What is a Headway House?

A Headway House is a day resource centre which provides a relaxed, safe and pressure-free environment for people recovering from brain injury. Our aim in providing this service is to enable our clients to reintegrate back into society, regain their self esteem and self confidence and be able to live independently. In so doing we help relearn old skills and acquire new ones. A list of our Headway Houses, with contact details, is shown at the bottom of this page.

What services do we provide there?

In order to achieve our objectives we provide a number of social and therapeutic activities which are designed to help address general and individual problems. These activities are developed around the interests, abilities and needs of those attending the group. For example, they can include:

· Swimming· Music· Outings· Cooking skills· Meal planning· Memory work· Yoga and relaxation exercises · Discussion groups· Craft and art work· Drama and poetry· Computing· Literacy and numeracy· Gardening and garden design· Games and quizzes

We obtain help in providing these facilities from external agencies, such as community education, and our staff and volunteers also have skills which are useful in providing entertainment and therapy. All our paid staff have received appropriate training, not only in subjects relating specifically to brain injury, but also in first aid, health and safety, manual handling and other important topics.

Another important aspect of the work we do is to provide valuable respite for families and carers. Caring for people with brain injuries is invariably traumatic and stressful, and the opportunity to have personal time away from the strains of care is critical to their ability to cope. We also give them support through advice and providing a listening ear, as well as the chance to socialise at events we arrange.

Clients are provided with a two course lunch and refreshments throughout the day, and although they have to pay for this service the cost is minimal.

How are our Headway Houses managed?

Our Headway Houses are each managed by a paid Manager, who is supported by either one or two Assistant Manager and a number of Support Care Workers. However, we would not be able to function without the assistance of our volunteers. They provide a most valuable resource, not only attending to the individual needs of clients but also preparing meals, arranging activities and supporting the staff.

The affairs of the organisation are controlled by an annually elected Executive Committee, and the day-to-day management of the Headway Houses is undertaken by a Management Committee. This has a number of standing sub-committees, dealing with such things as equal opportunities and health and safety.

When are we open?

Each Headway House is open on Tuesdays and Fridays between 10am and 4pm. However, we take a break for two weeks at Christmas, Easter and during the summer holidays.

How does a client join a Headway House?

There are several routes to referral, although most of our clients are referred through Social Services. Other possible referrers might be the clients GP, a therapist, their residential care home or they can even refer themselves. However, whichever route is used the funding has to be agreed by Social Services and a social worker allocated.

We also have criteria for admission. If you, or a member of your family, are thinking about joining one of our Headway Houses you can find out more about the criteria by contacting someone at one of the addresses given below.

When a client is first referred to one of our Headway Houses they are assessed by the Manager to determine their problems and their needs. We meet the client and consult closely with care managers, therapists, relatives and others who have significant contact with them. A set of objectives is developed through this process, which are intended to help the client address their specific difficulties. An activity plan is then created, detailing the activities which will most help achieve our objectives in respect of that client. Once those objectives have been achieved or a significant improvement has been realised the client will either be discharged or changes will be made to their attendance regime. In some cases our clients become client helpers and assist us in managing others who attend.

Where are our Headway Houses located?
We currently have three Headway Houses, one to cover each of the District Council areas of South Somerset, Mendip and Somerset Coast. They are located as follows:

Bridgwater (covering Sedgemoor District)

The Sea Cadet Centre,
Waverley Road,
The Docks,
Bridgwater,
Somerset TA6 3EX

Contact: Carol Clayton on 01278 424353 on Tues and Fri

Yeovil (covering South Somerset District)

Salvation Army Centre,
Southville,
Yeovil BA21 4JA

Contact: Lynne Aldridge on 01935 431067 on Tues and Fri

Henton (covering Mendip District)

Contact: Gill Medland on 01749 674010 on Tues and Fri

OUTREACH SERVICE

What does 'Outreach' mean?

Outreach is a term that is used to describe services which are basically provided in peoples' homes or in their own community.  In terms of our own service it means that we can provide a much more intensive input for individuals with a brain injury, but also interact with and support their families too. 

The aims of the Outreach team are:

·           To enable clients to maintain or work towards an independent existence

·           To enable clients to access education and employment

·           To take an active part in their local communities and access social opportunities

·           To improve clients’ confidence and self esteem

·           To enable families to sustain their relationships, to cope with their relative's brain injury and with the life changes arising from that injury

·           To provide clients with skills and strategies to minimise the problems associated with their brain injury

What We Do

These objectives are achieved by working intensively with clients and their families, developing objectives and strategies to help the client meet specified goals and enabling  them to work towards some degree of independence.  For example:

• We might help them to find work, or enrol them on to college courses, using our network of contacts to ensure they have appropriate support. 

• We may use volunteer 'buddies' to develop social networks in their local community, giving them the chance to socialise and improve their own self esteem. 

• We may work with them and their family to develop living skills which help them to become more independent, such as cooking, shopping, cleaning or dealing with their money and paperwork. 

• We help them to come to terms with the effects of their brain injury, helping them to adjust, appreciate their deficiencies and implement strategies to overcome them. 

With some clients the objectives set can be achieved quite quickly, but most need ongoing support or monitoring, and this is usually done through occasional visits by a volunteer.  However, the bulk of the work is undertaken by our permanent staff, who are highly trained and experienced in the field of brain injury.  We also use sessional staff, who are also appropriately trained, but have less experience;  they undertake specific programmes of work under the direction of the Outreach manager. 

The Outreach Service has proven to be a huge success and the quality and range of the service provided is very highly regarded, both by clients and commissioners.  But the provision of such a Rolls Royce service comes at a significant cost, so we are constantly looking for ways in which to fund it.  

The service is now provided to Social Services, the NHS, case management companies, insurance companies and private individuals, but we are planning to spread our wings and place the service on a more commercial basis, in order to reach more people who need our support.