Better Together: providing free advice for brain injury patients at the Royal London Hospital

Bolt Burdon Kemp is proud to sponsor Better Together, joining forces with Headway East London to help brain injury patients at the Royal London Hospital.

From left to right – top row: Natalie Clapshaw (Caseworker at Headway East London), Dean Harding (Peer Support Worker at Headway East London), Saul Grijalva (Caseworker at Headway East London). Bottom row: Ipek Tugcu (brain injury solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp)

Better Together is an exciting collaboration which has been providing brain injury survivors with free, face-to-face advice whilst they are recovering at the Royal London Hospital since 2021. We are thrilled to continue supporting this vital scheme, which takes place every Wednesday afternoon.

The truth is we are all too aware hospitals are stretched. Medical staff are working through significant backlogs and tending to busy wards. Even on the best days, their primary focus is, and should be, the medical care of the patient. This is where Better Together steps in, to help clinical staff by providing patients and their loved ones with direct access to specialist advice and guidance regarding brain injury and what may help them after their discharge.

We’ve seen this scheme in action, with BBK brain injury solicitor Ipek Tugcu mentoring peer support worker Dean Harding as he provides vital support to patients.

Dean himself suffered a severe brain injury in 1998 so knows exactly what patients and their families are going through during such a tumultuous time. He’s on hand to share his experiences and advice with those who are newly injured.

He and Headway East London caseworkers, seek to provide information and support about all stages of care and rehabilitation after a brain injury. Resources can be shared about everything from benefits entitlement, local support groups, and managing the impact of brain injury on a patient’s ability to drive or return to work.

It’s an opportunity for patients and their loved ones to receive bedside guidance and reassurance about the financial, practical and personal issues of navigating life with a brain injury. Better Together is there to help patients feel more confident about their next steps after their discharge from hospital.

Patients and families have the opportunity to have private and confidential discussions with Dean, caseworkers and other specialists to ask questions such as: What financial aid are they entitled to? What kind of services will they have access to? Who do they call for help? What information do they have to register with national services? These are all important questions that need answering before a patient’s discharge.

Better Together’s aim is to empower patients and their loved ones to feel confident about their ongoing recovery after they leave the hospital.

Sometimes, patients just want to talk to someone who’s been through the journey of brain injury before, to share their fears and for emotional support.

For most of these patients, this is the first time they have suffered a brain injury. It’s a daunting time, one where recovery may be slow and may not be linear. It’s so important in these difficult times, patients and families are provided with all the resources they need to set up a safe path of recovery and rehabilitation.

So how does this project work and who is involved? The Better Together team are at the Royal London Hospital on Wards 12E and 12F every Wednesday afternoon. The team consists of:

• One of the Headway East London Casework team (most likely Saul Grijalva or Paul McKay). Headway East London is a Hackney-based brain injury charity, working across 13 London boroughs, offering vital assistance and services including therapies, advocacy, family support and community support work. Their caseworkers have specialist training in working with brain injury survivors and have a wealth of experience in respect of relevant health and social care provisions, regularly helping those in need with advice, emotional support and access to entitlements.
• Dean Harding, peer support worker at Headway East London. Dean suffered a significant brain injury in 1998. He was in a coma for weeks, needed surgery and spent six months as an inpatient undergoing rehabilitation. Since then, he has been working to share his personal experiences and knowledge to support others who are newly injured and adjusting to life after brain injury. He has worked as a Peer Support Worker at Headway East London for nearly 10 years and is a firm favourite amongst members at the charity. He can offer a unique personal perspective of brain injury from someone who has lived it, whilst going on to achieve success and happiness in both his personal and professional life. Dean was recently recognised with a national award in respect of his commitment to helping others with a brain injury.
• Ipek Tugcu, brain injury solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp and mentor to Dean. Ipek has been mentoring Dean since 2018, supporting him in his professional development as well as during day-to-day challenges. Dean and Ipek meet regularly to discuss and tackle any challenges in his life and identify opportunities for development, including projects they can work on together. Ipek is a committed supporter of Headway East London and also attends support group meetings with other brain injury survivors and regularly fundraises for Headway East London. Ipek will be supporting Dean in her capacity as his mentor, as he shares his advice and experiences with others.
• Laura Barlow, brain injury solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp. Laura is an experienced brain injury solicitor who has previously mentored Dean. During times that Ipek is unable to attend the Better Together project, Laura will be there to support Dean.

Dean Harding (Peer Support Worker at Headway East London) and Ipek Tugcu (brain injury solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp and mentor to Dean)

The Better Together team visits Wards 12E and 12F of the Royal London Hospital every Wednesday afternoon. Patients who are interested in speaking to the team should let the clinical staff (ideally Molly, Stacey or Beth) know beforehand so they can be added to a list. The team are here to help, so no patient will ever be approached unless they’d specifically like to talk.

Having a brain injury affects the whole family, and, sadly, patients are often discharged with more questions than answers. Our hope is this project continues to provide face-to-face advice and information about the practical issues of surviving a brain injury. Treating the medical aspects of a brain injury is only the start of the journey, and Better Together’s priority is to give patients the right information and tools to help them get back on their feet after they’re discharged.

This blog was written by Ipek Tugcu and Laura Barlow.