About Us

Introduction to Creative Support

Creative Support is recognised as one of the largest national not-for-profit providers of prevention and care services in England. We work in over 70 local authorities across the North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, the Midlands, London and the South East.

Our mission is to promote the independence, inclusion and wellbeing of people with support needs. We do this by working with the people we support, their families and partner agencies to develop and deliver high quality services that meet individual needs and aspirations in a person-centred way. We also aim to provide added value to our purchasers and to contribute to communities by using our resources in efficient, flexible and creative ways.

Over the last 12 months we have supported 7,000 people with care and support needs to achieve their goals, grow in independence and take control over their lives. A further 1,400 tenants have benefitted from the provision of high quality housing with support.

Creative Support has a reputation for being dynamic, enterprising and customer-focused and for finding innovative ways to deliver services. We are committed to co-production with the people we support and to working in partnership with the local voluntary sector and other agencies to find creative solutions to individual and community needs.

We currently employ over 5,000 staff and aim to be the employer of choice for people seeking a rewarding career in social care. We hold the Investors in People Gold Award as an organisation, and our Learning & Development and HR teams hold the Platinum accreditation. We have also achieved the Investing in Volunteers quality standard, and we are a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident employer. Our Creative Academy provides excellent training and accredited diplomas, enabling staff to develop their skills and grow in confidence. We are proud to maintain the Skills for Care endorsement which is the quality badge for health and social care training.

Range of Services

Creative Support currently provides person-centred services for people with a learning disability, autism and mental health needs. We also support people with a physical disability and older people with care and support needs, including people living with dementia.  Our range of services includes supported living, residential care, community support, respite services and domiciliary care. Creative Support is also a major provider of supported housing and we are proud of the quality of our accommodation schemes, many of which have been adapted to individual needs.

The supported living services we offer for people with a learning disability are recognised for enabling people to enjoy fulfilling lives. We have developed services for people who have very complex needs under the Transforming Care policy agenda. We provide creative day opportunities which enable personal development, social inclusion and pathways into work. We deliver individually tailored support for people with autistic spectrum conditions and physical disabilities.

Our supported housing and outreach services for people with mental health needs have a strong reputation for promoting recovery, rehabilitation and empowering service users to move on to greater independence. Our extra care and community support services enable older people to retain their independence and enjoy a good quality of life.

Our Philosophy

Creative Support is committed to a person-centred philosophy of service delivery. We aim:

Promote rights, opportunity, choice and wellbeing

Offer respect and unconditional positive regard to the people we support

Provide personalised, compassionate care which protects the self-esteem, dignity and safety of the people we support

Use an assets and strengths-based approach which builds upon the abilities, resources, preferences and aspirations of service users

Provide active support which promotes the skills and independence of individuals

Be accountable and committed to providing high quality, safe, evidence-based care and support which achieves positive outcome

Promote service user empowerment, involvement and co-production in all aspects of service design, delivery and evaluation

Facilitate meaningful activities, social opportunities and relationships, build social networks and encourage informal family and peer support, thereby reducing reliance on formal services

Create pathways towards education, training, volunteering and paid employment

Enable people to enjoy a valued lifestyle, to be active citizens and be fully included in their communities

Deliver social value through working in partnership, engaging with communities and contributing to local social, environmental and economic strategies

History and Governance of Creative Support

Our organisation was founded in 1990 as ‘Manchester Housing Consortium’. Our mission was to develop innovative housing and support services for people with mental health needs in the City of Manchester, with a particular focus on enabling people to move from long stay institutions to their own homes. In 1991 we registered as an Industrial and Provident Society with charitable status. We changed our name to Creative Support in 1994 to reflect our ambition to become a national provider of charitable services and to emphasise our commitment to developing creative responses to support needs.

In January 2012, we registered as a provider of social housing with the TSA (now Homes England). We became a Community Benefit Society with charitable status in line with the new Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. We merged with the well respected charity known as the Space Centre in 2013. Based in Preston and now known as the Creative Space Centre, it is the largest facility of its kind in the country providing state-of-the-art sensory experiences for children and adults with a wide range of needs.

The strategic direction and activities of Creative Support are governed and overseen by the Board of Trustees. Our services are managed by the Chief Executive, the Executive Management Team and operational managers. Creative Support is regulated by the FCA and Homes England. Our care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission, the regulator for health and social care. Over 90% of our care services have achieved a CQC rating of ‘Good’ when inspected.

Key Details

Company name: Creative Support Ltd
Registered office: Wellington House, 131 Wellington Road South, Stockport SK1 3TS
Status: Creative Support Limited is a Registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (Register Number 27440R) and an exempt charity
Date first registered: 1st August 1991 as the Manchester Housing Consortium
Registration number: 27440R
Name change: Name changed to Creative Support Ltd on 24th February 1994