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Home > News > Brainkind Publishes Brain Injury Linkworker Service Evaluation Report
At Brainkind, we see the results of our work every day. Our huge team of clinicians, support staff, Linkworkers, and volunteers see amazing changes in the people we support throughout their rehabilitation journey, witnessing first-hand the huge strides they make toward recovery.
But we also know how important it is to formally evaluate these outcomes. This helps us to identify what’s working, where we can improve, and ensure we are providing services of the highest quality.
By rigorously assessing our impact, we can demonstrate and communicate the efficacy of our services. This also gives us vital data on how we can refine our approach and provide the best possible support to a wide range of people.
Brainkind’s work in the criminal justice system supports people in prison or on probation who may be living with brain injury. Over the last decade, our services have shown that interventions delivered in the criminal justice system deliver positive outcomes through improving engagement in rehabilitation.
Our latest report looks at the impact of the Brain Injury Linkworker (BIL) service in South Wales.
The service was developed by Brainkind to provide tailored brain injury interventions directly to people in prison and on probation, a population that experiences disproportionate rates of brain injury.
Brainkind works in partnership with HM Prison and Probation Service and NHS Health and Justice to support rehabilitation by addressing the health and wellbeing needs of people in prison with the aim of reducing health inequalities and the health-related drivers of offending behaviour.
Referrals to the BIL service are screened using the Brain Injury Screening Index. People who screen positive for a history suggestive of brain injury are offered further assessment and support.
Assistant psychologists, known as ‘Linkworkers’, assess people for a range of difficulties, such as memory problems, planning and executing tasks, or managing emotions. They then work collaboratively with the individual to create support plans, with personalised goals and tailored interventions as part of a person’s broader rehabilitation journey.
Linkworkers also deliver education about brain injury, offering self-help resources as well as referrals to other services, where appropriate.
Our latest evaluation report focuses on the Brain Injury Linkworker service at HMP Cardiff and HMP Swansea, looking at outcomes related to engagement in the prison regime, improvements in understanding brain injury, and mental health.
As part of the service, people in prison were asked to rate themselves against criteria that would support their rehabilitation in prison and the community using a perceived change questionnaire.
Individuals were asked to report where they felt they were on a scale relating to the following areas, both before and after they took part in the service:
All participants reported improved understanding across all areas.
The number of people placed on the enhanced regime – requiring them to demonstrate a commitment to rehabilitation and an enhanced engagement with the prison regime – was three times greater post intervention.
In turn, the enhanced regime will allow them to participate more fully in prison life, giving them greater access to privileges and activities.
The service had a significant impact on the mental health of participants. Levels of reported severe anxiety dropped from 65% to 30% post-intervention. Likewise, levels of severe and moderate-to-severe low mood declined from 59% to 39%.
The positive impact of the service is clear. Supporting and empowering people in prison to understand their brain injury, and better advocate for their needs, opens more doors to appropriate support. The impact of this can, in turn, mean better engagement in the services available to them, and lead to improved mood, wellbeing, and engagement in the prison regime as a result.
At Brainkind, we are proud to see the tangible difference our Linkworker service is making in the lives of those in prison. This evaluation not only highlights the positive outcomes achieved. It also supports the ongoing use and expansion of individualised, goal-oriented healthcare services within the criminal justice system.
As we continue to learn from our data and the voices of those with lived experience, we remain committed to providing high quality interventions that address health needs and improve outcomes for individuals and whole systems.
