We have listened to feedback from support workers who told us that they felt trapped in their jobs; that career pathways were not available to them; that in order to progress, they thought they would have to leave. That’s why Dimensions invests heavily in a number of career development programmes including our multi-award-winning ‘Aspire’ programme.
Alongside Aspire we have invested in leadership development training, recognising that great leadership is critical to creating a workplace where people can flourish and want to stay.
Click here to hear from some of our colleagues to see how their careers have flourished with us.
The Moving Up programme, provided by Skills For Care, supports lead support workers, assistant locality managers, and locality managers in England who are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, who have the desire and drive to progress in their career. The programme provides participants with the tools to focus and understand our organisation better to help shape and influence career progression. Securing places on this programme is one part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring we are diversely representative at all levels of our organisation.
Below are comments from two colleagues who completed the programme last year.
Ifeoma says:
“When my manager, Jan Aylott, told me about the programme, I was excited to see what it was all about. Then the programme started, and I was not that keen as I did not understand how it could help me. To my greatest surprise, it was a dream come true and very beneficial to my moving up with my career. I can tell you now that I am glad I participated because it helped me to understand my own culture as well as respecting other people’s culture and how I can use my own culture to contribute something different to my organisation.”
Sheila says:
“So, since finishing the programme, I have become more confident in myself and believe I can succeed. Before going on the Moving Up Programme I was very afraid to act, which was a big challenge I was facing, but now I feel confident to try and do things out of my comfort zone.
I am more confident now having the opportunity to get my voice heard which promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. The Moving Up programme played a big role in my promotion as it helped me to overcome barriers within myself that I didn’t even know I had. I feel I have moved up!"
