BSc (hons) Community Health & Social Care, Dip Sup Health & Social Care

Melanie is a Case Manager with over 18 years of experience working with clients with physical and mental disabilities. She specialises in working with clients who have sustained an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

Melanie has extensive experience of the community health & social care sector. She has a very strong skillset in the field of ABI, which has been acquired both professionally and personally (through experience of caring for a family member with an ABI). Melanie has witnessed first-hand the devastating effect which an ABI can have upon family dynamics and it is this which enables her to approach cases with a highly informed, professional approach and a very genuine empathy.

During her career, Melanie has worked and volunteered in the legal, banking, public, private and statutory sectors.  Prior to her return to education in 2009, Melanie worked for Headway Cardiff, where she was involved in design and delivery of the pilot of the Headstart Programme, aimed specifically at younger adults with head injuries. More recently, Melanie has been involved in the scoping and launch of two new services for Headway,  ‘Headway Merthyr Tydfil’ and ‘Headway Newport’.

Melanie has sat as the Chair and Specialist Contact for Headway Merthyr Tydfil since 2011 and has been the elected Welsh Member on the Groups and Membership Committee of Headway UK since May 2014. Melanie was the Shadow Independent Member, Third Sector for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board from April 2015 to April 2016.

In 2013 Melanie used her entrepreneurial skills to launch her own company called ‘The Phoenix Project @ Vocational Rehabilitation Services’, of which she is the Director and a vocational rehabilitation coach.

In addition to being a graduate in Community Health and Social Care BSc (Hons) – Melanie’s dissertation examined the benefits of assistive technology  as a tool in enabling those with physical and mental disability to live as independent a life as possible within their own community,  Melanie has achieved a Diploma supplement and Certificate of Health and Social care from the Open University, a Certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills from University of Wales Newport, and has completed various professional development courses relating to brain injury and management of behaviours post ABI.

In summary, Melanie exhibits an impressive, in-depth understanding within the field of ABI. This, combined with her unique capacity to be able to view the process from her clients’ perspectives, equips Melanie with an impressive combination of professional and personal experience, which in turn ensures the very best opportunity for successful rehabilitation.

• Member of VRA, RCOT
• Associate Member BABICM
• DBS checked