A SOCIAL worker who has specialised in supporting people with brain injuries has been awarded the MBE.

Jackie Burt, of Stoke Climsland, qualified as a social worker in 1985 and began her career in Plymouth with the Mental Health team at Moorhaven Hospital near Plymouth. She later joined the Neurology Team at Derriford Hospital, where a strong multi-disciplinary approach was important when working with people diagnosed with neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Tumours, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) of all kinds.

Her current work with Westcountry Case Management in Cornwall and North Devon sees her supporting people with ABI and their families with all aspects of their ongoing care and needs.

She remains committed to raising the profile and concerns of those living with brain injury – as well as passionate about highlighting new research in the field, such as the fact that brain injury is particularly prevalent among the prisoner and homeless populations.

Jackie joined the committee of the Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG) in 2007, and when BISWG gained charity status in 2009, she became a Trustee. She is now chairman of the organisation.

Set up in the early 1980s by a small group of social workers who felt that peer group support as well as specialist educational and networking opportunities were needed, BISWG gained a reputation for producing affordable, high-quality conferences, training and workshops. Jackie says that setting up the BISWG South West Support Group for professionals working in the field of brain injury is among her proudest achievements.

“The Brain Injury Social Work Group has always been about joint working. So you might have a neurologist sitting next to a support worker – we all get an idea of what the others’ work entails and we share concerns,” she said.

Jackie paid tribute to the legal teams who collaborate with BISWG, whose solicitors are extremely knowledgeable in the area of brain injury.

She also says that working alongside a patient and their family for the long-term is important to her: it’s rewarding, and something “that can’t be done within statutory services any more but happens in independent case management”.

Jackie was nominated for the MBE by the daughter of a woman she had supported, as well as by some of her colleagues at Westcountry Case Management.

“I was sent a letter by email rather than post because of COVID and at first I thought it might be a scam,” she said.

“You can’t get the medal yet and there won’t yet be a ceremony, but lots of people have contacted me and said very nice things.

“We were only allowed to tell people about the award after December 30, when it is published in the London Gazette. The next day I received post addressed to Ms Jacqueline Burt, MBE, and wondered what on earth it could be. It was a handwritten letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Bolitho, which I thought was lovely.”