Spinal Injuries Association

Our aim is to reach everyone with a spinal cord injury, to tackle whatever barriers they face, and to connect them to all the help and support they need to flourish in their lives, in the way they want and choose.

What we do

Every two hours, a person’s life is changed when they sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI). Their world – and that of their family – is turned upside-down. Spinal cord injury can be caused by accidents, illnesses and health conditions.

Our NHS helps put newly injured people on the road to rebuilding their lives; we guide them throughout the rest of the journey.

Our holistic approach to supporting people who are spinal cord injured and their loved ones means we provide the time, expertise and connections essential to making pathways towards a fulfilled life.

Practical support

Life with SCI can look different to that led before injury. Our careers, relationships and even our homes might change. And this isn’t to say that has to be a negative. Essential to getting through the changes is the support of people who have been there before and understand what you’re going through. That’s why our support coordinators are here to support newly injured people even before hospital discharge.

Our team of support coordinators can advise on everything from employment, travel, accessibility, housing, finances and more. They can also refer on to more appropriate services if they are unable to help with certain needs or enquiries.

Our team of SCI clinical specialists, which includes nurses and an occupational therapist, ensure every person with SCI gets the very best care wherever they receive it. The team can advise people with SCI and their loved ones on clinical care, such as bowel and bladder management and skin care, and can help create vitally important documents, such as the potentially life-saving emergency care plans.

Our free SCI specialist counselling service supported just under 100 people living with SCI in 2023/24

The team also shares its many years of SCI specialist knowledge with other healthcare professionals and people working with people with SCI to ensure all receive the treatment and care needed to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

We are COMPASSIONATE… in our response to everyone who comes to us for help.

We are INCLUSIVE… not just in who we support and who works for us, but how we work.

We are COURAGEOUS… bringing our passion, knowledge, skills and commitment to everything we do.

And we are COLLABORATIVE… forging an ever-stronger movement of people and organisations.