A Galway-based specialist training provider is part of a groundbreaking, European-wide project to assist people with an acquired brain injury to successfully return to the workplace.
The team from Quest Brain Injury Services are working with partners in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Belgium, and Portugal, to spearhead a comprehensive report and roadmaps which will facilitate reintegration into employment for people who have cognitive impairments as a result of a brain injury.
Quest, a rehabilitative service provided by National Learning Network Galway, has provided practical supports and training for hundreds of people with a brain injury in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon for over a decade. People with a brain injury can experience a wide-range of life-altering consequences including loss of co-ordination, poor memory, diminished planning and organisational skills, as well as difficulties in communication and concentration.
Since 2020, the European Social Fund has enabled the development of the Return to Work After an Acquired Brain Injury initiative, with the primary goal of supporting both jobseekers and employees with cognitive issues as a result of a brain injury, to thrive in the workplace.
The focus of the project is to create roadmaps for vocational rehabilitation in healthcare settings while enhancing communication between people with an acquired brain injury and health and work professionals.
The project aims to produce recommendations that address the invisible consequences of an acquired brain injury, in particular cognitive impairments such as reduced attention span, impaired information processing, or lack of self-awareness. Due to the differing nature and severity of acquired brain injuries, programmes need to be specific to each person.
The team from Quest in NLN Galway are working alongside partners including Heliomare from the Netherlands, URI-Soca from Slovenia, and CPRG from Portugal and led by a team from the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, in Flanders, Belgium.
The project is anticipated to run until the end of this year when a final report will be completed.
NLN provides a range of flexible training courses for people who have experienced a setback, have had an accident, a mental health issue, an illness, injury, or have a disability and extra support needs. NLN is the largest private provider of personalised education, training, and employment services in Ireland.
To find out more about the services provided by Quest, email [email protected], contact the NLN Galway team by email at [email protected], or visit www.nln.ie
