What does BICS do?
BICS is here for children with all kinds of brain injury who would benefit from therapeutic support close to home, to help them get back to everyday life.
Last year BICS supported over a thousand children at home, in school, at community groups or their local hospital.
BICS is key to our ambition to help every child in the UK with an acquired brain injury live the best life possible.
New challenges
To offer specialist advice and support, the team works closely with children and their parents.
Usually it starts with a phone call, followed by face-to-face visits. So you can imagine how Covid-19 made this more challenging. The team quickly adapted and, from April, offered virtual video visits to families.
Sarah, a member of our BICS team, described how she set up a consultation with a mum and her 13-year-old daughter, who had had a stroke.
Virtually face-to-face
“At first, mum was worried her daughter may struggle talking on video to strangers. The family weren’t regular laptop users, but when we suggested using WhatsApp they felt happier as they were familiar with it,” Sarah explained.
“After the call, mum was amazed how much her daughter had opened up. She told us ‘professionals haven’t spoken directly to her before’. This is exactly what makes the work of BICS so effective – and it meant we could provide resources and information, and plan this girl’s transition back to school.”
Positive outcomes
Most families have welcomed virtual visits. The BICS team now hold their own meetings online, and those with fellow professionals, so they can bring expertise together quickly.
Covid-19 has been a challenge for everyone. But the BICS team have gained valuable insights into new ways of working, that could be here to stay. As always, when it comes to children and their families, we’ll do whatever works best for them.
