Thompsons: Client Support Coordinators– Bridging the gap for those people with a Spinal Cord Injury

Suffering a spinal cord injury is a life changing event. Those close to the injured person, including husbands, wives, partners, and families, also become victims of the injury.  After the initial shock of the spinal cord injury, the injured person may decide to pursue a personal injury claim. At Thompsons we believe that rehab should be at the forefront of any personal injury and this is where Thompsons’ specialist serious injury team and their Client Support Coordinators come in.

 

A report by Royal College of Physicians, which included input from the Spinal Injuries Association - amongst other organisations - produced guidelines on rehabilitation after spinal cord injury. They suggest that the key steps for providing treatment and care for people with spinal cord injury are:

1) An understanding of the common pathophysiological consequences of spinal cord injury

2) Listening to the patient and members of their family who are often expert in managing the condition

3) Maintaining close contact with the individual's regular team/specialist spinal cord injury centre.

Thompsons Solicitors serious injuries team is made up of experienced lawyers who specialise in dealing with compensation claims following spinal cord injuries. To ensure that we observe to the above guidelines, we work with experienced and qualified Client Support Coordinators who are integral members of the team.

The Role of Client Support Coordinators

Our Client Support Coordinators have extensive clinical and social work experience in the area of spinal cord injury and other serious injuries, and therefore bring a breadth of experience and knowledge to the role.

The intention of Client Support Coordinators is to help the individual with a spinal cord injury and their family or carers navigate the turbulent waters of acute care and rehabilitation. They signpost them to available services and sources of support, and are the main point of contact until a privately funded case manager is appointed.

Our Client Support Coordinators are intended not to replace but to supplement existing social care providers. Our Client Support Coordinators bridge the gap between the first call to Thompsons Solicitors and appointing a privately funded Case Manager after proving liability in the legal case. By adopting a more proactive, holistic case management type service at an early stage, the rehabilitation outcomes are often improved and families are better supported.

Once liability is proved and interim payments can be accessed, a case manager is likely to be appointed. Interim payments will assist the spinal cord injured client and their family to pay for things like rehabilitation treatment, nursing care, adaptations, aids, and any necessary equipment that may help the person with the injury.

There is also a role for the Client Support Coordinator in cases where liability cannot ultimately be established. Our Client Support Coordinators ensure that people with spinal cord injuries, and their family, are linked in with all the available services and sources of support. 

Relatives and carers need a single point of contact they can trust and turn to when they need answers to their questions and for advice on, options around treatment, equipment and care as the injured person begins their rehabilitation journey. Client Support Coordinators are dedicated to helping people with spinal cord injuries from the moment they make contact with Thompsons Solicitors. 
 

Visit www.seriousinjurysupport.co.uk for more information about Thompsons’ Client Support Coordinators.