SIA believes that the best support for spinal cord injured people comes from their peers.  For this reason, the majority of our services are delivered by spinal cord injured people who share their lived experiences for the benefit of newly injured people. 

Peer Advice Service

If you are newly injured, and are being treated at a Spinal Cord Injuries Centre in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can make contact with SIA's spinal cord injured Peer Advice Service.   We have Peer Advisers working at the Spinal Injuries Centres who can talk with you to share your concerns, answer your questions on living with SCI, and source information for you on a wide range of topics. 

Community Peer Support - support in District General Hospitals and the Community

If you're not being treated in a Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, but in a general hospital or other non-specialist environment, help is at hand with the aid of SIA's Community Peer Support Service.  The Service provides one-to-one support, practical help and advice, encouragement and a listening ear.  It also provides help for family members and friends by allowing them to talk through the impact of such an injury with someone who understands and who can signpost them to sources of help and support.

Vocational Support Service

As part of our Vocational Support Service, SIA holds Employment Clinics at many of the Spinal Cord Injuries Centres.  At the Clinic, you can discuss your future education, employment or volunteering opportunities with dedicated employment specialists, including SIA's own spinal cord injured Vocational Support Officer, Jamie Rhind.

Your Voice Training

Knowing your rights is at the heart of getting what you need to live your life successfully.  If you've ever been frustrated by bureaucracy, come up against a brick wall when dealing with your local service providers, or been left feeling frustrated and angry by unhelpful or unco-operative people, then this course is for you!

Your Voice courses are held at various Spinal Injuries Centres around the country and all our trainers are themselves spinal cord injured. Click here for details of this and other forthcoming courses.

Advocacy Service

Advice Line staff can assist people to represent themselves when dealing with complaints about poor treatment or inaccessible services. The additional weight of a national organisation like SIA can help progress matters to bring about a positive outcome for you.  To find out more, click on the the Advice Line pages of this website, or email Joy and Ray at adviceline@spinal.co.uk