Life and Work After a Spinal Cord Injury

SIA aims to provide spinal cord injured people with the information, support and encouragement needed when considering returning to work, education or volunteering after injury.  Please email Jamie Rhind, our Vocational Support Officer, for support.

The support we offer includes:

• Advice for you and your employer on returning to your previous employment post injury
• Helping you to consider new options on returning to work if you can't return to your previous employment
• Information on colleges that offer vocational retraining
• Contact details for further education
• Opportunities and assistance finding voluntary work
• Information about Employment Support Allowance including assistance in completing the Capacity to Work form.

SIA Academy Master Class - Options: Life and Work after Spinal Cord Injury

This is one of the SIA Master Classes which is available FREE to SCI people. The class will help you explore your various options for your life following injury, even if you’ve been injured for some time and are just beginning to want to make some changes.  More information about this and the other courses we provide can be found in the Training Section.

Vocational Support Clinics

SIA holds regular Vocational Support Clinics at a number of Spinal Injuries Centres, including Salisbury, Stanmore, Stoke Mandeville, Sheffield, Oswestry and Rookwood.  Each Clinic is staffed by an OT, our Vocational Support Officer, and representatives from organisations such as Connexions, Access to Work, etc.  They are available to give you the best possible advice for future opportunities for work, education or volunteering.

You can book an appointment to attend a Vocational Support Clinic by having a word with your OT, or by contacting Jamie Rhind on 0845 678 6633.

Work Matters

If you're interested in learning more about work opportunities, then our book 'Work Matters' is for you.  This publication is packed with useful information and advice, with chapters covering topics such as:

 'Thinking about Work'

 'Thinking about Retraining'

 'Practical help getting back to work' etc.

It also contains information on organisations such as Access to Work who can help fund travel and equipment costs as well as how going back to work might affect compensation or benefits.

'Work Matters' is No 10 in our series of booklets entitled 'Moving Forward' and costs £6.  You can read more about the book and related publications here or, to order a copy, click here to go to our Online Shop.