Aims and Objectives
We (Headway Oxfordshire) aim to:
- directly provide support services to those affected by
acquired brain injury (including stroke and some other
neurological conditions) across the county of
Oxfordshire.
- advocate on behalf of those affected by acquired brain
injury (including stroke and some other neurological
conditions) in relation to local and
national strategic initiatives.
- provide information on acquired brain injury
(including stroke and some other neurological
conditions) to those interested parties and promote the
awareness of the condition to the general community at
large.
- raise funds in support of those affected by acquired
brain injury (including stroke and some other neurological
conditions) in Oxfordshire.
History of Headway Oxfordshire
(extracts from Sheila Sargeant's description, one of
the founder members)
Headway Oxford was started in 1982 by a small group of 10
people. At this time there was no support available for those with
a brain injury or their carers. The group would meet once a
month on Tuesday evenings, to hear speakers, share experiences and
support one another.
In 1988 the group evolved into an official Headway group,
based within the grounds of the Rivermead Rehabilitation
Centre. "Having the support of the Director of Rivermead,
the Social Workers and the Occupational Therapists, we were able to
open one day a week. We had to share the White House with the
OT department. Our head injured people were referred to us by
the Social Workers and the Occupational Therapist, before the
patient was actually discharged from the wards, the transition to
the Headway House was made very easy, as the Social Worker or OT
would come across with the patient and spend a little time with
them, we got to know the person very well. On discharge,
transport was arranged for the patient to come to Headway and it
was very successful indeed".
As the Rivermead came under new Directorship and funding
restrictions took hold, direct referrals from the medical
team became fewer. "Head Injured people were sent
home from hospital with no motivation, and not knowing
anything about our services". Despite this, the numbers
of people requiring support in the community continued to rise and
Headway Oxford responded by opening two days per week.
In July 2002 Headway
Oxford moved to
new premises at 4 Bagley Wood Road,
Kennington. This is where we reside today, having
developed our services considerably over the years. In february
2011 we changed our name to reflect the geographical extent of our
service provision and as such we are now known as Headway
Oxfordshire. Headway Oxfordshire now supports over 400
individuals affected by acquired brain injury every year and
provides services 5 days per week.
Headway Oxfordshire's President
Headway Oxfordshire, and its
relationship to Oxford Rehabilitation health services
Dr Derick Wade
Rehabilitation after an acquired brain injury is often a long
process with no clear end. Although its initial stages are
clearly beneficial, there is a risk that prolongation may prevent a
patient from progressing socially. They may continue
unrealistic expectations, and not develop new roles and
interests. As an American author said ten years after
prolonged rehabilitation for his spinal tumour: "The kindest
thing anyone could have done for me would have been to look me
square in the eye and say this clearly: 'Reynolds
Price is dead. Who will you be now? Who can you be now
and how can you get there double-time'"
(Reynolds Price. A whole new life: an illness and a healing.
New York Atheneum 1994)
Headway Oxfordshire's important role is to help
people discover who they have 'become' and to help them get there
quickly.
A head injury, and indeed any major accident or life event, may
have a substantial impact upon the roles and activities that
someone can or does undertake. Many family members undergo
major changes in their life after a person is injured, and just
being involved in life-threatening or other challenging events can
change a person.
Sudden onset brain injury adds three specific factors to the
situation. First, it may leave losses that restrict what
someone can do. Second, most people consider that their brain
is the centre of their being and personality and hence may feel
especially threatened as a person. Thirdly, the organ that
allows people to learn and to adapt after a change is itself
damaged. Consequently it may be difficult for someone to
establish a new life after head injury or any other acquired brain
injury.
Rehabilitation should help people relearn important activities
such as dressing, shopping and looking after themselves. But
sometimes people will be left with significant difficulties in
carrying out necessary or wanted activities, and they need to
develop new interests, new social circles, new skills.
Rehabilitation services can and should help people to learn to
adapt, but they cannot provide new interests.
The risk of continuing rehabilitation too long is that someone
may continue to hope for or expect a recovery that cannot happen.
Thus they do not start to adapt to their new situation, and
eventually they become angry, or depressed (or both).
The risk of having no contact with specialist healthcare
services is that complications may arise, or simple opportunities
for change are not identified.
Headway Oxfordshire has an important role in this
transition. It removes people from a healthcare setting where
people are patients, and places them in a setting where people are
people who may benefit from an occasional
healthcare contact (just like everyone else). It also, very
importantly, allows people to start developing as a new person,
different from the previous person but not 'worse' or 'better' than
the previous person.
Ideally people would only need Headway for a few months or
years, but for some people it is one of a very small number of
opportunities for social contact over many years; these people
become lifetime Headway people.
http://www.noc.nhs.uk/oce/team/derick-wade.aspx
Access Criteria for Services
We work with individuals, carers and families of people who have
had an acquired brain injury (including stroke and some other
neurological conditions). This may have been acquired through
events such as traumatic injury (traffic incidents or assault etc)
stroke, brain haemorrhage, tumour, or infection. It should be noted
that this list is not exhaustive and associated conditions may be
supported in addition.
We offer a holistic approach to providing support and services
to those affected by these long term neurological conditions.
Service users are encouraged to develop old and new personal
skills alike, in a bid to respond to the changes in their
lives. Individually tailored rehabilitation and activity
programmes are designed to both compliment the formal
rehabilitation provided by health professionals and promote
increased independence within the community. Services can be
delivered in a variety of settings that are appropriate to the
individual and accessed within our centre, as outreach or within
individual's home.
Headway Oxford Structure
The Management Committee
Headway Oxfordshire is registered with the Charity
Commissioners (No 299377). The Charity is constituted by deed dated
12 April 1988.
The Charity is administered by a management committee
comprising:
Mr N Denton - Chair
Mrs A Bartlett -Vice Chair
RD Wilson- Treasurer
Mrs V Taylor - Secretary
Prof. Udo Kischka
Mrs J Chipperfield
Mrs A Brownson
Mrs J Andrews
Mr R Coleman
Ms S Wilson
Mr J Miller -Ex Officio