We are a multi-disciplinary team with specialist knowledge and expertise in children and young adults’ under the age of 20 acquired brain injuries. Our team includes a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, educational psychologist and behaviour and psychological therapies specialist.
We help children and young people under the age of 20 experiencing difficulties in the following areas:
We specialise in addressing cognitive, emotional, behavioural, physical and communication difficulties and the relationship between these areas.
We provide a detailed assessment to children or young adults with an acquired brain injury to help them achieve their full potential and we support their local team, family and school or college by providing practical solutions and recommendations to help them plan for the future.
Where your appointment takes place depends on what would be most beneficial. The various options include:
The length of the assessment is dependent on the needs of the patient. It will take place over the course of one or two days, and the timetable will be planned around you and your needs.
We start with introductions to the team, and you and your family have the opportunity to share your expectations and any areas of difficulty you're currently experiencing. We then plan a timetable to ensure you see the relevant members of our team.
At the end of your assessment, our team will meet with you and your family to discuss results, recommendations, and a plan. This may include referrals to other services at Chailey Heritage Clinical Services.
A detailed report will be sent to you and your GP and any other healthcare professionals within a month of your assessment, and we will liaise with your local team, school or college regarding our recommendations.
It is important to bring any equipment you are currently using, including seating, communication books or aids, plus any switches, joysticks or other access systems.
It would also be helpful to bring a sample of current schoolwork.
We will ask for copies of recent reports from the local team before your appointment and we might want to speak with them or email them if we have permission to do so.
Who you'll see is dependent on your needs. You will meet a combination of the following specialists (a maximum of 3 per clinic):
Members of the local young person/young adult team will be involved from the point of referral and will often attend the appointments this is discussed with the families and our staff will make contact.
We can arrange a meeting with your school, college or local team. Funding will need to be agreed before we can proceed.
If the team think you would benefit from ongoing rehabilitation, we will contact your commissioner to discuss the best way to meet your needs. You will receive a report of the outcome, when confirmed/denied funding is in place our team will then make contact with families to discuss the decision.
Any recommended equipment is not funded or supplied through the clinic as it is assessment only.
The report contained a wealth of information. It was clearly written and provided a framework for discussing his needs with his parents.
It was particularly helpful that during the assessment she was seen by so many different therapists and a wide range of skills were assessed.
We accept referrals from community paediatricians or therapists, hospital clinicians, and child and adolescent neuropsychiatrists.
We accept referrals from any area but if your GP is located outside of Sussex we will require funding to be obtained before acceptance.
You can also get involved by engaging with our service's social media accounts by helping with the latest fundraisers and events.
If you need advice about our services, facilities or staff, or would like to make a comment, please contact Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS).
You can contact PALS by the following:
Tell us what you think about our services, what we are good at, where we can improve, and what matters to you? All feedback will be shared anonymously wherever possible, but if you have any questions about this, please ask.
