The Brain Injury Group, a national network of dedicated brain injury lawyers and other specialist services, is to offer a free Legal and Welfare Service (LAWS) at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN), Putney, one of the leading centres for and authorities on neuro-disability care in the UK.
“Very few patients suffering a traumatic brain injury will have arrangements in place regarding their on-going day-to-day commitments,” according to Alison Bartholomew, Health Sector Manager with the Brain Injury Group. “LAWS aims to give patients, their carers and families free, no-obligation advice on the many and varied legal and welfare challenges they face with a view to relieving some of the anxiety and problems they experience.”
The service at the RHN will be delivered by a group of Brain Injury Group member firms on a rota, with a drop-in clinic and appointments being available on a weekly basis. The service will also offer a series of short workshops on legal and welfare subjects that many families and individuals affected by brain injury have to face.
“Neuro-disability can happen to anyone at any time, and the impact is immediate and profound,” says Dorothy Lain, Head of Specialist Nursing Home, RHN. “There are many practical issues to be dealt with by families affected by neuro-disability. Making LAWS available on site means that they can access the support they need when they’re already visiting their loved one, which minimises disruption and helps them to focus on rehabilitation.”
LAWS is a free service with no cost to the hospital, its patients or visitors. The Brain Injury Group representative will meet with patients, their families and carers and provide advice on a range of legal, financial and welfare issues on a confidential basis such as:
- Mental capacity
- Powers of Attorney or Court of Protection
- Finances – such as debt, welfare benefits, budgeting and planning
- Employment and housing
- Personal injury claims or criminal injury compensation
- Matrimonial and family matters
The Leisure & Family Services team at RHN will administer appointment and clinic times, and all service users will be welcome to drop in to the workshops. Where appropriate, people may be signposted to other organisations that can provide them with specific support.
Whilst planning finances and seeking welfare support may be the last thing people want to do when a close relative has suffered a severe injury, experience shows that if these issues are dealt with promptly and with professional guidance, families are able to concentrate on their loved one’s recovery.
A founder member of the Brain Injury Group, Francis Lacy-Scott of asb Aspire, explains how a similar “pro bono” service has worked in Sussex: “We have helped some people with advice on welfare benefits support which might otherwise have been lost to them if they hadn’t been advised of their true entitlements; others have been assisted with a wide variety of legal and practical issues, including signposting a few to pursue legal claims where their brain injury resulted from the fault of a third party. In certain cases a claim can be used to address practical problems by obtaining early access to much needed funds for the patient and even speeding up and improving the level of rehabilitation and care people receive in the community once discharged. LAWS can really help patients and families by reducing their anxiety at a time when support is most needed.”
LAWS can provide support and help at a difficult time in a number of ways by:
- Being simple to access and available at convenient times
- Identifying and helping to manage legal and financial issues
- Giving specialist, experienced and trustworthy guidance
- Identifying funding sources to access rehabilitation
- Advising if there may be a case to seek compensation for the injury
- Providing information on how best to obtain further advice, if needed
LAWS will be launched within the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability on 2 February 2016.
The law firm members delivering LAWS within the RHN are:
Penningtons Manches | Moore Blatch | Simpson Millar | Osbornes Solicitors | IBB Solicitors
About the Brain Injury Group
The Brain Injury Group comprises a national network of dedicated brain injury lawyers and related professional services which together provide a gateway to support, information and advice for those directly affected by an acquired brain injury. It exists to support individuals and families affected by brain injury, and the health and social care professionals working in this highly specialist field. As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), our mission is to provide anyone affected by brain injury with access to legal, financial and welfare services delivered by proven experts in the field who have been chosen not only for their skills and knowledge, but also for their passion and dedication to helping people.
About the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN)
The RHN is a national medical charity, independent from the NHS, which works to improve the lives of adults affected by severe neurological disability through specialist long term care and rehabilitation. Founded 161 years ago, the RHN finds ability in disability and seeks to advance the science of care through its research and education, helping to achieve the best possible quality of life for everyone living with neurological disability.
http://www.rhn.org.uk/
