Benefits Health Check

Finding out about and applying for benefits your family may be entitled to can be a daunting process. Its sometimes good to talk to someone with experience of how the system works. You may have questions like: Ive had to reduce my hours at work to care for my child; is there any financial support available to me? My child doesnt require a wheelchair or have a visible disability; can we still apply for through the application process. Disability Living Allowance? This service is free of charge and completely confidential. To My DLA claim has been find out more, please contact refused, how do I appeal? our Helpline either by email at: Were launching a brand new helpline@cbituk.org or phone service to help families with these on 0303 303 CBIT (thats 2248). questions and any others about benefits. Weve teamed up with one of our corporate partners, Frenkel Topping, to offer you a Benefits Health Check. Frenkel Toppings specialist staff can find out what benefits you may be entitled to and even guide you

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NEWSLETTER
Spring Edition 2012

Child Brain Injury Trust - Conference 2012

Ive been a benefits specialist for sixteen years working in both the voluntary and private sector, with experience of acting as an advocate at Social Security Appeal Tribunals and the Upper Tribunal. I currently have a case at the European Court of Justice. My client group has always included a significant proportion of families with one or more members (including children) suffering from health problems and/or disabilities. I can therefore provide advice and assistance in respect of the full range of benefits relevant to such circumstances.
Frenkel Toppings Gwyneth King

Contacts
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Child Brain Injury Trust

Unit 1, The Great Barn, Baynards Green Farm, Nr Bicester, Oxon, OX27 7SG phone: 01869 341075 website: www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk Helpline: 0845 6014939 (local call rate) or helpline@cbituk.org General enquiries: info@cbituk.org Visit us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@cbituk) Child and Family Support Officers Central/South: 01869 341075 Edinburgh: 0131 475 2598 Glasgow: 0141 945 4894 North East: 0191 230 8095 Northern Ireland: 02890 817 145

Our conference this year, Risky Business, focused on the issues surrounding infants and primary school-aged children who acquire a brain injury, and their families. It took place on the 29th of February and proved a thought provoking and enjoyable day for delegates, presenters and exhibitors alike. Over 230 delegates attended this years event at the Hilton Hotel, Birmingham. The programme was full of emotion and some humour thanks to our brilliant speakers. Presentations included findings from new evidence-based research,the experiences of expert practitioners and those of families living with the consequences of childhood acquired brain injury. We were extremely grateful to them all for their involvement.

A special mention should be made to Dave Stones (father of William,aged 3) who was an inspirational and moving speaker. Our Child and Family Support Officers also presented a video theyd made showcasing all of the different ways they support families across the UK, which was a real eye-opener for some delegates! The video will soon be available on our YouTube channel. The exhibition hall was full to bursting with stands full of great information and give-aways Compass Costs cuddly dragons competing for the days best freebie with our own delicious home baked goodies! Using recipes from our new fundraising cook book, 21 treats for 21 years, some of our staff baked and brought along a variety of tasty

treats to tempt the delegates into hosting their own fundraising cake sale for us! More information on this can be found inside. All in all it was a super day and I am so proud of everyone who played a part. See you next year, Lisa Turan - CEO

Registered Charity Number : 1113326

Registered Company Number : 5738517 A Charity Registered in Scotland : SC039703

VAT No. 125795196

Brand new information!

We know how important it is for all of the families and professionals we work with to have access to reliable information on brain injury. Weve long had a series of factsheets and other documents available on our website but we are now extremely pleased to have achieved the Information Standard accreditation for the information we produce. This standard, set by the Department of Health, is used to identify reliable sources of quality, evidence-based information through the use of an easily recognised quality mark. Essentially this means we have been able to demonstrate our

c o m m i t m e n t Your ets r tho ug to supply clear, od it l u had o e yo the go as accurate, impartial, the on e bad cept th a gift! evidence-based, but ac h it is ll in wit Morre accessible and up to Vicky date information. It means that other bodies such as NHS Direct are able to recommend our information to people. It also means that we will be reviewing all of our factsheets over the coming months so keep an eye on our Information webpage for updates.

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Happy Birthday to us!

Many of you will already be aware that 2012 is an exciting year for us its our 21st birthday! To mark this occasion, we are planning a number of activities all across the country, from personal challenges to coffee mornings and birthday parties. Were aiming to raise 210,000 to mark this occasion and we cant do this without a little help from our friends! Some of our supporters have started their Challenges already: Judith, our Chairperson, has crossed 21 bridges over the River Thames starting her journey on a chilly day in February. Dave Stones and friends completed the Silverstone Marathon recently, raising around 500! Wed love to see as many of the families we support and their friends involved as possible. Please visit our dedicated web pages at:-

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www.challenge21.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk

Alert ID Service
Encouraging independence and confidence are key ingredients to a happy childhood, but for parents and guardians with a brain injured child, these attributes come loaded with additional worries. A brain injured child can get confused as to where they should be, or how to get back home. Often when Police, health workers or even members of the public come across a lost child with a brain injury, they have no idea of the extent of the childs challenges and how to deal with them.

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The Alert ID system means that all your child needs to remember is that, if they need help, they simply direct someone to the phone number on their card or wrist band. This puts the caller through to the 24/7 Alert ID Emergency Support Team who know all about your child and their particular circumstances.

21 Treats!
For those of you able to get baking for a good cause, we have a special 21 Treats for 21 Years recipe book available to purchase from ebay, with a foreword by Mary Berry, star of the Great British Bake Off With recipes from staff, children and celebrity chefs, theres lots of great ideas for a bake sale in there and some mouth-watering pictures too! Search for charity recipe book on www.ebay.co.uk.

Small Print
Do you have a mortgage, credit card or loan with accompanying insurance policy? If you took out critical illness cover, life insurance, payment protection insurance or something similar, you might be able to make a claim on it following your childs brain injury. We cant give advice on this but know families who were able to claim lump sums so check out your individual policies!

We think this scheme is an invaluable addition to a childs safety and well-being. You can find out more information on the leaflet enclosed or on their website: www.alertidservices.co.uk/cbit. Currently, 15% of the sale price is being donated to the Child Brain Injury Trust!

How can you help?

Not everybody can take part in an adrenaline-filled challenge and not everyone wants to! All of your time and efforts can make a huge difference to our fundraising and events. New ideas are always welcome! Perhaps your childs school has a dress down day at the end of term? Or a local supermarket does a monthly collection? You could nominate us to receive any money raised. You could hold a frock swap event for friends like our Scottish Fundraising Officer Claire in the photo. Everyone brings along unwanted but good condition clothes to swap with friends, making a donation to the event host. A great way to save some money on a new outfit and have fun! You can also help us by volunteering your time. There may be a variety of opportunities around the country, ranging from handing out goody bags at a family day to cheering people on during a local run. If you would like to help us out with any of our future fundraising or family events, please email: claire@cbituk.org or call 0131 475 2598. Dont forget to share your fab ideas on our Facebook page too!

Master Classes
Following on from the success of our May Master Class on the topics The Maturation Stages of the Developing Brain and Managing Behaviour, we have six more lectures taking place around the country this year. Topics will include: Transition into Adulthood and Employment; Psychological Impact of ABI and links to Depression and Specialist Therapy Services and their Impact. There will be parent spaces available at a price of 10 per space. For more information regarding any aspect of the Master Class lecture series, please contact our Training Manager Louise on: louisewilkinson@cbituk.org or by calling 01869 341075. You can also find information on our website at www. childbraininjurytrust.org.uk /services

Northern Ireland Donation

In December 2005, aged 12, Sophie Hanvey suffered a brain haemorrhage. Extensive treatment meant Sophies recovery was slow but eventually she was able to return to school, helped by a classroom assistant and the Child Brain Injury Trust. The charity played a major role in helping and supporting Sophie, who is now aged 19, readjust to life. Sophies father Trevor said, The Child Brain Injury Trust was a great support and Sophie wanted to repay some of the help she received. As a thank you for our support, Sophie held a triathlon -style event in Ballyearl Leisure Centre last July and a quiz in the Ulster Transport Bowling Club in November. Sophie managed to raise a fantastic 2,890 and recently presented a cheque to Nadia Magee, one of our Child and Family Support Officers in Northern Ireland. Were truly grateful for these much-needed donations from Sophie and her local community who helped her out! Sophie especially thanked the staff and management of Vivo Essentials on Circular Road Jordanstown; Village Pharmacy, Whiteabbey; staff at Ballyearl Leisure Centre and the Ulster Transport Bowling Club in Jordanstown.

October Conference
Our first ever Northern Irish conference takes place on the 10th of October at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast. Its shaping up to be a very interesting day, with the topic of Rehabilitation; a family issue and a range of speakers already confirmed. The programme will highlight recent changes to pathways of care, research, family experiences and practitioner interventions. We have 30 parent spaces available at 10 each, please book via our website:

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Central and Southern Project

Following a successful funding bid, were delighted to announce that our Central Southern project (formerly known as the Thames Valley project) has now expanded to include Cambridge and the counties of Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Were also adding Friday drop in sessions at Addenbrookes hospital, Cambridge to those which we host fortnightly at the Childrens Hospital, Oxford.

l di children and young h one Not al nd eac unique same a people who have y are the doors to ver sustained a brain the IES! opens ABILIT injury, their parents Linda or carers and the professionals around them. She has also been building a professional network to improve the referral process for families and become involved in the Eastern the number of families supported Childrens Head Injury Network and holding the first local family (ECHIN), which has been set event. Follow us on Facebook up to improve pathways for to keep up to date with all the During the pilot stage of this local children affected by latest developments and help project, Caroline, our Child and acquired brain injury. spread the word! Family Support Officer in this area, has been providing our usual The project has a number of high standard of support to local future aims, including increasing

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Mary Dryburgh and Miranda Barty-Taylor joined Deputy First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon at the launch of Cyclelaw Scotlands road safety roadshow at Govan Primary School, Glasgow. Pupils received free cycle helmets courtesy of Halfords!

Helping You...

Local Events
Our family days are a great opportunity to meet and mingle and have some fun. Our Child and Family Support Officers will be hosting and attending these upcoming events and would love to see you there! For more information or to request a space, please contact your local Officer; see the back page for contact details. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for any updates!

After a recent bout of the norovirus, my 8 month old baby had to be taken to the Childrens A&E unit at our local hospital in South Wales. As I sat waiting, I noticed the number of parents in the unit whose children had nasty looking bumps to their heads. Naturally, when babies start to move about and explore their environment, tables, TV units and fireplaces all become potential hazards. I started to think about what I would do if my baby had a bump to the head. Questions ran through my mind like; how would I know if I should go to the GP or hospital?, what symptoms should I be looking out for if the baby has a bump to the head?. Of course, you dont want to seem like a paranoid parent but on the same score you dont want to underestimate the need for medical help. The Child Brain Injury Trust is looking to address these issues by developing a brand new resource for parents and carers of babies and young children. We are hoping to create an iPhone App to help answer some of these questions and inform users of what to do if your child hits their head. We want to talk to parents to find out what information would be useful and what ideas you have to make our App a great App. We also need to make sure that it is as relevant for todays parents as possible. As well as the App, we will also be launching an information booklet which will be available through GP surgeries and hospitals. So, if you would like to help us to develop this brand new service, please send your suggestions to: rachelritter@cbituk.org We need funding to make this happen so we are also looking for interested people, businesses and or families to help us raise the money to produce this resource. With your help, we can tailor make a brand new service designed by parents for parents!

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN: end of July, date tbc

Activity Centre, Cambridge There will be outdoor activities and games, adventure activities and a picnic.

NORTH EAST: July, date tbc

Chase Park Music Festival, Whickham, Gateshead We will have a stall at this fun packed music event with lots of information and goodies and a 21st birthday cake!

NORTHERN IRELAND: Saturday 26th May

W5 Interactive Discovery Centre, Belfast, 11am to 3pm All family members are welcome to attend. Everyone will have the opportunity to explore W5 at their own pace, meeting afterwards for a packed lunch and the chance to get to know each other.

SCOTLAND: Saturday 9th June

Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho, 1pm to 5pm A combined family day, meeting of our Edinburgh youth group and celebration of our 21st birthday! There will be climbing for the over-8s and a music workshop for younger children with information and activities for parents and guardians too.