What Creative Support does

Creative Support is a UK not-for-profit care provider, structured as a Registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (Register Number 27440R) and operating as an exempt charity. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Stockport, the organisation delivers person-centred care and support services to people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, physical disabilities, and older people across more than 25 named English regions. Service lines span supported accommodation, autism support, community connections, housing-related support, learning disability, mental health, older people, and physical disability services, supported by sub-brands including Creative Together (national coproduction centre in Manchester), Creative Academy (staff training), Creative Space Centre (creative activities), and Creative Life Magazine (quarterly publication).

The underlying operating model relies on human-delivered support rather than proprietary technology, with assistive technology referenced only as a means to enable independent living within supported accommodation such as the Lion House development. Creative Support's technology positioning is explicitly focused on accessibility enablement rather than product development, with no APIs, SDKs, or software platforms disclosed. The organisation demonstrates operational quality through a CQC Outstanding rating for its Bedford supported living service and Restraint Reduction Network membership contributing to a 90% reduction in restraint use.

Revenue is generated exclusively through commissioned contracts with local authorities and NHS trusts, funded via personal budgets, direct payments, and local authority social care commissioning frameworks across multiple English council areas. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, responding to tender opportunities and engaging families, healthcare professionals, and partner agencies through referrals. There is no external investment or parent company; the organisation operates independently under its registered rules and board governance, employing between 1001-5000 staff across regional offices in Stockport, Manchester, and service locations throughout England.

Name

Creative Support

Legal name

Creative Support Limited

Website

https://creativesupport.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Creative Support is a UK not-for-profit care provider, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Stockport, delivering person-centred supported living, learning disability, autism, mental health, and older people services across 25+ English regions through local authority and NHS commissioned contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Social Care

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Social care services
• Supported living accommodation
• Learning disability support
• Mental health services
• Community care provider

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social Care Commissioning: Creative Support generates revenue through commissioned care contracts with local authorities, NHS trusts, and government healthcare funders. Services are funded through personal budgets, local authority social care funding, and healthcare contracts for individuals with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and other support requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Creative Support is a not-for-profit organisation delivering person-centred care and support services across England. It provides supported living accommodation, autism support, learning disability services, mental health support, older people care, physical disability services, community connections, and housing-related support. Services are commissioned by local authorities and NHS trusts and delivered directly to individuals with care and support needs.

Product overview

Creative Support is a not-for-profit organization providing person-centred care and support services. The organization operates a platform of interconnected services including Accommodation, Autism, Community Connections, Housing Related Support, Learning Disability, Mental Health, Older People, and Physical Disability services. Supporting these core services are Creative Together (national coproduction centre), Creative Academy (training), and Creative Space Centre (creative activities). The organization also runs recognition programs including Creative Stars Awards and We Care Awards, publishes Creative Life Magazine, and maintains a CEO blog for advocacy and policy discussion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creative Academy: Training arm of Creative Support providing staff training and development programmes
• Creative Together
• Creative Space Centre
• Creative Life Magazine

Products and services

• Accommodation Services Supported living accommodation services providing individuals with care and support needs a safe and independent place to live. Delivered through supported housing schemes such as Lion House.
• Autism Services Specialist support services for autistic people, including those with co-occurring learning disabilities, providing tailored care to meet individual needs and promote independence.
• Community Connections Services helping people build relationships, participate in community activities, and develop social networks to address social isolation and promote community inclusion.
• Housing Related Support Housing support services assisting individuals with tenancy matters, property management, and maintaining their homes to prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies.
• Learning Disability Services Personalised support for adults with learning disabilities, promoting independence, inclusion, wellbeing, and development of independent living skills.
• Mental Health Services Support services for people with mental health needs, providing person-centred care, recovery-focused support, crisis support, and supported accommodation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% reduction in restraint use through alternative approaches and careful care planning

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mencap: One of the UK's largest learning disability charities providing supported living, residential care and advocacy. Directly comparable mission, beneficiary base, and commissioned-revenue model, with significantly larger national scale.
• United Response: UK national charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs through supported living and community services — directly comparable person-centred care model, commissioned funding, and primary beneficiary populations.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): National charity providing supported living and learning disability services across England. Directly overlaps Creative Support's Learning Disability and supported accommodation service lines and competes for the same local authority framework contracts.
• Community Integrated Care: National charity providing supported living, residential care and community support across learning disability, mental health and older persons segments. Direct competitor in the same commissioned-care space with overlapping geographic coverage.
• Voyage Care: Large UK provider of supported living and specialist residential care for people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs. Directly competing for the same local authority and NHS commissioning contracts.
• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing learning disability, mental health and substance misuse services. Comparable commissioned-services model with similar focus on person-centred, community-based support.
• Dimensions UK: Not-for-profit provider of person-centred support for people with learning disabilities and autism across England and Wales. Highly comparable service mix, values-based approach, and commissioning model.

Emerging players

• Sense: National disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities and autism. Overlaps with Creative Support's disability services segment and competes in specialist supported accommodation.
• National Autistic Society: Major UK charity providing autism-specific services including supported living and education. Significant overlap with Creative Support's Autism service line, though broader advocacy and information remit differentiates it.

Broad incumbents

• CareTech Holdings: Large publicly-listed UK provider of residential and supported living services for adults and children with learning disabilities and complex needs. Operates broader portfolio at scale and competes with Creative Support in commissioning tenders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/crtvspprt
• Xx.com/crtvspprt
• Facebookfacebook.com/crtvspprt

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 Creative Support