Practical Support

The journey towards neurological recovery and the rehabilitation process is often a lengthy and erratic one. No two journeys are the same. Often the process involves a mix of small improvements, significant advances, stalling (plateau-ing) and/or backward steps; which for the family can be difficult to deal with. When combined with the emotional trauma you have already faced, this can cause a huge ripple effect across the family unit. For example you may find you are unable to offer other siblings the help and support that they need; or you may find it difficult to keep up with the housework.

Whilst other family members may help out in the beginning, there often comes a point when this has to end. This often has a negative impact on the psychological and emotional well- being of both parents and other family members. In turn this can affect normal household routines and it can become easy to ‘let things slip’; which then further exacerbates family pressures and stress.

At MATRIX we aim to support families and minimise family stress and tensions. Our volunteer scheme will therefore offer practical help and support around the home to help you keep on top of other day-to-day tasks, should you feel this is necessary. Speak to your family support team to discuss any further needs you may have and how we can help.


"With support parents cope better so the child has a better recovery"
Andrea Palacio-Navarro; Spain
"Rehabilitation interventions can lead to positive outcomes for children and their families if delivered in the familiar home environment and applied to everyday situations"
Cerebra; United Kingdom
"Case management for children and young people post acquired brain injury is 'pivotal' to successful outcomes and must be local"
Deborah Andrews; New Zealand
"Families need to be properly supported as 'resilience' is key to delivering successful outcomes for children and young people."
Roberta De Pompeii; USA
"When different organisations assess different aspects of a child's neuro-rehabilitation needs, everyone looks at things from a different perspective and have conflicting priorities"
Cathy Jonson; Rehab without Walls; United Kingdom.
"Intensive and individualized approaches work. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't. You have to make it relevant to the child."
Recolo; United Kingdom
"We need to harness the power of brain plasticity for treating children and young people with brain injury, especially at the key ages of 0-3 and at ages 10-16"
Professor Bryan Kolb; Canada
"Taking brain injured children home causes high stress for families. Disjointed services exacerbate family stress levels."
Deborah Andrews; New Zealand
"We would like to see earlier identification and support for children with brain injuries to help them succeed in school."
Dalton Leong; Chief Executive of the Children's Trust
"When someone has a brain injury, early access to local, specialist rehabilitation is crucial to ensure the maximum recovery and make significant savings to the state in health costs"
Headway; United Kingdom

OUR MISSION: To work to remove inequalities for children & young people affected by acquired brain injury; and provide effective support to their families that makes a real difference to their lives.

Council for Disabled Children Community Funded Charity Excellence Lottery Funded Youth Foundation BBC CiN