The early stages following an injury can be the most difficult. Your family and employer may focus on your physical recovery as this is what they can see and understand. If you also have a brain injury, this can cause cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties which are generally poorly understood by the person who has suffered the injury, as well as those around them.
Returning to work may be the first situation in which an injury survivor finds they are challenged. The work environment for most people is challenging, demanding and complex in nature. It is often the first place where difficulties arise. Due to poor understanding of traumatic injury these difficulties are not always attributed to the person’s accident or injury and in some cases the injury survivor leaves their job as they cannot cope or find themselves in situations where they are no longer able to meet the standards of work required of them.
One of the most significant and commonly reported symptoms following an injury is fatigue. The impact of this is often underestimated and can be the key issue when returning to work. It is vital that fatigue is managed and that a person paces and plans their return to work according to their abilities. Fatigue needs to be managed in order to optimise cognitive performance. A person’s fatigue levels are the main determinant in outlining a graded return to work as it is essential to manage this and avoid extreme fatigue.
Another key focus of vocational rehabilitation following an injury will be to provide the employer with education about the injury survivor’s difficulties and how these can be managed and accommodated. The vocational rehab practitioner will introduce compensatory strategies to enhance their performance at work. Intervention needs to be flexible and an ongoing process to monitor the person’s performance, address any difficulties or concerns that arise for the injury survivor and the employer and to provide advice about when will be the correct time to increase work demands.
No two injury survivors will have the same needs with regards returning to work. Vocational rehabilitation is not prescriptive or a one size fits all approach.
The UK government provides Access to Work grants that can pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition. A grant can help you:
The grant is not for business start-up costs. How much you get depends on your circumstances. The money doesn’t have to be paid back and will not affect your other benefits.