Specialisms
- Traumatic and acquired brain injury in adolescents and adults (age 16+).
- Challenging behaviours.
- Associated orthopaedic and fracture injuries.
- Associated mental health issues.
- Associated vocational rehabilitation.
- Associated visual impairment/loss.
- Associated spinal cord injury.
Clinical Currency Statement
As at October 2024, I am engaged in the role of Brain Injury Case Manager for COOCI Associates LLP for an average of 78 hours per month.
Signed
Specific Injuries Experience
Nicole has significant experience in managing the ongoing care needs of adults suffering from traumatic and acquired brain injury of all severity levels. She carries a caseload of complex Case Management clients, so also has an in-depth understanding of the litigation process.
She is adept in managing the challenging cognitive and behavioural needs of a client in conjunction with the often complex family dynamics surrounding them.
Nicole is comfortable commenting on the associated injuries that can often accompany brain injury. She has worked with many clients who have sustained severe orthopaedic injury, and supported those with significant psychological issues.
Employment Profile
Nicole qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1995 and has worked for 25 years as a specialist neurological OT within Australia and the UK. She has considerable practical experience in intensive care, acute hospital wards, inpatient rehabilitation units and community environments, and she has delivered specialised OT assessment, treatment, care co-ordination, review and discharge planning to complex clients with acquired brain injury.
Nicole also has many years’ experience as a Rehabilitation Needs Assessor and Case Manager for Suffolk PCT for complex clients, as well as over 12 years’ leading and supervising clinical teams of medical, psychology, social work and therapy professionals of a university, inter and multidisciplinary nature. She has experience as a researcher in the acquired brain injury field and completed a clinical research fellowship with Cambridge University.
Nicole became a Case Manager with Unite Professionals Ltd in 2012, moved to CA Case Management Ltd in 2020 before joining COOCI in 2024. She has become highly skilled in the assessment of complex cases with newly acquired brain injury, to ascertain an appropriate rehabilitation and care pathway for the client and their family. This allows her to effectively case manage to ensure smooth transition between acute, rehabilitation and community integration phases.
Nicole has been the National Speaker at Oliver Zangwill Study Day ‘But there’s nothing on the scan!’ Understanding and managing mild TBI – does it require specialist neuro rehab? A case manager’s perspective on assessment, management and treatment’. She was also the Guest Speaker at Society for Research in Rehabilitation Conference on CLAHRC research – ‘What makes a client with an acquired brain injury living in the community complex, and can a screening tool correctly identify different levels of complexity?’
Nicole attended Courtroom Skills Familiarisation in 2020 with Inspire MediLaw.
Qualifications and Membership
- BSc Occupational Therapy, University of Queensland, Australia (1995).
- British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT).
- Member of Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Royal College of Occupational Therapy – Specialist Section – Neurological Practice (RCOTSS-NP).
- Member of the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers (BABICM).
- Case Management Society UK (CMSUK).
Career History
Present
Care Expert Witness
Jacqueline Webb & Co Ltd
Present
Brain Injury Case Manager
COOCI Associates LLP
2020-2024
Brain Injury Case Manager
CA Case Management Ltd
2012-2020
Brain Injury Case Manager
Unite Professionals Ltd
2007-2014
Service Clinical Lead – Deputy Manager and Specialist Occupational Therapist
ICANHO – The Suffolk Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre
2012-2013
NIHR – CLARHC Clinical Fellowship
University of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust Research Fellow in Adult Acquired Brain Injury Theme NIHR – CLARHC Clinical
2010-2012
AHP Associate Tutor
University of East Anglia
2002-2007
Specialist OT, Community Rehab Team
ICANHO – The Suffolk Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre
Publications
Presentations:
Oliver Zangwill Study Day ‘But there’s nothing on the scan!’ Understanding and managing mild TBI – does it require specialist neuro rehab? A case manager’s perspective on assessment, management and treatment’.
Society for Research in Rehabilitation Conference on CLAHRC research – ‘What makes a client with an acquired brain injury living in the community complex, and can a screening tool correctly identify different levels of complexity?’
Contributor to BSRM: ‘Vocational assessment and rehabilitation for people with long term neurological conditions: recommendations for best practice 2010’.