Unit re-opens after flood devastation

23 January 2009

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust’s unit at 1101 Bristol Road, Birmingham, reopens this month following devastating floods in the city last September that gutted the entire ground floor, causing extensive damage.

The unit’s eight service users were all safely evacuated and have spent the last five months at West Heath House, BIRT’s larger residential rehabilitation facility in West Heath, Birmingham.

Local builders KMH have been working flat out to get the building ready, including over Christmas and into the evenings by floodlight.

Flood damage	Repairs completed

Keeping going

Staff from 1101 Bristol Road have been keeping rehabilitation programmes on track while service users have been at West Heath House.

‘We were able to keep all the service users from 1101 Bristol Road together in the same part of West Heath House with our own TV lounge and kitchen,’ says team senior Sue McCann.

‘Staff and service users at West Heath House have been very kind and patient with us and we’ve been able to keep rehabilitation programmes going without too much change. But we’re looking forward to getting back. Bristol Road is run more like a ordinary home, with service users involved in cooking and shopping, and we’re looking forward to getting back to that.’

Service user Gary Sprake adds: ‘I’ve missed 1101 Bristol Road because I was familiar with that particular unit and settled there, but we’ve been made to feel really welcome at West Heath House too.’

More independence

1101 Bristol Road is a small continuing rehabilitation unit for eight people, offering longer-term rehabilitation to people with acquired brain injury.

The service offers people more independence than is possible in a larger unit and was opened in 2006. ‘There’s less hustle and bustle at Bristol Road because it’s a smaller unit with fewer staff and people,’ says Gary Sprake.

As well as accessing community activities to acheive leisure and vocational goals, service users are also very involved with independent living skills.

Longer term solution

BIRT is now working with Birmingham City Council and Severn Trent Water to find longer term solutions to flooding risks, including improving the drains and creating new flood defences around the perimeter.

‘The flood risk affects the whole area and we need to make sure we take steps to prevent this sort of flooding happening again,’ says Mike McPeake.

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