The Services Provided by Headway Birmingham & Solihull       

1. CARER SERVICES

MAIN FUNCTIONS

• Provide support, information and advice to brain injured people, carers, families and other professionals
• Assess the family’s needs and assist them in accessing relevant services
• Provide services / activities in the community for those families / carers affected by BI according to need
• Promote the services and make available to all those affected

ENQUIRY LINE

• Provides advice & information
• Specialist information (i.e, brain injury solicitors, neuro info, etc)
• Telephone support to people who are emotionally stressed
• Referral to other HBS services
• Signposting to other organisations

FAST TRACK

This service which incurs a one off £25 charge, ensures that BIP and their families & carers experience as little stress as possible when trying to access one off support and services.  It stops them having to wait for a “full” support work package from the team.  A call to our enquiry line could see a family allocated a Fast Track worker with 2 working days to deal promptly and efficiently with their specific needs.  Our team are trained and experience in:

• Housing forms
• PIP forms and appeals
• Work capability assessments
• Carers allowance
• Tax credits
• Blue badge scheme
• Housing benefits

COUNSELLING

• Counselling support for Carers and brain injured people
• A one off £25 charge buys 6 x 50 minute sessions at Leighton House with a trained Counsellor
• For those who cannot afford this charge, an Emotional Well-Being Counsellor will provide 6 x 50 minute sessions either at Leighton House or over the phone

FAMILY SUPPORT

• Assessment of family needs and assist / make referrals to appropriate organisation
• 1to1 emotional support for families
• Specific advice and information – mainly at Assessment Centres (can be at home)
• Representation in areas related to brain injury
• Language support for BMEG groups

Brain Injury CASEWORKER SUPPORT

• Assessments of brain injured people with more complex needs (often requiring longer term support)

MACMILLAN SUPPORT

• Assessment of the person with cancer – this could be the BIP or any other family member
• Assist / make referrals to appropriate organisations
• Support with treatments and terminal illness
• 1to1 emotional support (including advice and information)
• Home or hospital visits
• Representation in areas related to brain injury and cancer

CARERS & FAMILIES EVENTS FACILITATOR

• Carer support groups in difference geographical areas
• Carers well-being days – health events, and sports activities
• Social events – trips and outings for carers
• Training for carers – understanding brain injury , coping strategies etc

HOSPITAL BI LINK WORKER

• Level 1, 2 & 3 support
• Liaison with hospital staff / social services over hospital discharge and subsequent care plans
• Visiting / clinic opportunities within hospitals in Birmingham & Solihull
• Home, hospital and assessment centre visits

2.    SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY

MAIN FUNCTIONS

This specialist service is designed to give brain injured people the opportunity to re-learn lost skills as well as prevent any further deteriorating or isolation.

This can be done by learning coping strategies, modifying inappropriate behavior, acquiring new skills and interests, meeting with other brain injured people, understanding their brain injury, improving self confidence and accessing community activities.

These services are available to people with acquired brain injury who will have usually completed their formal medical/clinical rehabilitation and are seeking ways to re-integrate back into the community, but who may at this time still require a lot of support and assistance.

ABI Services provide opportunities for people with brain injury to:

• Understand more about BI
• Learn coping / compensation strategies
• Meet with other BI people
• Learn how to modify behaviours
• Re-learn lost skills
• Receive advice, guidance and support
• Access community activities
• Avoid isolation / deterioration
• Improve self confidence

ABI sessions for  clients:

Brain Injury Rehab Sessions – aimed at improving lost skills in areas specific to brain injury to include memory, aphasia, reasoning, perception, understanding brain injury, anger management and many more

Health & Fitness / Sports - Brain injury is often isolating enough, and so when someone is ready to start doing activities in the community again, they generally do not want to do this alone.  They may also still need some support to do this.  This is where Sports and Wellbeing comes in.  We help to facilitate user led groups in the community where brain injured people are supported to come together to access activities and enjoy difference pursuits with their peers.  This service is also available to the Carers and families of brain injured people. 

Education – aimed at helping people learn or regain skills in literacy, numeracy and IT

Social Opportunities – providing a structured social environment aimed at improving social interaction, confidence and opportunities to meet with peers – social games, outings etc

Daily Living Skills – providing training in all aspects of daily living, aiming to give the client greater independence in their lives at home or in the community

New steps – specialist activities aimed at people at the next level of their development.  Focusing on more client led activities and moving into pre-vocational training.

3. LIFESTYLE SERVICES

MAIN FUNCTIONS

Following assessment, Lifestyle Support Worker assigned to work 1to1 with our clients on an hourly basis.  To work with the client in their home, their local community, attending activities and working towards personal goals.   To enable people to be more independent in the community by providing opportunities to:-

• Continue learning skills and training in deficit areas
• Improve self confidence
• Access activities in the community (swimming)/social etc
• Transfer skills learnt to a real life situation (DLS to home)
• Be more independent
• Receive travel training
• Go shopping, do normal tasks etc
• Pursue interests and hobbies etc

Enables CARERS to:

• Take a break from caring
• Have “me” time
• Attend health appointments, etc
• Attend support groups, training & social
• Have friends and a social life

Enables PEOPLE with an ABI to:

• Transfer skills learnt
• Receive training / enabling – considering all client deficit areas
• Receive advice, guidance and support
• Access community activities – leisure, education, vocational etc
• Attend appointments
• Aspects of daily living
• New Skills and interests
• Avoid isolation / deterioration
• Improve self confidence