Diverse Abilities

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.

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

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

• Disability support services
• Specialist education
• Domiciliary care
• Supported living
• Disability charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Poole

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charity relies on donations from individuals, corporate partners, and fundraising activities including treks, running events, and community fundraising.
2. Government-Funded Services: Local authorities (Dorset Council, BCP Council, Hampshire Council) allocate funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families.
3. Private Pay Services: Families may self-fund Shapes domiciliary care services when not receiving local authority funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Colten Care - Bourne ViewminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbour 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 CouncilcoreOthersAllocates funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families in the BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole) area.
• Dorset CouncilcoreOthersAllocates funding for limited spaces in Short Breaks services for eligible families in Dorset.
• Hampshire CouncilcoreOthersAllocates 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/diverseabilitiesplus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diverse-abilities-plus

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diverse Abilities