Celebrating Care Flexible Support Options

Celebrating Care With Flexible Support Options

“No Two Days Are the Same”

At North Tyneside Care Academy, we believe that recognising and celebrating the social care workforce is essential. Every day, dedicated care professionals support people to live independently, achieve personal goals and enjoy fulfilling lives. However, their contribution is often unseen.

Flexible Support Options provides support to people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, autism, mental health needs and complex needs through a range of residential, respite, supported living and community-based services. Their focus on person-centred support helps people develop independence, build confidence and achieve outcomes that matter to them.

Watch the video below to hear directly from the team at Flexible Support Options.

A Career That Makes a Difference

For many members of the FSO team, social care is much more than a job.

One staff member, who has worked within health and social care for almost 16 years, spoke about why they remain passionate about the sector:

“I love working in health and social care. I’ve been in the industry for almost 16 years and it’s a role that’s so rewarding.”

Another explained that one of the things they enjoy most is the variety that comes with supporting people:

“We say all the time that no two days are the same.”

These experiences reflect a common theme throughout the organisation. Every day brings new opportunities to support people, overcome challenges and celebrate success.

Celebrating Everyday Success

When asked what makes them proud, the team spoke about the achievements of the people they support.

Sometimes those achievements are life-changing milestones, such as moving into a new home or performing independently in front of an audience. Other times they are smaller moments that many people might overlook.

As one member of staff explained:

“Every day someone might make a cup of tea for the first time, but then we’ve obviously got the bigger things where someone moves house or they’ll have a big achievement.”

These moments highlight why recognition matters, not only for the people receiving support but also for the dedicated staff who play a role in helping them achieve their goals.

Creating a Positive Culture

It was clear during our visit that Flexible Support Options places a strong emphasis on creating a positive and supportive working environment.

The team spoke about wellbeing initiatives, social activities and opportunities for both staff and the people they support to connect with others. One example is their Go Wild Gardening Club, which has developed a sensory garden and welcoming outdoor space enjoyed by staff, supported individuals and members of the local community.

The passion of the workforce was another recurring theme.

“We’ve got a very passionate staff group.”

“Staff want to work and staff want to be here and I think that’s important.”

Investing in the Workforce

Flexible Support Options believes that great care starts with great people.

Rather than focusing entirely on experience, they look for people with the right values and commitment to supporting others.

“We want people to come because they’ve got the right values and they want to do this role.”

The organisation then supports staff through comprehensive training and development opportunities, including qualifications from Level 2 through to Level 5.

This investment in people can be seen in the number of staff who choose to build long-term careers with FSO.

“I’ve been here 16 years.”

“One of the service managers has been here 20 with FSO.”

“We’ve got people who’ve been here 29 years.”

These stories speak volumes about the culture, support and opportunities available within the organisation.

Why We Are Celebrating Care

At North Tyneside Care Academy, we created the Celebrating Care initiative because local providers told us that recognising staff is important for morale, retention and recruitment. Supporting providers to share their stories forms part of our wider work around workforce development, recognition and promoting social care careers across North Tyneside.

By highlighting organisations such as Flexible Support Options, we hope to showcase the rewarding opportunities available in social care while recognising the incredible contribution made by the workforce every day.

We would like to thank everyone at Flexible Support Options for sharing their story and for the outstanding work they continue to do across North Tyneside.