Meet the Leadership Team

Anna is a trained Mental Health Nurse with more than 27 years’ experience working in health and social care. She was part of the original team who established Creative Support in the early 1990s to help settle people moving from long-term placements at institutions into their own homes in the community. She has been Chief Executive Officer of Creative Support since the organisation was established in 1991. Anna also has significant experience of business development, financial management, training and operational management.

From a very young age Julie has always wanted to make a difference to try her best to support individuals. Julie studied to become a social worker where she undertook a number of placements, including drug and alcohol services and adults with mental health needs.

During her 26-year career Julie has worked with a fantastic team of people and services, which include the management of extra care services in Cumbria, Learning Disability services in Bolton and Blackburn, older adults residential care Home in Carlisle and mental health outreach services in Blackburn and Barrow in Furness. Julie has a genuine passion for supporting the development of our people and as the Director for HR she oversees the HR department’s operations, policies, strategy and day to day management.

Having qualified as a social worker, Julie became a Practice Teacher, having studied at Salford University. She enjoyed completing her Diploma in Management Studies at the University of Bolton. Over the past 5 years she has competed further studies with the CIPD Employment Law Diploma Level 5. In her personal life she is an active mother of a teenage son who is a keen horticulturalist and who shares his knowledge and love of plants and the natural world with her each day. She particularly enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and horse-riding.

In her personal life Julie is an active mother of a teenage son who is a keen horticulturalist and who shares his knowledge and love of plants with her each day. She particularly enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and horse-riding.

Sam is a qualified youth and community worker. She started her career in community development over thirty years ago, and has worked extensively in the fields of domestic abuse, women’s equality, social inclusion, homelessness, mental health and addiction services.  Sam worked for ten years in Ireland and has also worked in Eastern Europe and Central America. Sam has spent her whole career working for not-for-profit organisations and is passionate about the sector.

Sam joined Creative Support as a Service Director in 2011. She takes pride in her role at Creative Support promoting good governance, excellent quality, co-production, strategic planning and a positive culture of risk management. She is responsible, primarily, for the Quality department and reports directly to the Board on service quality and practice issues. Sam also oversees the Reception team, out of hours duty service and our business continuity approach. Sam has operational responsibility for the South Manchester Mental Health Services. She also supports our national co-production service-user hub, the Creative Together Centre, in central Manchester and our national innovative sensory centre SPACE in Preston.

In her personal life Sam is an active mother of a young son and is involved in a range of community initiatives and the co-founder of Prestwich Rooted.

Leigh has worked for Creative Support since 2002. She completed a Health and Social Care diploma at college and then joined Creative Support at the age of 18 as a support worker. She has since trained as a social worker at the University of Salford.

At 19 Leigh was promoted to Senior Support Worker with Bury Community Services where she ran a service for people with mental health needs. She continued on a career development pathway and worked through various management roles within Creative Support whilst the organisation supported her through training to become a social worker.

She now oversees a diverse portfolio of services across the Midlands and the North West which includes Community Services, Supported Living Services, Day Services, Respite Services, Extra Care Services and Residential Services. Leigh has an active family life which she says keeps her on her toes! She likes nothing more than long family walks with the dog and watching a good box set when she gets the chance. She also enjoys going to the gym and learning Spanish.

Mahip is the Director for London and Essex, overseeing a diverse portfolio of services including extra care, supported living and transforming care across Camden, Barnet, Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, Bromley, Brent, Harrow, Thurrock and Braintree. He has an MBA from the University of Bath, and has worked with Creative Support for 16 years. 

Mahip has combined his interest in mountain climbing and hiking to fundraise extensively for the individuals we work with in London and Essex. In 2023, he along with a dedicated team of colleagues hiked Ben Nevis and raised money to purchase seven defibrillators for the Extra Care services.

Outside of work, Mahip enjoys travelling to visit his family and friends that are dotted across the world.

Jonathan has been a dedicated professional in Adult Social Care for 20 years, spending 15 of those years at Creative Support in various roles.

Jonathan holds a BA (Hons) in Social Work, which equips him with vital skills for assessing the needs of the people we support and managing relationships with stakeholders. Jonathan also earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and completed the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship (SLMDA), a Level 7 qualification that includes strategic management, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and human resource management. Jonathan was supported by Creative Support to achieve these qualifications, emphasising their commitment to developing professionally capable practitioners and managers.

Jonathan collaborates with registered managers to deliver services across the West Midlands, including Worcestershire, Birmingham, Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, and Stoke on Trent. These services range from registered CQC services, to Housing Related Support and Floating Support Services. Jonathan is deeply committed to supporting individuals with physical and learning disabilities, neurodiversity, and mental ill health, striving to ensure they live their best lives by accessing their rights and maximising their choice and independence.

Outside of work, Jonathan is married with two children and loves spending time with his family and friends. He enjoys practicing martial arts, going for country walks, and contributing to his community through coaching martial arts in his spare time.

Lyndsey has worked in health and social care since 2007, and has been with Creative Support in various roles since 2014. She has a degree and a Level 5 in Health and Social Care.

Lyndsey currently works with a number of registered managers to support the ongoing quality development of services registered with CQC (Care Quality Commission) as well as having responsibility for a number of housing related supported services. She works across Lincolnshire, Bedford, Doncaster, Derby, Stoke and Birmingham. Lyndsey especially enjoys working alongside managers, developing them into senior positions and seeing them grow within Creative Support. 

In her personal life Lyndsey has a son who she loves to spend every possible minute with. She also loves walking, running and being outdoors. She has a horse, and has ridden for most of her life, and has a very excitable Spaniel and Labradoodle. Lyndsey is a huge music fan and enjoys going to concerts.

Dr Ray started his career in the health and social care sector in 1992 as a care assistant and nursing associate, working in nursing homes in Manchester. These initial roles, supporting people with dementia and complex physical illness sparked the desire to improve the lives of people who may be vulnerable within society. Ray then moved into leading teams and managing health and social care services.

Over the years, Ray transitioned into learning and development, working as a tutor, assessor and moderator for social care qualifications. Ray has a passion for supporting people with their professional development and a focus on supporting leaders to be effective and enhancing the lives of the people who use services. Ray qualified at the University of Chester as Doctor of Health and Social Care in 2023, marking his commitment to advancing the academic field of knowledge for Health and Social Care. Prior to that he attained an Executive MBA at Leeds University and several leadership qualifications from the University of Manchester.

Ray has worked for Creative Support for 20 years and as Head of Engagement & Learning, Ray manages the teams that deliver our training programmes, qualifications and workforce development. He also leads on our Investors in People accreditations, our Stonewall Diversity accreditation and several development memberships such as our Skills for Care endorsement, Royal Society of Public Health and CPD.

Colette has worked for Creative Support since 1996. She undertook her Mental Health Nurse training at Edge Hill University and joined Creative Support as a Support Co-ordinator to work within a Resettlement service. Colette worked as a Deputy Manager in Tameside managing a mental health outreach service after which she moved to the North East for six months to open Creative Support’s first service outside of Greater Manchester. Following this secondment she continued with her career in the North West, managing a range of service for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and older adults.

During her time with Creative Support she has developed a number of services including supported accommodation, day services, community support services and Extra care services. Through Creative Support she has undertaken a number of post registration courses through Manchester University and Edgehill University. She currently manages a wide range of services across the North West, West Yorkshire and West Midlands including Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Telford.

She has two children which keep her very busy at home, and she enjoys music including concerts and festivals, walking, reading and gardening.

Richard began working in health & social care in 2005 as a support worker for adults with a learning disability in Chorley. Richard then trained as a Social Worker in 2011 and worked in children’s services in St Helens for 4 years. After that he began working with Blackpool Councils Adults Learning Disability Team during which he became a qualified Best Interest Assessor, Practice Educator and Approved Mental Health Professional alongside managing both health and social care professionals.

Richard joined Creative Support as a Service Director in 2024 and has responsibility for services in Blackpool, Morecambe and parts of Cumbria.

In his personal he enjoys spending time with his family who keep him very busy. Richard is a big football fan and supports Liverpool FC.

Leanne has worked in health and social care for around 16 years starting her career as an agency worker. In the years that followed she worked in various roles leading to management roles. Leanne has been with Creative Support since 2019 working in various roles. In 2023, she was appointed as a Service Director.

Leanne is primarily responsible for Learning Disability Services working with a number of registered managers across Doncaster, Sheffield, North Lincolnshire and in North East Lincolnshire to support the ongoing quality development of services registered with CQC (Care Quality Commission). One year after Leanne started with Creative Support, Doncaster Supported Living achieved CQC Outstanding rating in all five domains. Leanne enjoys leading large teams to achieve excellent outcomes for the people we support, staff and the managers within the region. She has a Level 5 in Health and Social Care.

Outside of work, Leanne enjoys spending time with family and friends and has a love for travel.

Jenni has worked in the social care sector since 2001 and joined Creative Support in 2005 as a Support Coordinator. She worked her way up to Project Manager across Middlesbrough and Stockton, before leaving for a new role outside of the organisation in 2013.

Jenni rejoined Creative Support in 2017 and became a Service Manager a year later. In 2021, she became the Registered Manager for Teesside and North Yorkshire, before being appointed as Service Director for the North East in 2023. In her remit as Service Director for the North East, Jenni oversees services in 12 local authorities.

Jenni has attained a Level 5 in Leadership and Management, NVQ Levels 2-4, and is a qualified PBS facilitator. She is a qualified QCF assessor and attained the Award in Education and Training in 2014. In her spare time, Jenni loves to spend to spend time with family and friends. She supports Middlesbrough Football Club and enjoys going to Meatloaf tribute nights.

Lucy has worked for Creative Support for almost 15 years. She is the Director of Business Development which includes responsibility for Tendering, Social Value, Placements, Volunteers, Online Systems, Marketing, and Communications. Lucy also works to develop new services in partnership with the local Service Director, our Property Development Team and Commissioners. Previously Lucy was on a Board of Trustees for a Domestic Abuse charity in Greater Manchester for nearly 6 years until the end of 2024.

Outside of work Lucy has a busy family life with three young children and two cats. She enjoys baking and reading when she has a minute.