Headway is the UK’s leading brain injury charity. Their Approved Provider scheme recognises organisations delivering high quality, specialist support to people living with brain injuries. Through the expertise they offer, Headway’s scheme aims to maximise and improve the care available for brain injury survivors in the UK.
An accreditation for Headway’s Approved Provider scheme is awarded following an assessment process, appraising how care services support people living with an acquired brain injury (ABI). The process reviews the service’s quality, team, training, safeguarding, and continuous commitment to evolving brain injury expertise. It also considers how well services apply specialist brain injury knowledge in daily practice, promoting positive outcomes and continuously improving the support they deliver.
By participating, services are joining a community committed to advancing ABI care through innovation and quality, striving for constant improvement.
Across Voyage Care we have 19 services accredited with the Headway Approved Provider scheme. We pride ourselves on our participation within the scheme, so we ensure we’re delivering the best quality of care possible. For us, being Headway Approved is more than just meeting standards, it’s being dedicated to continuous improvement, so the people we support live the best lives possible.
Quality Standards Create Better Lives
When a care and support service is being assessed for a Headway accreditation, six key areas are looked at. These are culture, systems and processes, workforce development, service delivery, leadership and management, quality, and environment. Each area ensures our brain injury care is of the highest quality and follows industry-set guidelines. Together, these criteria also reflect how our services work to ensure the support they provide is holistic, empowering different areas of the people we support’s lives.
Accreditation assessments evaluate the quality of care we provide to the people we support. They look at how skilled and knowledgeable our colleagues are, the safety and positivity of our environments, and the strength of our leadership and processes.
When all areas are achieved, care is consistent and empowering, supporting each person’s independence and unique needs. When continuously reviewed and strengthened, our incredible teams are empowered to achieve meaningful outcomes and lead fulfilling lives!
Trusted, Person-Centred Care
For us, the most important part about being a Headway Approved Provider is the positive impact this has on the people we support. Being accredited under the scheme offers an additional layer of quality assurance. It provides confidence that our support teams are working in the best way possible to continuously improve the lives of the people we support.
Following a brain injury, many other people may also be involved in someone’s support, including healthcare professionals, social or legal case workers, and loved ones. For the wider support circle, a Headway accreditation offers reassurance that our care is grounded in evidence-based expertise and focuses on achieving positive outcomes. It builds trust between our teams, the people we support and their support circles. Through the Headway accreditation, everyone involved in someone’s support can be assured our care is person-centred, focused on each person’s unique needs, and promotes independence. Having that reassurance and trust empowers everyone to feel confident, supported, and aligned.
As well as looking at how our teams deliver support, Headway accreditation assessments look at the culture we nurture within our homes and how we tailor our environments to meet the individual needs, preferences, and values of each person we support.
A positive culture ensures people are treated with respect, compassion, and understanding, where individuality is valued and people feel safe to be themselves. For those living with a brain injury, feeling understood can have a huge impact on their confidence, emotions, and overall wellbeing. So, it’s important they have a nurturing, adaptive culture around them.
When the culture is right, relationships are stronger, communication is more open, and trust is grown. This creates a positive environment where the people we support feel safe, secure, and truly at home.
Recognition that builds confidence
At our accredited homes, our teams also benefit from Headway’s expert guidance, resources, and specialist expertise. Through this professional support, our brain injury support teams can enhance their skills and knowledge while building even more confidence in the incredible support they’re delivering.
Through the Headway Approved Provider scheme, our teams also receive a confidence boost through industry recognition! Each day, they’re devoted to delivering community-based support that truly changes the lives of those living with an acquired brain injury. So, an accreditation not only assures them they are working to achieve the best possible outcomes, but it also empowers them with confidence!
Our teams experience a lot with the people we support. They are an integral part of someone’s daily life. With each service that receives an accreditation, our teams are assured their support is leading the way in quality and is truly making a positive difference.
“The accreditation helps us get recognised for the hard work we put in. It showcases our knowledge and expertise around brain injury care and motivates the team to continue reaching new heights for the people we support.”
Service Manager at Woodlands, Headway accredited service
A commitment to fulfilling lives
Being approved by the Headway Approved Provider scheme matters to everyone across our organisation. It shows a shared commitment to delivering the highest quality of care and continuously improving the outcomes of the people we support.
An accreditation supports families to find the right care and the right environment for their loved ones, reassuring them they’re getting the best quality of care delivered by a skilled, compassionate team that they can trust.
And most importantly, it means the people we support receive specialist care that empowers them to lead a fulfilling life driven by independence and meaningful experiences.
Find our more about
To learn more about our specialist brain injury support, visit our dedicated web page.
Here you can read the latest news, blog posts and views from our staff, the people we support and their families at our services across the UK.
