About us

Creative Active Lives CIC is a not for profit enterprise based in the West Midlands.  Our inclusive workshops centre around:

 

• developing life skills
• motor skills
• promoting relaxation and wellbeing
• personal development
• encouraging social interaction, physical activity, and mental stimulation
• improving physical wellbeing and mental health

 

The Director of Creative Active Lives, Rachel Conlisk is dedicated to making digital,  physical  and creative activity inclusive, accessible, creative and fun.

Supporting Children and Young People with SEND

Our Neuro-affirming Values

At Creative Active Lives and DigiTribe, we do not believe children and young people should have to change who they are to fit into a service.

Our role is to create spaces where neurodivergent children and young people feel understood, respected and safe enough to take part in their own way. That means looking beyond behaviour, listening properly, adapting the environment and building trust before expecting engagement.

We believe support should start with the question: “What does this child or young person need right now?”

Not “How do we make them comply?”

Neuro-affirming practice means we value connection over control. We take time to understand what a child’s behaviour, communication, silence, movement or distress may be telling us. We do not see differences as problems to fix. We see the whole person.

We respect all forms of communication. Speech, typing, AAC, gestures, movement, silence, body language and play can all tell us something important. We do not force children to communicate in one “acceptable” way. We support them to express themselves in the way that works for them.

We respect sensory needs. Children and young people should not have to tolerate pain, overwhelm or discomfort just to prove they can cope. Headphones, movement, quiet spaces, breaks, fidgets, familiar routines and reduced demands are not special treatment. They are access needs.

We use interests as a route into learning, confidence and connection. Gaming, Lego, music, movement, circus, creativity, animals, coding, YouTube, Minecraft or anything else a young person loves can be the bridge into trust, skills and participation. Special interests are strengths. We build from them.

We presume competence. A child’s communication style, anxiety, disability, diagnosis or support needs should never lead us to lower our expectations of who they are or what they can achieve. We offer access, choice and opportunity, while giving the right support around them.

We respect autonomy. Children and young people are allowed to say no. They are allowed to need time. They are allowed to make choices, set boundaries and have a say in what happens to them. We support independence by giving people real choices, not by forcing compliance.

We support regulation rather than punish distress. When a child is overwhelmed, we stay calm, reduce pressure and help them feel safe again. We do not use shame, threats or consequences as a first response to unmet needs.

We understand that capacity changes. A child may manage something one day and not the next. That does not mean they are being difficult. It means support needs to flex with energy, anxiety, sensory load, sleep, health, confidence and what else is happening in their life.

For us, neuro-affirming practice is not a slogan. It is how we design our sessions, train our team, speak to families, respond to behaviour and build environments where children and young people can belong without masking who they are.

Our instructors are trained in safeguarding, emergency first aid and dementia friend training, physical activity for SEND where applicable, and hold an Enhanced DBS.

Our Values

• Inclusive, age appropriate activities
• Person centred programmes
• Going above and beyond to exceed client expectations
• Innovation and creation to ensure the best experiences for our clients
• Accessible, affordable activity for all
• Reducing social isolation
• Positivity and self-belief