The Child Brain Injury Trust has received a treble boost thanks to the charity’s legal partners, Enable Law.
The charity’s “invaluable” work to support children with acquired brain injuries has been strengthened on three fronts after key professionals were brought together by the law firm.
As well as raising the Child Brain Injury Trust’s profile, the conference which was organised by Enable Law, improved understanding of how different teams can support young people and raised almost £2,000 for the charity.
More than 50 delegates from across England united for the conference, which was devoted to sharing specialist knowledge on supporting the children living with acquired brain injuries and their loved ones as they navigate the road to recovery.
Experts from a range of key fields joined forces at Enable Law’s Bristol city centre office for the ‘Unpacking a Case: Strategies for Child Brain Injury Recovery’ conference. The event explored ways that different professionals can play vital roles to support children and young people with acquired brain injuries on their road to recovery. The conference demonstrated how collaboration is key to easing the pressure on families and allowing injured children to enjoy a fuller recovery.
The Child Brain Injury Trust was represented by West Midlands-based Community Inclusion and Virtual Support Service Manager Sharon Machin. Afterwards, Sharon was quick to declare the conference a huge success with all proceeds from ticket sales and a raffle donated to Child Brain Injury Trust to support its work.
Sharon said: “Events like this play such an important role in strengthening understanding around childhood acquired brain injury and the support families need. At the Child Brain Injury Trust, we see every day how vital it is for professionals to come together, share expertise, and take a joined-up approach to recovery. From education rights to care and benefits, we’re here to ensure no family faces the legal system alone. And that’s why we are incredibly grateful to Enable Law for their support, not only in raising awareness but also in helping us continue to provide practical and emotional support to children, young people, and families navigating life after brain injury.”
Sharon was joined for the first panel discussion with highly-respected barrister Jim Hirschmann, of 3PB Barristers, and Enable Law’s head of education Sarah Palmer and head of mental capacity Annabelle Vaughan.
Based on a real-life example, ‘Jenny’s story’, the panellists explored a case study through the eyes of the multi-disciplinary team asked to support a family following diagnosis, looking at issues around education, capacity and injury litigation. The focus then turned to investigating the critical role case managers play in early intervention and support for clients during their rehabilitation journey.
Jo Bamberger, of Bush & Co, a leading provider of assessment, case management and expert witness services, led the discussion along with her colleague Stephanie Doar and Sharon. Key topics included how to navigate education, health, and care (EHC) plans for children and young people aged up to 25 to identify educational, health and social needs. The discussion also covered therapy, planning, funding, and family involvement to ensure effective rehabilitation and care.
The event was hosted by Enable Law legal director and personal injury specialist Tim Jones, who deemed the conference a success.
Tim said: “We are proud that Enable Law is a Child Brain Injury Trust Legal Support Service Provider for the South West, and this conference will strengthen our relationship with a charity which performs an invaluable role for young people who are living with acquired brain injuries. A thought-provoking event, it underlines the commitment of our specialist lawyers to fight the corner of families affected by the trauma of childhood brain injury, but by coming together and sharing knowledge, it means everyone who attended is now better placed to provide the best level of care and service. Enable Law has now been officially part of CBIT’s journey for almost 10 years as a trusted legal partners as the charity has gone from strength to strength, and this event bodes well for the future because collaboration will be key to better supporting young people affected by brain injuries.”
As well as the panel discussions, networking took place with Asian food provided by the Bristol-based Square Food Foundation charity.