ORCID

Abstract

Summary: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a major cause of death and disability. Due to the impact of ABI on an individual’s and a family’s functioning, social workers are likely to encounter individuals and families affected by the condition. The study aimed to, 1) identify the existing level of knowledge and skills of social workers in working with individuals with ABI and their families 2) examine the training needs of social workers to improve their knowledge and skills in working with those with ABI. A series of semi-structured interviews with newly qualified social workers (6), brain injury specialist social workers (9), team leaders (2) and commissioners (3) were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The data highlighted that social workers in England and Wales have no formal training around ABI but felt there was a need for different levels of training and guidance for social workers. Participants also discussed the need for better integration with health care and a greater focus on relational working to enact positive change for individuals and families. Applications: Social work training should be embedded within pre-qualification training with additional post-qualification training where appropriate. Work and training within social work should take an interdisciplinary approach. The authors have taken the data to develop a freely available online training programme for social workers.

Publication Date

2026-01-21

Publication Title

Journal of Social Work

ISSN

1468-0173

Acceptance Date

2025-12-08

Deposit Date

2025-12-12

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), reference number NIHR202980.

Download

Share

COinS