This year, we are proud to support Action for Brain Injury Week, the annual initiative organised by the brain injury charity Headway. The campaign aims to raise awareness of brain injury, spark important conversations and highlight both the challenges and the resilience shown in the aftermath of trauma.
The 2025 theme ‘on a good day’ highlights the fluctuating and unpredictable nature of life after brain injury, and the stark contrast between what someone may be capable of on a good day compared to a bad day. The Child Brain Injury Trust, which is also backing the campaign, describes it as an opportunity to celebrate ‘the small victories, the good moments and to champion the support systems that make those moments possible’.
Nina Ramsden, Partner at Express Solicitors, has extensive experience supporting individuals living with a brain injury and their families.
To mark the week, Nina shares her reflections on this year’s theme:
Understanding and Managing Fatigue in Brain Injury Support
As Headway highlighted when launching ‘on a good day’, and from my own experience supporting clients, fatigue plays a significant role in daily life when living with a brain injury.
There is no doubt that fatigue and mood are closely linked. When an individual with a brain injury is fatigued, everything can feel more difficult. Communication may suffer, decision-making can become overwhelming, and this may lead to frustration, anger and changes in behaviour.
When fatigue is managed well, mood tends to be more stable, and the individual is better able to function, participate in daily life and maintain their relationships with family and friends.
Developing an awareness and understanding of fatigue does take time, and it’s of course, different for every individual. A good way of managing fatigue is planning ahead. For instance, if there was a social event in the diary, you would manage the days leading up to it carefully, ensuring plenty of rest and avoiding overly demanding activities.
A solicitor with an understanding of brain injuries and fatigue will be aware of how their own approach can make a difference. Often, it’s the small changes such as simplifying your communication, asking questions that don’t offer too many choices and making sure that meetings are kept short that make life easier, and less overwhelming for the client.
Similarly, when arranging medical appointments, it’s important to consider that clients with brain injuries will need to see several specialists. These appointments should be carefully spaced to avoid fatigue. For instance, a neuropsychological assessment can take a full day and be physically and mentally exhausting. It is important to prepare the family in advance and adjust plans in the days following the appointment to allow time for recovery.
Ultimately, understanding and managing fatigue is central to life after brain injury. With the right support and small, thoughtful adjustments, it is possible to reduce challenges and create more good days. Something we should all be striving for.
Creating the Right Environment for Recovery
The effects of a brain injury extend far beyond the individual and have a significant impact on the family unit.
Family dynamics, roles and responsibilities can shift overnight, and this can be unsettling for everyone involved.
I have worked on cases where families, understandably eager to return to ‘normal’ as soon as possible, have pushed for immediate and intensive rehabilitation. The family home suddenly includes carers, occupational therapists, support workers, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and a case worker.
If not managed carefully, the individual or their family, feeling overwhelmed and unhappy with the changes to the family dynamic, can reject support that the whole family requires.
In my experience, allowing for a slower, more graded approach to the introduction of therapists is usually more effective. A steady routine and a calm introduction to the different therapies available, create a consistent home environment and a strong foundation from which recovery can begin.
Everything goes back to creating an environment where more good days can happen.
Recognising the Role of the Litigation Friend
Another area I want to highlight, and in line with this year’s theme ‘champion’ is the role of the litigation friend. They are a vital part of the support system and, like the individual they assist, they too can experience both good and difficult days.
Representing a client with a brain injury demands a considerable level of understanding and compassion. It’s certainly not just another case, you work closely with the family and support system over many years, often becoming someone they can turn to for reassurance and confide in.
Every litigation friend is different. Some want to be kept up to date with every detail, while others prefer less information and more reassurance.
Often, it’s a case of signposting to additional support like a case manager, charity or counsellor. You might also help them manage particular challenges or provide practical advice.
For example, I was contacted by a litigation friend who felt powerless after the police had been in touch with concerns about the behaviour of her son who had sustained a brain injury. Among other things, I was able to direct her to Headway’s Brain Injury Identity Card, which is designed to help police and others identify and understand the individual’s condition and behaviour and provide appropriate support.
It is important that litigation friends are recognised not only for the vital role they play but also supported in it, because by championing them, we ultimately champion the individuals they stand beside.
Find Out More
We are proud to support Action for Brain Injury Week 2025. To find out more about the campaign and the important work Headway does to support individuals living with brain injury, please visit On a good day | Headway