Entering the Leaders’ Awards
- Entry options have been designed to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. Entrants and nominators can email leaderaward@dimensions-uk.org if adjustments are needed.
- Individuals with a learning disability and/or autism can enter the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards.
- Groups with people who have a learning disability and/or autism can enter the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards.
- People entering themselves for the List can receive support to make their entry.
- Individuals can nominate somebody with a learning disability and/or autism for the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards.
- Anybody nominating somebody else must have direct contact with the person they are nominating and will be responsible for relaying messages and orchestrating a working relationship between all required parties.
- Previous winners can enter again, but they must use a different story from their winning story.
- All entrants and nominees must be living in the UK at time of entry or nomination.
- Multiple nominations and entries are allowed.
- The deadline for all all entries and nominations to the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards 2025 is 10am on 3 February 2025.
- No submissions will be accepted after entries have closed, except those in exceptional circumstances.
- Entries made by the same person, using the same story, under the same category will be treated as duplications. The Leaders’ Awards Administrator will put what they consider to be the entry with the best chance of success into the shortlisting process.
- Categories have been designed to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. The Leaders’ Awards Administrator and Shortlisting Team holds the right to change categories stories are entered under. This is to give them the best possible chance of success.
Selecting the Leaders
- The Leaders’ Awards is being run by Dimensions in partnership with Supported Loving and our Steering Group. Our partner’s chosen advocated and the award steering group, reserve the right to be involved in any stage of the process when required.
- Judging will take place in March 2025. It will be fair and impartial; each judge’s decision is final.
Judges
- Each of the 4 categories will have 2 judges.
- All of our judges will have a learning disability and/or autism, or they will be connected to someone who does. Most if not all of them will be previous Leaders.
- In addition to this, there will also be one or more judges to help make decisions where there is a conflict of interest or a “tied” place.
Entries will be shortlisted
- The Leaders Awards Steering Group will shortlist the entries. This means they will read all entries and choose a selection to send to the judges. They will receive guidance and support to do this in the way that’s best for them.
- Where we feel there is information missing from the entry but strong potential, we will contact the person who made the entry.
- It is at this stage some entries might be moved to a different category. This will only be done if it gives the entrant a better chance of success.
- The final shortlisted entries will be sent to the judges.
Judges will rank the shortlists
- The judges for each category will rank the shortlisted stories for their category in order of preference, assigning them a position, which will convert to points: most points (first place) to one point (last place).
- The judges will send their scores to Dimensions.
- The judges can get support from a limited number of people they trust to judge the entries.
Stories won’t be anonymised
- It’s important that the judges really get to know and understand the entrants.
- They will see photos, videos and other documents.
- This means that the stories cannot be anonymous.
- But, the judges are under obligation to tell us about any conflicts of interest.
- If they do not feel they can judge the story impartially they will be put in touch with a mediator judge.
- They will work with the mediator judge to rank the story fairly and appropriately.
- The judges and anyone supporting them will be instructed to keep all people and their stories confidential until the stories are published.
Choosing the Leaders
- Dimensions will use the scores to determine the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders for 2025.
- If there are any tied places (people with the same score in the same category) mediating judges will choose which story succeeds.
- 2025’s Leaders will be notified. This is confidential and we will ask them not to tell anybody.
- Winners must consent to publication of their story, their photo, their name and other supporting content. If consent is not given they have the option to remain anonymous or alternative entrants will be selected.
- Consent for publication will be asked from the winning entrants only, after judging is complete.
Data
- All personal data shared with us is protected under the General Data Protection Regulations.
- This means we will not share any personal data supplied with anybody else without consent.
- We will share the stories submitted with only those involved in the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards 2025.
- We store data across a number of secure platforms. Details can be found in our Privacy Policy.