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Headway frustrated by lack of funding for ABI services in Spring Budget

Brain injury charity Headway expressed its “frustration” that the Chancellor once again missed an opportunity to allocate funding for those living with acquired brain injury (ABI) in his Spring Budget.

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Headway Chief Executive Luke Griggs, wrote to Mr Hunt, highlighting the significant financial challenges being faced by Headway charities across the country. Too many of these charities, which support thousands of families, are at risk of collapse. Should they close, the effect on these families will be devastating.

Speaking after the Budget, Sarah Russell Headway’s Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager said: “We are frustrated that the Chancellor once again missed an opportunity to provide funding for the high-quality community-based rehabilitation and reablement services that survivors rely on.”

Whilst the Chancellor chose not to announce funding during the Budget, there is a growing consensus that funding should be allocated to support those living with ABI. Not only to fund these essential community services but also to ensure the government-led ABI Strategy can really transform the lives of survivors.

Sarah added: “We are very grateful to parliamentarians like Sir Chris Bryant MP for keeping the pressure on the government to provide essential funding needed to support the implementation of the ABI Strategy.

Thank you to Headway Parliamentary Champion @RhonddaBryant for calling on the government to fund the ABI strategy adequately.
He asks the Minister, "When does she hope there'll be some money to make sure that that strategy is a strategy worth having?"#BudgetForBrainInjury pic.twitter.com/SzwIuKa44U

— Headway - the brain injury association (@HeadwayUK) March 5, 2024

“Headway will continue to do all it can to secure funding so that brain injury survivors can access the services in their communities when they need them.”

Budget for Brain Injury

Earlier this week, in an open letter to the Chancellor, Headway Chief Executive Luke Griggs said: “Headway charities, which support thousands of families affected by brain injury, are at risk of collapse. Should they close, the effect on these families would be devastating.

"For families, the respite and support they receive can be the difference between a family staying together or a loved one requiring specialist residential living – at a huge cost to the public purse.”

In order for brain injury survivors to lead the independent lives they deserve, access to these essential services must be maintained.

We teamed up with Headway Nottingham to call on the government to set aside funds for brain injury survivors in the budget, and ensure their words of commitment to survivors are backed up with positive action.

Video

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I'm Charlotte lek and I'm the services manager at Headway Nottingham we've been running since 1996 so almost 28 years now we provide services for adults whose lives have been changed after brain injury and we helped them to adjust we have nearly 70 that use the service each week that come in and spend time with us and they come from all over the whole of Nottingham share we have a few that have been with us since the beginning in 1996 they still value the the support and the friendship that they get when they're with us that's the thing that is most unique about what we do is that it it's not time limited there's there's no limit if someone needs us for life then we'll be here for them for life my name is Raj

singor I was involved in a car accident where a dear got BL minded by the headlights and I SAR the car and I Crush into a ditch I came to Headway must have been about 7 years Ed is a Lifeline getting to meet likeminded people and sharing experiences with one another there's a few different things that we do we have a welfare and benefits service so our caseworker will help people in their applications for disability related benefits we have an advocacy service so that same casew worker can help people in appointments and meetings whether it's with social care or health or employers and also although there's no formalized service

we are always on the end of the phone for that family as well and quite often we'll sit and chat with family family members if they're stressed out if they just need to vent if they've got a particular query or problem that we might be able to help with we're always here for them too and we haven't got the resources to to keep going at that rate to get what we need what do you think would happen to you and the other people who come here Raj if head we Nottingham were to close it would be a disaster they lose their support network um lose their social Outlets they lose the safety net not being able to go anywhere where is people that know you and share the same experiences I think it's

brilliant an amazing place to come certainly in Nottingham share there isn't any other service that offers a long-term support to people adapting to life with disability after brain injury if we're not here there is no other option that person's well-being dips and it can cause mental health problems so that that individual that uses our our service if it wasn't here the increasing strain in the relationship between themselves and their loved ones and carers and families means that the family is more lik L to break down anecdotally we see every day that the work we do in the center with the people that use it has a preventative measure so if they're getting the right community support and social support that we offer then they're unlikely to

so often need those statutary Services the work we do does save money for the statutary services absolutely when someone gets home and they're in the community and they're trying to start rebuilding their lives they need support so we need a pot of money we need a promise that that support will be given to the people that need it most we must keep the doors open of that way at a Big M please put yourself in our shoes then you will know what is like for us I'm indeed to them for all the support they give towards me to give me the confidence and Independence I

have

We're grateful to Headway Nottingham for providing an example of the vital work carried out by Headway charities across the country and highlighting why all of their services are so important.

Explore the links below to find out more about the campaign.

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