Charity Cerebra is bringing a toolkit and workshops that have proved successful in England and Wales to Scotland

A service which aims to give young people with brain conditions guidance on how to gain vital support has been introduced in Scotland.

Cerebra has been running workshops across England and Wales which help families who have a child with a brain condition.

And now the sessions - which help participants access support services that they are legally entitled to - are being brought to Scotland. Issues addressed in the workshops include disabled home adaptations, residential placement and school transport.

The charity has also created guidance that identifies the common legal problems that prevent Scottish families getting access to services and to find ways of solving those problems.

Brain conditions include (but are not limited to) autism, ADHD, Down’s syndrome, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and developmental delay.

Cerebra’s deputy head of research and information Beverley Hitchcock said: “One challenge that parents have told us that they struggle with is dealing with statutory agencies in relation to the provision of health, social care and education support services.

“We listened to this concern and have funded research to explore practical and effective ways of resolving the commonly occurring problems families face when dealing with public bodies. As a result we produced our accessing public services toolkit and started running workshops alongside our toolkit.

“Following on from the success of both the toolkit and accompanying workshop, the toolkit has been adapted so that it is relevant for families who have a child with a brain condition who live in Scotland.”

The charity has held three workshops in Dumfries, Stranraer and Glasgow and is looking to connect with other groups that would be keen to be involved in hosting sessions. For more information, contact Beverley Hitchcock on [email protected]