not only creating a positive impact on the communities the company works in, but of also enhancing operational standards of care in doing so, has given Dimensions Care the motivation to carry on doing more.
As the company’s “Driving Positive Change” page says: “As we move forward, we want our story to serve as an example of the impact that can be achieved when purpose and business come together.”
We’re proud to be helping Dimensions Care’s mission – and we’re looking forward to working together for years to come.
At Thrive we help organisations demonstrate their social value impact through more effective measurement and reporting. If you want to discover how you can better tell your social value stories, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help you uncover more opportunities to showcase your impact.
Alan Boyce
Senior Researcher More articles by Alan >
