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Home > News > A day in the life of a Linkworker: Supporting change from the inside out
Meet Kate Brooker, a Linkworker who joined the team in late September 2024. Based in the prison estate, Kate plays a vital role in supporting individuals with a history indicative of brain injury.
Linkworkers are Assistant Psychologists who work one-to-one with people in prison, providing a structured psychological intervention. They help individuals understand how a brain injury can impact cognition (e.g. memory and thinking abilities), emotion, and behaviour. In addition to working on a one-to-one basis, the linkworkers work with keyworkers within the prison to facilitate their understanding of brain injury.
Kate says “The Linkworker role gives people a space to discuss their problems and think about the consequences of brain injury. This is often the first time that they have had the opportunity to do so”
Where referrals come from
Referrals come from across the prison, often via healthcare teams, psychologists, or prison officers who have noticed that someone might be struggling with things like memory, concentration, or emotion regulation.
“Once I get a referral, I do an initial assessment,” Kate explains. “That helps me understand what day-to-day looks like for them, and how a possible brain injury might be playing a role. From there, we figure out what kind of support could help.”
Goal setting with individuals
Helping individuals set goals is at the heart of the Linkworker role. Whether someone is working on managing frustration, staying focused, or thinking about life after prison, the aim is to support change that feels realistic and meaningful.
“Sometimes someone might say they struggle with feeling overwhelmed” Kate says. “We then create a specific goal and break that down into realistic steps that the person can work on”
What she enjoys most
“When someone tells me, ‘no one’s ever helped me like this before,’ it reminds me why this work matters,” she says. “Even when progress is small, it’s still progress. That makes it worth it.”
She also reflects on the importance of consistency: “It’s about showing up and giving someone the space to feel heard. That alone can be a powerful shift for someone who’s had a lot of instability.”
Linkworkers like Kate play a crucial role in prison-based psychological services. They provide person-centred support to help individuals understand the consequences of brain injury and learn strategies to cope with difficulties in prison and on release.
