This May marks Mental Health Month and with the theme on 'loneliness', we have asked people in the Creative Support community to share their personal thoughts on the topic. Many of us will experience loneliness at some point in our lives, but there remains a shame and stigma around speaking…
Restrictive practices, including physical or chemical restraint and segregation, have been a topic of concern in the health and social care sector for a long time. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to begin an investigation into the use of restraint,…
Back by popular demand, we are providing grants of £30 to £100 per garden project! Gardening is a great way to get outdoors and improve your wellbeing, and we know many of our service users are already growing their own vegetables, flowers and enjoying sensory activities in their outdoor spaces. We will…
This week marks ‘Screen Free Week’, where people are encouraged to ditch their devices and enjoy life outside of the internet. As May is also our Mental Health Month, we’re going to have a look at the impact of social media on loneliness. Social media has been a lifeline for…
Lizzie, a member of staff in Greater Manchester, has shared with us how her autism affects her everyday social interactions. She speaks about growing up, having to learn a ‘second language’, and what it means to be an ‘incognito autistic adult’. I am a typical example of an incognito autistic…
On 7th March 2021, 22 year old Billy Longshaw died just hours after discharging himself from a hospital in Swindon. Billy had a rare brain condition affecting his speech, vision and memory. He visited the hospital after experiencing sudden abdominal pain, but was told nothing was wrong after being assessed…
A member of staff in the North West has gratefully shared their story with us as part of Autism Acceptance Month. They speak about how their ADHD manifests in their daily lives, and the importance of diagnosis for both them and their daughter who is autistic. I’ve been on…
In 1824, the Government passed ‘The Vagrancy Act’, which made homelessness, rough sleeping, and begging illegal and punishable by time in prison. The Act was implemented following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, when returning soldiers were discharged and left without money or employment. This forced many people into sleeping rough…
“Making a difference to the lives of the people we support teaches me so much about choices, enjoyment and experiencing a meaningful life.” Our fantastic services in Bedford are looking for enthusiastic and caring individuals to join our teams. We chatted with some of the folks at The Houghtons and…
Throughout April, we’ll be celebrating Autism Acceptance Month with the help of our wonderful services and people we support. This coincides with ‘World Autism Acceptance Week’, which runs from 29th March to 4th April. The National Autistic Society explains the change from ‘awareness’ to ‘acceptance’: “We’ve come a long way…
