Assessment and rehabilitation centres

Assessment and rehabilitation takes place at one of eight specialist rehabilitation units run by the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT).

The rehabilitation centres are:

• Daniel Yorath House, Leeds
• Thomas Edward Mitton House, Milton Keynes
• Fen House in Ely
• Graham Anderson House, Glasgow
• West Heath House, Birmingham
• The Woodmill, Cullompton, Devon.
• Kerwin Court, Slinfold, West Sussex.
• York House, York, an independent hospital offering a neurobehavioural rehabilitation service, run by BIRT is partnership with The Retreat, a specialist mental health provider.

Our interdisciplinary programme of social and behavioural rehabilitation focuses on mobility, cognition and behaviour that act as a constraint upon the recovery of independence.

Initial assessment

For each person admitted to our service an initial assessment of between 8 and 12 weeks is carried out. This process allows for each of the key professional disciplines to carry out detailed, specific assessments using a wide range of validated texts.

During this period, we confirm the goals of rehabilitation, based on observations by the rehabilitation team, supervised by a neuropsychologist. They look at:

• behavioural difficulties
• cognitive deficits
• sudden mood or temperamental changes
• socialisation problems
• a comprehensive review of an individual's general physical and medical condition.

Following the assessment process, an initial review meeting is set up with the service user, their family and other relevant people to consider the findings of the professional evaluations. At this meeting the treatment programme and associated goals for the next three month cycle of rehabilitation are set.

Many service users will continue at the unit for rehabilitation. Others may return to the community with support from BIRT’s community services, or be referred to another service provider.

Three month reviews
Progress toward treatment goals is evaluated at weekly clinical team meetings. Every three months progress is evaluated by a case review, attended by relatives, solicitors, social workers, hospital staff etc. A formal report follows each of these case reviews to summarise progress and identify new treatment goals.

Transitional living units
As part of active rehabilitation, service users may spend some time in one of our transitional living units (TLUs). These are ordinary houses or flats in which people have the opportunity to develop their social skills as part of their return into the community.

Accommodation in the TLU comprises individual apartments and houses for one, two or three people. Supervision is available 24 hours a day if required, with a range of support services depending upon individual need

All our TLUs are in close proximity to the main rehabilitation units. Service users are therefore able to receive continued support from a clinical team who are familiar with their problems and needs.

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