Read our CEOs interview in the NR Times about her winning of the Neuro Rehab Leader of the Year Award here:
NR Times speaks to Natalie Mackenzie, founder and director of BIS Services, which won the NR Times People’s Choice Award 2024, sponsored by St Andrew’s Healthcare.
Mackenzie tells us about her work supporting individuals with a wide range of conditions on their journey to recovery and improved quality of life, and BIS Services plans for 2025.
BIS Services provides specialist cognitive rehabilitation assistants who work with clients with brain injuries, now its 19th year of service.
Mackenzie is also a cognitive rehabilitation therapist, and has an online presence as “The Brain Injury Therapist,” where she provides separate services for individuals internationally.
“I run courses on topics like brain injury fatigue management, facilitate support groups, and offer various other resources. I’m based in South East London and North West Kent – an all-round brain injury geek, really, passionate about everything brain injury related,” said Mackenzie.
“Our service focuses on providing specialist cognitive rehabilitation assistance. As a cognitive rehabilitation therapist, I personally train all our rehab assistants, oversee the running of the company, and handle the marketing.
“I think the feedback we’ve received speaks volumes about the work we’re doing. It’s particularly meaningful that I have a large online community, with a private group of around 3,000 people living with brain injuries. Their support and feedback mean a great deal because it comes directly from those we’re working to help.
“In terms of the services we provide, our main organisation places specialist cognitive rehabilitation assistants within external multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). They work in clients’ homes and communities, implementing strategies and working on individual goals.
“This could include vocational or educational rehabilitation. Our assistants collaborate with external MDTs – typically speech and language therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and similar professionals. They also produce sessional reports, providing evidence of clients’ support needs, which further informs treatment and rehabilitation plans.
“Separately, in my work as The Brain Injury Therapist, I provide bespoke programmes for people internationally. Many of these clients don’t have compensation claims or access to services in their local areas. I offer group settings and courses on topics such as fatigue management and insight and awareness. Additionally, I run free support groups, facilitate weekly Q&A sessions, and foster a sense of community support.
“It’s a vital service, and we hope it has a significant and positive impact on the lives of the people we work with. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients and MDTs over the years, and I believe we’re recognised as leaders in the field.”
BIS Services mission is to improve standards in brain injury community rehab, explains Mackenzie.
Moving forward in 2025, the organisation has a number of initiatives it is set to unveil.
Having particular specialisms in ADHD and brain injury, the organisation also offers a neurodiversity service and works with individuals with Functional Neurological Disorder, which will be expanded in 2025.
The organisation is also planning on expanding into the North West and will expand its Independent Living Trial (ILT) assessments by packaging the assessments and integrating them into teams to gather evidence of support needs.
“We’ve also been working on some internal charity projects and, excitingly, we’re launching our own research into the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation this year,” said Mackenzie.
“The goal is to determine the optimal level of cognitive rehabilitation support required to achieve the best outcomes. Essentially, we’re investigating whether there’s a specific amount of intervention that leads to optimal goal attainment.
“We’ve put together a dedicated research team, and we’ll be presenting our plans at several research conferences throughout the year.
“Last year, we hosted a Pregnancy and Parenting Conference as part of our commitment to improving standards across the board – not just in cognitive rehabilitation but in other areas of brain injury rehabilitation too. We’ve been running specialist conferences on various topics within the field, and we plan to continue those efforts.
“In terms of our North West expansion, we’re likely to be based around Liverpool, which will allow us to cover Manchester and extend into Cumbria and the North East, as services like ours are much needed in the area.
“We’re incredibly excited about these developments.”