Diverse Abilities
Diverse Abilities is a Dorset-based disability charity established in 1955 providing specialist education, children's services, domiciliary care, and adult supported living for people with complex physical and learning disabilities across South West England, funded by local authorities, donations, and private-pay fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersPoole, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Diverse Abilities does
Diverse Abilities (legally Diverse Abilities Plus Ltd) is a Dorset-based disability charity established in 1955, registered as a company limited by guarantee (Charity no. 282197, Company no. 01540805). It delivers a full-spectrum portfolio of services for children and adults with complex physical and learning disabilities across South West England, with funded service reach into Hampshire and Wiltshire. Core offerings include Langside School (a specialist Ofsted-inspected school for ages 2–19 with profound and multiple learning disabilities, supporting up to 28 children with multidisciplinary nursing, therapy, and education), children's services (Coping with CHAOS play sessions, Project My Time holiday activities, Caterpillar Club for ages 0–4, Awesome Nights youth club, and CQC-regulated Shapes domiciliary care), adult services (24/7 Supported Living in service users' own homes, and The Beehive day services), and support services (Advice Team for benefits and legal guidance, Family Support). Sub-brands include Langside School, Coping with CHAOS, Shapes, and The Treehouse venue in Hurn.
The proprietary technology stack is minimal: the charity runs SchoolsBuddy for online session booking and registration, the Squarespace CMS for its web presence, and standard enterprise tools (iTrent HR, Microsoft Remote System Logon). No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary platforms, or technology products are disclosed. Environmental Control Technology used in Langside School is assistive technology for pupil use, not an organizational IP asset. The charity is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (for domiciliary care) and Ofsted (for Langside School) and is registered with the Fundraising Regulator.
The revenue model is a hybrid of three streams: (1) local authority funding from Dorset Council, BCP Council, and Hampshire Council for limited Short Breaks spaces and contract care; (2) private-pay fees from families self-funding domiciliary care via Shapes and session contributions for Short Breaks; and (3) donations and fundraising (individual, corporate, and event-based including Sahara treks, the Dorset Neon Run, and community campaigns). The go-to-market is community-led, relying on referrals from local authorities, social workers, and self-referrals from families, with digital marketing supported by newsletter, Facebook groups, and the Reasons to Care podcast. Pricing is unit-based per session for Short Breaks and Family Fun Days, with bespoke individual assessments for Shapes domiciliary care. Operations are anchored at the Treehouse venue in Hurn, with the registered office in Parkstone, Poole.
Diverse Abilities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diverse Abilities
- Legal name
- Diverse Abilities Plus Ltd
- Website
- https://diverseabilities.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Diverse Abilities is a Dorset-based disability charity established in 1955 providing specialist education, children's services, domiciliary care, and adult supported living for people with complex physical and learning disabilities across South West England, funded by local authorities, donations, and private-pay fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Diverse Abilities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Support Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC)
Keywords
Where Diverse Abilities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Poole
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Diverse Abilities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Charity relies on donations from individuals, corporate partners, and fundraising activities including treks, running events, and community fundraising.
- Government-Funded Services: Local authorities (Dorset Council, BCP Council, Hampshire Council) allocate funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families.
- Private Pay Services: Families may self-fund Shapes domiciliary care services when not receiving local authority funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Per session | Family Fun Day ticket pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Per session | Short Breaks services session contributions |
| Other | Individual assessment | Shapes domiciliary care pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Diverse Abilities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Diverse Abilities is Dorset's disability charity, operating since 1955, that provides a coordinated portfolio of services for children and adults with complex physical and learning disabilities. The core offering spans specialist education (Langside School), short breaks and play sessions (Coping with CHAOS, Project My Time, Caterpillar Club, Awesome Nights), domiciliary care (Shapes), supported living and day services for adults (The Beehive), and family support and advice services.
Product overview
Diverse Abilities is a disability charity offering a coordinated portfolio of services for children and adults with complex physical and learning disabilities in Dorset. The core offering includes Langside School (a specialist school for ages 2-19), children's services (Project My Time holiday activities, Shapes domiciliary care, Coping with CHAOS play sessions, Awesome Nights youth club, Caterpillar Club for ages 0-4), and adult services (Supported Living, The Beehive day services). The Treehouse serves as a specialist venue supporting these programs. Additional services include Advice, Family Support, and the Reasons to Care podcast. Services are funded through a combination of local authority funding, donations, and fundraising events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Langside School: A specialist school for children aged two to 19 with profound physical and learning disabilities, and complex medical needs. Provides a full sensory and therapeutic approach with nursing support in every class.
- Coping with CHAOS (CWC)
- Shapes
- The Treehouse
Products and services
- Langside School A specialist school for children aged 2-19 with profound physical and learning disabilities and complex medical needs, providing full sensory and therapeutic education with multidisciplinary support including nursing, therapy, and hydrotherapy. Supports up to 28 children.
- Project My Time Holiday activities program for children and young people aged 8 to 18 with disabilities, allowing them to develop independence while having fun without parents needing to stay.
- Shapes Domiciliary care service providing individually tailored programs of care in the family home or community for children and young people with complex medical and behavioral needs, regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
- Coping with CHAOS Weekend and holiday play sessions for children and young people with complex, profound, and multiple learning disabilities, providing support for the whole family at The Treehouse venue and other locations.
- Awesome Nights Youth club for teenagers with disabilities providing social activities and support.
- Caterpillar Club Free group for children aged 0 to 4 with disabilities providing multi-sensory activities, parallel to Langside School's curriculum. Supports up to 3 families per week.
- The Treehouse Specialist purpose-built venue in Hurn for individuals with special educational needs and disabilities, featuring soft play, sensory room, cinema, Changing Places toilet, and available for private hire.
- Supported Living Services 24/7 supported living services for adults with disabilities in their own homes, providing personal care, daily living support, and community access.
- The Beehive Day services for adults with disabilities providing activities, support, and community engagement.
- Advice Services Advice team providing guidance on benefits, Lasting Power of Attorneys, and other support services for families.
- Family Support Service Support services for parents of children with disabilities including coffee mornings, wellbeing groups, parent training sessions, and home visits from Family Supporters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ofsted reports available for Langside School
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Diverse Abilities
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Diverse Abilities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Diverse Abilities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Colten Care - Bourne ViewminorNeighbour of Langside School. Children from Langside visit Bourne View care home residents to sing songs together, explore the garden, and participate in day-to-day activities, fostering intergenerational connections.
- BCP CouncilcoreAllocates funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families in the BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole) area.
- Dorset CouncilcoreAllocates funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families in Dorset.
- Hampshire CouncilcoreAllocates funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services. Hampshire residents must be in receipt of Gateway Card+ to attend.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Diverse Abilities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SeeAbility: UK charity specifically supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and sight loss through specialist schools, supported living, and community services. Highly comparable specialist-education footprint.
- Hft (Home Farm Trust): UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities, including PMLD, through supported living, residential care, and day services. Closest direct peer given overlap in adult supported living and learning disability focus.
- Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind. Operates specialist schools, residential services, and community support — directly comparable to Langside School and adult services.
- Livability: UK charity running supported living, residential care, and education services for people with disabilities. Comparable integrated education-and-care charity operating model.
- United Response: UK charity providing supported living, domiciliary care, and day services for people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs. Comparable service mix and local-authority commissioning model.
- MacIntyre: UK charity delivering education, supported living, and lifelong services for people with learning disabilities and autism, including PMLD. Strong overlap with Diverse Abilities' lifespan model.
Broad incumbents
- Mencap: Large UK national charity supporting people with learning disabilities through advice, supported living, and advocacy. Operates at much greater scale across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, making it a broad incumbent.
- Leonard Cheshire: International charity supporting people with disabilities through residential care, supported living, and employment programmes. Overlaps in service portfolio but operates much more broadly.
Regional players
- Surrey Choices: Local-authority-affiliated provider of supported employment, day services, and supported living in Surrey for people with disabilities. Comparable local-delivery model but serves a different region.
- Certitude: London-focused charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs through supported living, day services, and advocacy. Similar integrated model, geographically distinct.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Diverse Abilities social profiles
Digital presenceDiverse Abilities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Diverse Abilities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diverse Abilities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Diverse Abilities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diverse Abilities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diverse Abilities
What does Diverse Abilities do?
Diverse Abilities is Dorset's disability charity, operating since 1955, that provides a coordinated portfolio of services for children and adults with complex physical and learning disabilities. The core offering spans specialist education (Langside School), short breaks and play sessions (Coping with CHAOS, Project My Time, Caterpillar Club, Awesome Nights), domiciliary care (Shapes), supported living and day services for adults (The Beehive), and family support and advice services.
Is Diverse Abilities a public or private company?
Diverse Abilities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Diverse Abilities founded?
Diverse Abilities was founded in 1955. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Diverse Abilities based?
Diverse Abilities is headquartered in Poole, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Diverse Abilities make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are government-Funded Services and private Pay Services.
Who are Diverse Abilities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SeeAbility, Hft (Home Farm Trust), Sense, Livability, United Response and MacIntyre. Broad incumbents are Mencap and Leonard Cheshire. Regional players are Surrey Choices and Certitude.
Does Diverse Abilities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Diverse Abilities.
What industry is Diverse Abilities in?
Diverse Abilities's product category is Disability Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAM, Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech), with a secondary code of BPAGAEAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8300.