Creative Support - Teesside Services

Updated 19 February 2026

Date of assessment 31 March to 19 June 2026.

Creative Support – Teesside Services is a supported living service providing personal care to people with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder and physical disabilities. Not everyone who used the service received support with personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the assessment, 13 people were using the service.

At the last inspection in March 2018, the service was rated good. At this assessment, we found improvements had been made and rated the service as outstanding.

There were 2 registered managers in post. Throughout this report the registered managers will also be referred to as management team.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. This statutory guidance is used by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when making assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people, and providers must have regard to it.

The management team and staff demonstrated exceptional practice across all areas of right support, right care, and right culture. People received highly personalised and empowering care that truly promoted independence, choice, and meaningful outcomes.

People were supported through deeply compassionate, person-centred care that truly valued and enriched their quality of life. Every aspect of support was thoughtfully shaped around their individual needs, wishes and aspirations. A health professional commented, “The service demonstrates a strong commitment to meeting the needs of our clients within their supported living projects. Support is individually tailored and delivered in a person-centred way.”

The management team had clear aims in providing person-centred care, promoting extremely positive outcomes, and enhancing people’s quality of life. They were continuously looking at ways they could further improve the service, empower people and improve their health and well-being. People were supported by staff who embraced the providers values and were proud to work in such an inclusive environment.

Robust recruitment processes, bespoke training, and regular supervision ensured staff were skilled, knowledgeable, and competent. Staff followed best practice models and guidance, enabling them to support people with a strong understanding of their needs and with compassion. Obstacles were overcome by collaborative working with the person always being the centre of any decision making.

Staff were extremely kind, caring, and provided compassionate care at all times. Observations showed people where truly respected as individuals and relationships with staff were built on trust and mutual respect.

Risks were managed effectively while promoting people’s choices and encouraging new experiences. Incidents were reported, reviewed and used as learning opportunities, with a focus on reduction.

Activities and outings were described as abundant and meaningful, reflecting a service that actively promoted inclusion and a rich social life. A visiting professional told us, “The staff always ensure that the activities are safe, inclusive, meaningful, and enjoyable. The smile on the residents’ faces and their sense of achievement when they have made something themselves that they can take away with them is unmeasurable.” This demonstrated a strong culture of enabling people to live full and connected lives, with staff consistently seeking opportunities to enhance people’s experiences.

People were supported to access a wide range of activities, including film clubs, arts and crafts sessions, trips to cafés and discos, and memorable outings such as visits to the Emmerdale set. These opportunities ensured people experienced enjoyment, social inclusion, and a genuine sense of belonging within their wider community.

The management team shared learning and always maintained effective communication with professionals and families.

Effective governance systems were in place to monitor and assess the quality and safety of the service, ensuring areas for innovation and continuous improvement were identified. The service ensured people could communicate their needs and wishes in personalised ways, with staff attuned to individual communication styles. The service was particularly creative in presenting information in ways people could understand.

We found people were overwhelmingly positive about the quality of their care. They told us they felt safe and fully involved in planning their care and understood their rights.

Updated 19 February 2026

People and their families consistently described an exceptional and highly reassuring experience of care. This was underpinned by genuine compassion and understanding, and defined by strong responsive care, with one relative who said, “They are increasingly the experts as I can’t manage [person] now,” demonstrating both trust and relief.

A strong theme was genuine choice and individuality, where people were supported to live in ways that truly reflected who they were. This was evident in everyday life, with a relative who said, “[Person] gets to choose all sorts, their bedding, colouring on the wall it’s how [person] likes it,” and “[Person] has a beautiful room we made it all nice.”

Consent and involvement were clearly embedded. A relative told us, “It’s never just a tick box, it gets explained and sorted so [person] is happy,”

Relationships were described as warm, compassionate, and genuine, with staff consistently going beyond expectations. A relative said, “Staff are always smiling, it’s obviously more than a job.” Another relative told us, “They (staff) are caring and kind, respectful.” The emotional impact was clear, with one relative saying “How fortunate I feel to have (person) there (at the supported living service),” and “I have been really impressed.”

Staff were also recognised for their understanding and skill, particularly where previous support had been less effective. A relative told us, “Others saw behaviour as a problem but here it is not like that.” A relative told us people have valued relationships and friendships. A relative told us, “[Person] has friends, they are kind and let [person] join in.” Another relative told us, “[Person] loves going for a coffee and chatting. It keeps [person] connected.”

Where people were unable to share their views verbally, staff demonstrated exceptional skill in understanding and responding to their needs through alternative communication methods. During the assessment, we attended a craft afternoon, and an evening disco arranged for people receiving personal care. Although some people used non-verbal communication and had limited verbal ability, we were still able to gain a rich and meaningful understanding of their experiences and preferences. Some people used pictorial tools to communicate their wishes. Through careful observation of interactions, body language, and responses to care, alongside feedback from visiting professionals, we developed a highly positive, detailed, and consistent picture of peoples lived experiences.

Staff demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting people to remain socially connected and to lead fulfilling lives beyond their home environment. A relative told us, “[Person] goes to college two days a week. [Person] goes to their drama group and to a film night in Middlesborough. [Person] went to a creative support disco in Middlesborough… and to Larry's lanes a bowling cafe.” Another relative told us, “They do all sorts with [person], they choose between different things. [Person] goes swimming and bowling; they're always looking for activities for [person].”