Our Outreach One-to-one Support Service helps adults with a brain injury and their families to achieve long-term improvements in the quality of their lives. We achieve this by working with people in their own homes and developing links in their local community.
The service offers an outreach support worker – someone skilled and experienced in assisting individuals with a brain injury – to work on a one-to-one basis on agreed rehabilitation goals. This page tells you:
- who the service is for,
- where and when it takes place,
- what is offered,
- how users benefit,
- how long sessions last, and
- how to learn more and book.
Who it is for?
Adults aged 18 and over with a confirmed diagnosis of a brain injury, living in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucester. If the individual has a community support programme, it will focus on achieving one or more of the following:
- Personal development
- Increasing independence
- Behaviour management
- Reducing isolation
- Peer support
- Respite for carer
“I love exploring … feeling supported to go out and just enjoy being outside, nature and the fresh air”
A Headway Bristol service user
We are unable to offer an outreach service for individuals requiring personal care.
Where and when?
Outreach can be provided from a person’s home or at another venue. The service is available from Monday to Friday, 9.15am–4.15pm with a minimum booking of 3 hours (eg a morning session from 9.15am to 12.15pm, or an afternoon session from 1.15 to 4.15pm).
What is offered?
The service supports individuals to identify goals and aspirations that will enhance and enrich their lives and enables them to work towards these. Ideally this will include helping them to develop resource networks within their local community.
Every service user is different, and no session is the same. Some of the activities that individuals have gained or regained skills in are:
- Organising, working around memory problems
- Housework, gardening, or planning and preparing a meal
- Using public transport
- Access to education, employment and volunteering
- Relating better to family members
- Coping with paperwork
- Accessing services and financial benefits
- Health and fitness, ie using the gym or swimming
- Budgeting and shopping
How do users benefit?
Users are supported to carry out activities that they find meaningful, and to do so at their own pace, in their own home and local area. The service gives them the opportunity to run through activities with support before trying them independently, rebuilding confidence and independence, and giving the individual a sense of achievement.
How long does it last?
Sessions are usually three hours, and take place once or twice a week. The exact length of a session depends on
- the ability of the individual to maintain concentration,
- the activities being undertaken,
- whether the visit includes an appointment elsewhere with another agency,
- if the visit will include some work with other family members, or
- if the visit is to deal with a crisis situation.
Individuals can receive the outreach service for as long as they need. We regularly assess progress, and continue to support them for as long as they are benefiting from our service.
How is it funded?
Individuals with an assessment of care needs from their local authority and who have established funding can have their place paid for by the primary care trust or by the local authority (through personal budgets or direct payments).
Individuals who want to fund their own access to this service they may do so on a private contract. In this case, Headway Bristol carries out its own assessment of needs and the individual pays £27 per hour for a minimum of 3 hours.
Find out more and book
Anyone interested in receiving Outreach One-to-one Support can contact the Outreach Manager on 0117 462 6962.
Further services
Our Care and Connect group
This monthly group open to anyone affected by brain injury (including carers). It runs on the second Tuesday of the month, 7pm–9pm at the Wellspring Settlement (in the same building as the Wellspring Surgery). This is at Beam Street, Barton Hill, Bristol, BS5 9QY.
Contact the Carers Team at [email protected] to find out more.
Our Reablement & Well-being Centres
Individuals with brain injuries who are seeking a more sociable environment, and connection with others in the brain-injury community, may wish to consider the services offered by our Reablement & Well-being Centres.
Our Social Hub
Our Social Hub is for the brain injured community only – if you, or you know someone with a brain injury then please contact Lindsey at [email protected] for more information or to book your place.