Read about the impact we have on supporting people with brain injuries and other neurological conditions
Our team across our services are here to answer your queries and questions
Take a look at our different services across the UK, and how they can support you
Read about how our services are having an impact on people’s lives
Learn about brain injuries, the rehabilitation journey, from diagnosis and treatment to the ongoing support and independence.
The Brain Injury Linkworker Service is based on the belief in equal and fair access to neurorehabilitation for all. Learn how we can support your organisation.
Read the latest insights about brain injury rehabilitation from the Brainkind research team
View our research teams published book chapters and articles in peer reviewed publications.
Too Many to Count is the first study in the United Kingdom to explore the prevalence of brain injury in domestic abuse survivors accessing community-based services.
Do you support homeless people and prisoners and ex-offenders who have experienced an acquired brain injury? Our training is designed to give you the tools you need to support people in your service.
Login to view and download our BINI and BISI tools
View our careers page for jobs across all our services.
There are many ways to donate to Brainkind. Your donations will help support people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.
Home > News > Allied Health Professions (AHPs’) day
AHPs make a positive difference every day for the people we support with brain injuries and neurological conditions.
There are 14 Allied Health Professions in totallisted by NHS England, ranging from dietitians, to podiatrists, osteopaths and more. At Brainkind, our AHPs include physiotherapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.
We spoke to three of our Clinical Leads to share their thoughts on how their specialties impact rehabilitation for the people we support.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapists work with the other members of the multidisciplinary team to support people with their communication skills and swallowing abilities. Communication is how we share about ourselves and learn about others. It’s how we demonstrate who we are as people.When people have difficulty with communication following a brain injury, the speech and language therapist will work with the whole team, including the person and their significant others to support that person fulfil the roles and activities that are important to them.Swallowing is an important activity not only for our physical health – eating and drinking is something we all participate in all day, every day – but also for our social, emotional and mental health. It is part of our social identity. Speech and language therapists work with the person and their team to establish safe swallowing and promote quality of life and wellbeing.Working as a speech and language therapist at Brainkind allows me to access the expertise of many disciplines, to ensure the treatment and recommendations I provide to our people is centred around evidence-based practice and considering the whole person and their needs and abilities.Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, Jan McIntosh-Brown
Speech and language therapists work with the other members of the multidisciplinary team to support people with their communication skills and swallowing abilities. Communication is how we share about ourselves and learn about others. It’s how we demonstrate who we are as people.
When people have difficulty with communication following a brain injury, the speech and language therapist will work with the whole team, including the person and their significant others to support that person fulfil the roles and activities that are important to them.
Swallowing is an important activity not only for our physical health – eating and drinking is something we all participate in all day, every day – but also for our social, emotional and mental health. It is part of our social identity. Speech and language therapists work with the person and their team to establish safe swallowing and promote quality of life and wellbeing.
Working as a speech and language therapist at Brainkind allows me to access the expertise of many disciplines, to ensure the treatment and recommendations I provide to our people is centred around evidence-based practice and considering the whole person and their needs and abilities.
Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist, Jan McIntosh-Brown
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with people to empower them to overcome barriers that are preventing them from doing the activities, or ‘occupations’, that are important to them. Occupations are the everyday activities that we do to look after ourselves and our families, and that give a sense of purpose to our lives.This could be anything from brushing your teeth, to playing golf, or going to work. OTs believe that people have an innate need to engage in activity and this is often disrupted by illness, disability or factors in the environment.We use a range of interventions, including adapting the activity, altering the environment, teaching a person new skills or re-establishing lost skills. For example, an OT may practice dressing using strategies like a set routine, using markers to locate the back or front of garments or advising on clothing that may be easier to put on, or they may run a group to complete a project with the people we support, to arrange a fundraising event for the unit to work on social communication, planning and problem solving skills.We work closely with our Allied Health Professional colleagues to create an interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme – each discipline brings their own set of skills and knowledge to the complex issues faced by people who have experienced a neurological condition.I have been an OT for 24 years and have worked for Brainkind for 17 years. Brainkind has given me the opportunity to work in a truly holistic way with my AHP colleagues, and today, on Allied Health Professions Day, I want to thank all the highly skilled AHPs within our organisation, who strive to help the people we support to work towards their goals everyday with heart and integrity.Sara Goldstone, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with people to empower them to overcome barriers that are preventing them from doing the activities, or ‘occupations’, that are important to them. Occupations are the everyday activities that we do to look after ourselves and our families, and that give a sense of purpose to our lives.
This could be anything from brushing your teeth, to playing golf, or going to work. OTs believe that people have an innate need to engage in activity and this is often disrupted by illness, disability or factors in the environment.
We use a range of interventions, including adapting the activity, altering the environment, teaching a person new skills or re-establishing lost skills. For example, an OT may practice dressing using strategies like a set routine, using markers to locate the back or front of garments or advising on clothing that may be easier to put on, or they may run a group to complete a project with the people we support, to arrange a fundraising event for the unit to work on social communication, planning and problem solving skills.
We work closely with our Allied Health Professional colleagues to create an interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme – each discipline brings their own set of skills and knowledge to the complex issues faced by people who have experienced a neurological condition.
I have been an OT for 24 years and have worked for Brainkind for 17 years. Brainkind has given me the opportunity to work in a truly holistic way with my AHP colleagues, and today, on Allied Health Professions Day, I want to thank all the highly skilled AHPs within our organisation, who strive to help the people we support to work towards their goals everyday with heart and integrity.
Sara Goldstone, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists are part of the Allied Health Professional team: our role is to assess and treat the physical abilities of the people we support. We create a tailored plan, that may involve exercises and activities that will help improve efficiency of movement and function; our aim is to assist people to return to previous hobbies and abilities and be able to regain as much independence as is possible.Treatments vary greatly from a gym programme and stretches, to swimming, cycling or assisted skiing – but the overall aim is the same – to work on the client’s goals.Working collaboratively with our fellow Allied Health Professionals is so important at Brainkind, as it means our clients receive co-ordinated care with innovative and creative ideas. Working together means that we can combine our concepts and skills and deliver the best support possible. I would like to congratulate all the Allied Health Professionals at Brainkind and ask that you take some time today to reflect on all the great things that you are doing and the differences that you are making in the lives of the people we support.Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Jenny Woodgate
Physiotherapists are part of the Allied Health Professional team: our role is to assess and treat the physical abilities of the people we support. We create a tailored plan, that may involve exercises and activities that will help improve efficiency of movement and function; our aim is to assist people to return to previous hobbies and abilities and be able to regain as much independence as is possible.
Treatments vary greatly from a gym programme and stretches, to swimming, cycling or assisted skiing – but the overall aim is the same – to work on the client’s goals.
Working collaboratively with our fellow Allied Health Professionals is so important at Brainkind, as it means our clients receive co-ordinated care with innovative and creative ideas. Working together means that we can combine our concepts and skills and deliver the best support possible. I would like to congratulate all the Allied Health Professionals at Brainkind and ask that you take some time today to reflect on all the great things that you are doing and the differences that you are making in the lives of the people we support.
Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Jenny Woodgate
If you’re looking for a role as a AHP at Brainkind why not visit our careers page?
