As we move rapidly into the final month of the calendar year, it is a very busy time for Headway Cambridgeshire. We have in addition to providing our day and community service, been focussing on planning and preparing for our future. We are not only striving to maintain and improve our service delivery but to secure a long-term future that will guarantee continued and improved quality support to all our clients.

This week I chaired a meeting with the staff of Headway Cambridgeshire to discuss our vision of the perfect service model. We regularly review our service delivery and develop improvements to feed into our business plan. We will continue to canvas opinion from clients, families and carers and will be working on the business plan in more detail in the New Year.

We have also been continuing with our review of benefits and conditions for staff, focussing on issues from transport to childcare and pension issues. I have been working in tandem with the board as well as consulting staff, as Headway is keen to keep ahead of mandatory requirements and continue offering attractive employment opportunities to high calibre staff.

Mindful that an important part of our remit is to raise awareness of the issues surrounding acquired brain injury, we will once again be holding an information and advice stall at the Mill Road Winter Fair on Saturday 3 December 2011 from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm. Staff from the community team will be on had throughout the Winter Fair. This will be an equally important opportunity for us to raise funds to support our work.

The future success and quality of Headway Cambridgeshire’s service delivery is dependent on our holding and controlling suitable and up-to-date premises. To this end, we are vigorously pursuing an opportunity to relocate to premises outside the city of Cambridge that would enable us to realise our ideal service delivery model. We continue to consult with staff, clients and carers, as well as looking at transport issues. Plans are in early development and we will continue to update with more news as we progress.