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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Creative Action Team

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Creative Action Team

Experienced, qualified team of therapists, teachers and social workers offering therapy and education

Animal Assisted Therapies / Sen / Play Therapy / Parent Support

06/11/2025

🐴 Field trip time!

One of our directors,Sheli, swapped her usual boots for wellies and headed down to Devon as part of her MSc adventure with Hartpury University 🐶🌿.

She spent time with two brilliant Animal Assisted Therapy and Activities teams, Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship CIO, and Mare and Foal Sanctuary, meeting everyone from horses to chickens and soaking up loads of ideas and inspiration.

Why? Because we love learning from others doing amazing work. Collaboration makes us stronger 💥. It’s all about sharing ideas, raising the bar, and building better support for both people and animals.

🌱 The visits have left us full of ideas, from growing our garden in Crewe to exploring a new local space for future nature-based sessions. Working with animals and nature doesn’t just support mental health, it helps us care for the planet too 💚🌍.

So, watch this space for muddy paws, leafy plans, and lots of heart-led progress!

04/11/2025

A Little Health Reminder

It’s that time of year when bugs are going around, and both gastroenteritis and Covid are currently circulating.
To help keep our services running - and, most importantly, everyone healthy and comfortable - young people, staff, and families alike - please keep your child at home if they’re feeling unwell.

If your child becomes poorly during a session, we’ll give you a call so they can be collected and rest at home.
For sickness or diarrhoea, children need to stay off for 48 hours after the last episode before returning.

We do not have punitive attendance policies - we want children in who are feeling well and ready to learn and engage.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us look after everyone’s wellbeing this winter.

26/10/2025

October is ADHD awareness month.
It’s a condition with many sides and many different presentations - no 2 people with ADHD are the same. It comes with a range of differing struggles and plenty of strengths too.
We all have extensive professional experience of ADHD here at CAT and many of the team have lived experience too.
Although dogs are not diagnosed as ADHD we are pretty certain some of the spaniels would meet the criteria too 😃.
We are proud to be neurodivergent affirming and we help young people accept themselves and advocate for their needs to be met.
Research shows that the average child with ADHD receives
20 000 more negative comments than a child without! Shocking! So important we build up the self esteem of these young people.

So what actually is ADHD?

ADHD is not just a tick box - it goes far beyond the typical hyperactive/ inattentive symptoms that are known about.
Neurodivergent people have many more symptoms than the diagnostic tools allow for.
Often this can be internalised and hidden including…
Auditory processing difficulties
Sensory issues
Sleep difficulties
Rejection Sensitivity to perceived criticism
Imposter syndrome
Not feeling good enough
Needing activities to have a purpose
Overwhelm
Intense emotions
Difficulty identifying and regulating emotions
Oppositional behaviours

Why we work well with neurodivergent children and young people:
Acceptance
No pressure
Interest led sessions
Playful and relaxed environment
Patience
Positive relationships
Working alongside parents
Non clinical setting
Sensory needs accommodated

Photocredits: 1 - Neurodivergent_insights 2:unknown 3: unknown 4: Chris Bonnello.

24/10/2025

…and just like that we have made it to October half term! It’s been a long, busy and fun filled half term and we are so proud of how well everyone has settled into this years routine and all the fabulous work, play and learning that’s taken place for all humans and animals involved.
Now it’s time to rest up and recharge and we are wishing you all a fabulous ‘howloween’ break whatever you get up to 🎃.

23/10/2025

Our dogs love scent work – and for good reason!
- It gives their brains a proper workout
- Lets them use their amazing natural instincts
- Builds confidence and focus (for both dog and handler)
-Helps them relax and de-stress
- Strengthens the bond and teamwork between us
- And most importantly… it’s loads of fun for everyone involved 🎉.

We all love doing scent work with our own dogs and also enjoy incorporating it into sessions with our young people. It’s a calming and mindful team activity that helps them watch and learn from the dog’s body language. There’s such a huge sense of achievement when the dog finds what they’re searching for - and you get to join in their celebration! 🥳

22/10/2025

October is really seeing us put the ‘Creative’ in Creative Action Team! Some fabulous creativity is underway and we love to see what is emerging 👻💀🐾.

21/10/2025

Meet the latest member of the team 😉. This is Cupboo…

12/10/2025

Meet the team ✨
Meet Helen ☺️

Helen began her career as an NNEB, working in a residential nursery. When the nursery closed, she combined childminding with raising her own children. As her daughters grew older, she took on a role as a Family Support Worker in a Family Centre. During this time, she was given the opportunity to complete her Social Work qualification.

Helen then joined a Children and Families fieldwork team, where she gained valuable insight into the challenges families face through the rigours of everyday life. Recognising a lack of emotional support for children experiencing trauma, she went on to complete Play Therapy training with BAPT.

Helen later became a manager at NSPCC Crewe, leading a team of social workers and family support workers in providing vital support to local families. Alongside this, she completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Supervision and Mentoring and a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision. These qualifications strengthened her ability to support staff and trainees through reflective practice, ensuring safe and effective work with children and families.

While at the NSPCC, Helen moved to part-time hours to develop her Play Therapy business and joined CAT as a director.
Committed to ongoing professional development, she also completed Therapeutic Life Story Work training with Family Futures, enhancing her skills in supporting adopted and looked-after children.

When the NSPCC team closed in 2016, Helen continued her work with CAT and also provides Clinical Supervision to therapists too. Helen has her own base with a playroom and outdoor space (with her animals involved where suitable) providing a lovely, quiet setting where she sees clients 1:1.

10/10/2025

🌿 Mental Health Awareness Day 🌿

Today we’re reflecting on how important it is to keep mental health at the heart of everything we do.

This week, some of the groups have been exploring what makes Lottie and Myla happy, learning about their needs, personalities, and what helps them feel safe and calm. Alongside this, the children have been using creative activities to think about their own needs and what makes them feel happy and supported.

By caring for the dogs and understanding them through these sessions, the children are also learning empathy, self-awareness, and the importance of recognising that everyone, whether human or canine, has their own way of feeling secure and content.

Activities like these remind us that mental health support can be woven gently into support in a way that feels comfortable for all.

06/10/2025

‘Meet the team
Get to know the team - 2 legged and 4!
Please do like/ share to spread the love 🤩.

Pixie 🧚‍♂️💕

Pixie is our smallest spaniel! She is a 7 year old, pint- sized working cocker and she lives with me - Carly, and her doggy brother Eddy!

Pixie’s main roles at CAT are being the cute face of our social media, snuggling the human members of the team and trips adventuring with some of our young people - which she absolutely adores! She had a staring role in a recent ‘Go Ape’ trip, expertly locating fallen gloves in the undergrowth 🥰.

We don’t include Pixie in our school squad as she is a sensitive soul by nature and can get overwhelmed - she wouldn’t enjoy the busyness of school life.
We think some of our young people can definitely relate to Pixie!

We always put our dogs’ needs first and only involve our dogs in the things they actively enjoy and that match their individual personalities.
Just like all of us, our dogs are not ‘perfect’ but they are ‘perfectly themselves’ and Pixie is a great example of this. In the right setting she absolutely thrives… again how many of us can relate this to our young people (and ourselves!).

Pixie steals the heart of everyone she meets with her affectionate ways and desire for human contact and her wiggly body! She is loved by all who meet her and she knows just when you need a little paw to cheer you up!

She’s been excelling stepping in for Ralf the last couple of weeks at CAT HQ and has enjoyed some time at the park, obstacle courses, scent work and of course - snuggles!
I’m very proud of her 🐾.

Likes: Snuggles, her mum, socks, her doggy and hooman friends, running a million miles an hour round the forest, mud, scent-work, playing.

Dislikes: Busy places, sharing 😤, loud noises.

Personality: cuddly, energetic, clever, athletic, complex, hilarious and sensitive.

Fun fact: Pixie was named after the mischievous Cornish Pixies in Harry Potter - and she has lived up to her name, especially in her first 3 years 😁🧚💕.

We love you Pixie!

05/10/2025

Another fabulous training session for some of our younger dogs and their people with Vickie last week.
Myla’s been working on her recall which has meant she’s been able to enjoy more time relaxing on long walks 😍.

We are all about good work-life balance and recognise the need for our dogs to ‘be dogs’ at all times. They are all cherished members of their family first and foremost and we need to make sure they are happy in all aspects of their life.

Meanwhile, Steph has been learning ways to help young Jessie manage her behaviour and working on some new cues like ‘down’ and ‘creep’.
Positive dog training helps keep dogs safe and social, improves the human-animal bond and is good mental stimulation 😍.
Fab work 👏.

04/10/2025

Get to know the team - 2 legged and 4!
Please do like/ share to spread the love 🤩.

Ralf 🤎🤍

‘Baby Walf’ is growing up!! He has recently celebrated his third birthday and is now a well established member of the team 🥳.

Ralf is a Springer Spaniel who lives with Sheli and big brother Tuco. He brings so much joy with his goofy and loving ways.

Ralfy absolutely loves ‘working’ at the office with his friends. He is completely at home and is everyone’s buddy. He gets so excited when he sees his people 💕.

Ralf is actually quite chilled for a young spaniel and enjoys being the centre of attention. He will happily choose to join in with most things - a bit of scentwork, obstacle courses, football, learning a few cues - but most of the he’s happy hanging out and being adored.

Likes: all his hooman and dog friends and family, mud and water, playing, the beach, ruling CAT HQ.

Dislikes: scary new things, walking calmly on a lead, Tuco taking his attention .

Personality: Goofy, cuddly, inquisitive, funny, affectionate, playful 🤩.

Fun fact: Ralf likes to ‘stroke’ you back! He also likes to climb all over you with his gangly legs 😆.
He has many nicknames including ‘wreckitralf’, Ralphy Palphy, Walf.

We love you Ralf 🤎🤍!

Address

58-60 Timbrell Avenue
Crewe
CW13LX

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447387507214

Website

http://creativeactionteam.com/

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