Hello again
 

I would like to tell you about a conference that I went to on 22 July 2010 in Birmingham. Myself and colleagues in Irwin Mitchell’s Client Liaison Team gave a presentation, mainly about our cases and the type of work that we do. We feel that we all Make A Difference  (MAD for short!) by not just arranging rehabilitation for our clients but also by acting as their advocate  ‘…to listen, take notes and help the patient communicate, understand, remember and cope with an often confusing process’.

My colleague Sue Swales from Leeds described the aims of our team:

• A specialist service offered to those who have suffered serious personal injury especially head injuries
• Ideally we are involved from the early stages of a head injury claim to help gather information to help move the claim forward
• Ensure that needs are identified and met by accessing services and support available
• Maximise the client’s experience of the legal process

Helena Bryant from Birmingham and I presented one of our cases to show that rehabilitation really does work for our clients and Caroline Trinder from London discussed the other activities we are involved in such as charity work, rehabilitation training, working with rehabilitation providers, attending conferences and setting standards. Despite all the hard work though, the job satisfaction that we receive from successfully rehabilitating our clients is tremendous!

Earlier on this month, the personal injury team in Leeds held a fundraising event to raise money for Hannah House, a respite facility which cares for children with severe disabilities during planned or emergency short break stays.  It is a fantastic place which caters for children with a variety of needs up to the age of 18 years old.

The Bollywood Ball was, I am very pleased and proud to say, a great success.  130 people attended and were treated to Bhangra drummers and dancers, sensational Indian food and a turban tying demonstration (a lot more complicated than you would think)!

As a result of ticket sales, an auction, a raffle and games that were held on the night, we raised a fantastic £10,800 and smashed our fundraising target of £10,000!
 

Hannah House will be using this money to create a sensory garden for their residents to enjoy.  Staff in the team are very eager to help with the construction of the garden and I hope that I will be able to provide further updates abut the project as it develops in the future.