Child and Family Support Update

Child and Family Support Update

Welcome to the first Child and Family Support Officer Blog, where there will be updates on our work, and what we’ve been up to. We are a rare breed, much like the duck-billed platypus, and like our animal friend, we are highly adaptable to our surroundings. Thus we are to be found both advocating for families at meetings, training education professionals, visiting young people in hospital or at school, and even making tattoos at Family Events:

These posts are our way of shining a torch on our day-to-day role, and hopefully providing some insight into the breadth and depth of the work we do with families. In the space of one day, we often find ourselves switching hats at various points, from family meetings, to multi-disciplinary meetings, to school meetings. We keep a cool head on our shoulders and we try to make a difference. It’s as simple – and as difficult – as that!



Last week I had a new referral, and met a courageous young lad who’d had a brain haemorrhage, and his little brother, aged 3. Sitting on the sofa enjoying their cereal, they both had his Mum, Dad and me in fits of laughter, and it was just lovely to see him doing so well. We were able to introduce our brand new All About Me Portfolio to the young man in question, and he wrote his own Personal Profile on the computer to slip into the front of it, whilst his Mum and I had a coffee. These Portfolios are a new Child Brain Injury Trust Publication, free to families, which holds section of information about the Young Person, which they themselves can contribute towards. It also acts as a useful place to hold all medical letters/reports etc., so that parents know everything is in one place.

Here is the front cover, although it looks better in colour on the real thing - including a space for your favourite photo!

Another recent project has been going into schools and talking to different year groups about the importance of wearing bike helmets when cycling. In many countries it is illegal to ride your bike without wearing a helmet, and the Child Brain Injury Trust believes it should be the case in Britain as well, especially for those under 16. In the North East we have teamed up with Headway and are presenting the facts to young people of all ages (6-18) along with demonstrations using eggs and polystyrene helmets. Last week we spoke to over 1,000 pupils in total, which is quite a feat. However prevention is the key here, and we hope that in doing these talks, not only will they be more aware of road safety, but also be more tolerant and accepting of other pupils who may have had a brain injury, and need that bit more support.

Check in next time for more Child and Family Support updates!

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Thanks for your support and enjoy the summer

Play it Safe this Summer

As schools break up and children go out on their bikes, scooters, rollerblades and skateboards, the risk of head injuries among youngsters rises. The Child Brain Injury Trust estimates that during the summer holidays the number of head injuries among children will increase by 30%.


“A rise in head injuries and accidents is hardly surprising with many more children out and about during the summer holidays,” admits Lisa Turan, Chief Executive Officer of the Child Brain Injury Trust (http://www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/). “But what IS surprising is the amount of children who set out for summer fun without wearing any protective head gear. Youngsters don’t think about the risk of brain injury when they jump on their bikes or head to the skate park. But if they saw some of the children we support whose lives have changed in a split second through acquiring a brain injury, they would definitely think again,” she says.
Play It Safe
One of the best ways to avoid a brain injury is to guard against the most common causes. Wearing a protective helmet could absorb up to 63% (Thomas S, Acton CH, Nixon J, Battistutta D, Pitt WR, Clark R. BMJ, 1994) of the impact. That could make all the difference between a mild or serious brain injury, or between life and death.
“At the moment it isn’t law for children to wear a helmet while cycling and skateboarding so it’s hard for parents and carers to insist on children wearing a helmet,” says Sally Dunscombe, Director of the Brain Injury Group (http://www.braininjurygroup.co.uk/). “We would like to see the law changed but, until it is, we would strongly urge parents to reinforce these dos and don’ts for safer summer fun,” she says.
• DO wear a protective helmet when cycling, rollerblading, skate boarding or using a scooter
• DON’T dive headfirst into lakes, ponds or pools
• DO up your helmet properly BEFORE you move off, get onto a horse or start to zip wire
• DO tell an adult if you hit your head
• DON’T leave your friends if they hit their head (and DO tell their parents what happened as they may not recall it).
AHow to spot a brain injury
“A brain injury can be sustained even if your child doesn’t lose consciousness,” warns Neurologist and Consultant to the Brain Injury Group Professor Lindsay McLellan. “In some cases, a child can continue acting normally for hours before they show any symptoms,” he says. “If a child is knocked out it’s pretty obvious they should go to hospital,” he continues. “But if they bump their head in a playground or while mucking about in the garden and don’t lose consciousness but continue to feel unwell, it can be tricky to know whether they have a more serious injury,” says McLellan. “If they continue to experience one or more of these symptoms, seek medical advice,” he advises.
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or disorientation
• Trouble speaking clearly
• Irritability and/or tearfulness
• Blurred vision/dislike of bright light
• Extreme tiredness
“If one of more of these symptoms is severe, go straight to hospital,” advises Professor McLellan. “But if the symptoms are milder or come on more gradually you should see your GP.”

If you have been affected by brain injury, the braininjurygroup.co.uk provides comprehensive support services for brain injured individuals and their families.

The Child Brain Injury Trust is a national charity that provides support for families following childhood acquired brain injury.

Find out more at childbraininjurytrust.org.uk or call the helpline 0845 601 4939 (helpline@cbituk.org).