Brainkind launches collaboration with Women’s Aid

• Women’s Aid works with Brainkind to gather vital data relating to brain injury and domestic abuse by including questions on potential causes of brain injury in their national research database, On Track.  
• On Track is Women’s Aid’s case management and outcomes measurement system used by over 100 frontline domestic abuse services across England. 
• On Track collects data which provides England’s largest dataset on experiences of abuse. Using the voices of over 200,000 survivors to influence policy and practice.  

Brainkind is delighted to be collaborating with Women’s Aid to gather vital data relating to brain injury and domestic abuse. Women’s Aid has included questions from Brainkind in the latest version of On Track’s new abuse profiles module.

The additional questions refer to the potential causes of brain injury and will enable both charities to develop knowledge and understanding in this area. These insights will lead to improvements in the support and resources available to women who have experienced domestic abuse, and the professionals who work with them. 

Women’s Aid has been a vital supporter of Brainkind’s research into brain injury and domestic abuse. 

Earlier this year, the federation’s member services supported women to share their experiences in the Too Many to Count report, which highlighted the wide range of complexities faced by survivors of domestic abuse. 

Work with Brainkind’s research team has led to the identification of four key questions which would enable professionals to capture data about the potential causes of brain injury in a domestic abuse setting. The questions are asked in the context of physical abuse, and include prompts about blows to the head, non-fatal strangulation and suffocation.

A further question relates to whether the individual has experienced a loss of consciousness as a result of these experiences.  

Both charities believe that collecting this information will provide a clearer understanding of the potential causes of brain injury amongst women experiencing domestic abuse. And importantly the data will inform the next steps to provide advice, guidance, and support for survivors. 

Women’s Aid is pleased to be working with Brainkind as we launch questions about the potential cause of brain injuries in On Track, our case management and outcomes measurement system. This collaboration allows us to gather vital information relating to brain injuries and domestic abuse, which will help develop our understanding of this area and improve support for survivors.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank On Track user organisations for their incredible contributions to the national dataset. This information is invaluable to understanding survivors’ needs and knowing where we need to focus our campaigning efforts.

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive, Women’s Aid 

Working with Women’s Aid is a pivotal step for Brainkind.  This collaboration builds on the findings of our Too Many to Count research that revealed that as many as one in two survivors may be living with brain injury.

Brainkind is committed to raising awareness of brain injury in the context of domestic abuse.  We want to use this data not only to improve outcomes for women, but to enhance understanding of brain injury nationally.

Stephanie Bechelet, Brain Injury and Domestic Abuse Researcher, Brainkind 

Too many victims and survivors of domestic abuse are living with brain injuries caused by their perpetrator.  I welcome this collaboration between Brainkind and Women’s Aid which will provide a greater understanding of brain injury in the context of domestic abuse.  

It is critical that Government capitalises on this greater understanding and addresses the clear link between domestic abuse and brain injury so that all agencies can respond effectively.

Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales  

 

All media enquiries to anastasia.fawcett@brainkind.org or 07785 938 322  

If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are concerned about someone you know who might be, Women’s Aid are here to support you. You can contact Women’s Aid via live chat here: Live Chat | Women’s Aid Live Chat (womensaid.org.uk). 

• Other useful support options include: The National Domestic Abuse Helpline available on 0808 2000 247 

• Live Fear Free (Wales) available on 0808 8010800. 

• Men’s Advice Line available on 0808 8010327. 

• National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline available on 0800 999 5428 

Notes to editors  

About Women’s Aid 

Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. Since 1974 they have been at the forefront of shaping and coordinating responses to domestic abuse, with survivors at the heart of our work. Women’s Aid is a federation of over 170 organisations which provide just under 300 local lifesaving services to women and children across the country.  

The organisation’s support services, which include the Live Chat Helpline, the Survivors’ Forum, the No Woman Turned Away Project, the Survivor’s Handbook, Love Respect (a dedicated website for young people in their first relationships), the national Domestic Abuse Directory and the advocacy projects that help thousands of women and children every year.  

Women’s Aid provide expert training, qualifications and consultancy to a range of agencies and professionals working with survivors or commissioning domestic abuse services. There campaigns achieve change in policy, practice and awareness, encouraging healthy relationships and helping to build a future where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated.  

About On Track 

On Track is Women’s Aid’s case management and outcomes measurement system, used by over 100 domestic abuse services across England. It is an essential resource in using data to strengthen domestic abuse services and improve outcomes for survivors. It is England’s largest dataset on experiences of domestic abuse, with over 200,000 survivors experiences recorded since 2016. Women’s Aid  

About Brainkind  

Brainkind (formerly The Disabilities Trust) is the UK’s leading charity helping people to reach their best potential after a brain injury.   

We provide innovative rehabilitation and ongoing support to ensure life after brain injury can be a life well lived – and personally meaningful to the person with the brain injury.   

With over 40 years’ experience and expertise in brain injury and neurorehabilitation, we understand how a brain injury can challenge every aspect of life.  

At Brainkind, we are committed to providing personalised, compassionate treatment and care. Led by a team of clinical experts, our services include physical and cognitive rehabilitation, occupational therapy as well as educational and emotional support designed to empower an individual as well as their families.  

Our services provide a range of treatment, support, and care for people with brain injuries and other neurological conditions. We support people with immediate rehabilitation following hospital treatment, helping them regain lost skills or to find new ways of compensating for lost abilities, as well as providing long term care.   

With experts including physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and more, our teams provide the care and treatment you need, helping the people we support to live more independently or to meet your goals, whatever they might be.   

Further information on Brainkind’s work looking at brain injury in the context of domestic abuse brainkind.org/news/too-many-to-count-report