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Acquired brain injury support · Western Sydney
Rebuilding everyday life after a brain injury
Skillwise supports adults living with an acquired brain injury across Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill, St Marys and Penrith. We help with routines, home life and community goals, working alongside your rehab and therapy team.
Over 700,000 Australians have a brain injury that limits their daily activities.
Three in every four people with a brain injury are aged 65 or under.
Source: Brain Injury Australia
Fatigue is a common and highly disabling symptom for people with a brain injury.
Source: Synapse
Understanding acquired brain injury
Understanding acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is any damage to the brain that happens after birth. It can be caused by an accident or fall, a stroke, an infection, or alcohol and drug use. Every brain injury is different, so two people with an ABI can have very different needs.
Many effects are hard to see, which is why brain injury is sometimes called a hidden disability. People often live with tiredness, short-term memory changes, trouble planning or putting tasks in order, and changes in mood or behaviour. Balance and movement can be affected too.
Clear routines, memory aids and steady support make a real difference. We start with what you can already do and build from there, whether your goal is cooking a meal, catching the train on your own, returning to a hobby or getting back to work.
Everyday life
Everyday life after a brain injury
A brain injury can change many small parts of the day at once. These are areas people often tell us about, and practical ways our team can help.
Fatigue and energy
Fatigue is common after a brain injury and can be hard to predict. We plan shifts around your best time of day, break tasks into smaller parts and build in rest, so you have energy left for what matters to you.
Memory and keeping track
Short-term memory changes are very common. We help you set up tools that suit you, like a wall planner, phone reminders, a notebook or a whiteboard by the door, and practise them until they feel natural.
Planning and getting started
Putting tasks in order or getting started can be harder. We use step-by-step checklists for cooking, shopping and getting ready, then slowly step back as you take more of the lead.
Mood and confidence
Frustration, anger, low mood or worry are common after a brain injury. We keep support calm and predictable, notice small wins and, with your consent, keep your health team in the loop if things feel harder.
Friends and social life
A brain injury can change how social situations feel. We support you to reconnect with friends, join a group or try a class, and plan outings that are not too long, too loud or too tiring.
Work, study and getting around
If work or study is a goal, we help with routines, travel and settling in. If you are not driving for now, we help you learn bus and train routes. Ask your doctor about when you can drive again.
How we help
How Skillwise supports you
Every support is planned around your goals and what your NDIS plan funds. Start with what you need now, and change it as your plan grows.
Daily routines at home
Help with standard personal care, meals and morning or evening routines, using checklists, prompts and visual schedules that suit how you think and remember. Personal care →
Building life skills
Practise cooking, budgeting, shopping and using a calendar or phone reminders. We break tasks into small steps and build on what you can already do. Daily living & life skills →
Getting back into the community
Support to see friends, join a gym or class, get to appointments or try something new, with rest breaks planned in when fatigue is a factor. Community participation →
Supported Independent Living
Shared living in a SIL home with rostered support, a steady team who know your routines, and help to run the household your way. Supported Independent Living →
Living at home
Living at home or in SIL
Many people with a brain injury live in their own home or with family and use support for set parts of the day, such as morning routines, meals, household tasks or getting out into the community. We plan visits around your energy and use the memory and planning strategies that already work for you.
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding for support workers to help or supervise you 24 hours a day, often in a shared home. The NDIS says it may suit people who need someone with them around the clock, including overnight, and help with daily activities for at least 8 of those hours. SIL is designed to build skills and independence. It cannot be used for rent or day-to-day costs like groceries, and SIL providers must be registered. Skillwise is a registered SIL provider.
Families and carers
Support for families and carers
Changes in memory, personality or behaviour after a brain injury can be confronting for families, and many people take on a caring role almost overnight. With the person’s consent, we keep you informed, include you in planning and share the routines and strategies that are working, so everyone uses the same approach.
Carers need support too. Carer Gateway is an Australian Government service that offers counselling, coaching, peer support groups and respite for carers. You can call 1800 422 737, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Tip 1
Write key routines down so every worker and family member follows the same steps
Tip 2
Keep instructions short and give one task at a time
Tip 3
Notice when tiredness builds and plan rest before it hits
Tip 4
Look after your own health and call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 if you need support
Good to know
What good support looks like
What we don’t provide. Skillwise does not provide rehabilitation or therapy, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology or neuropsychology, and we do not provide nursing or write behaviour support plans. We work alongside your rehab, therapy and health team and help you use their strategies in daily life.
- Short, clear instructions and one task at a time
- Rest breaks planned around your energy, not squeezed in at the end
- A small, steady team where possible, so you are not explaining yourself to new faces
- Workers who can speak with you and your family in your language where we can match it
Behaviour support plans. Some people notice changes in behaviour after a brain injury. If you have a behaviour support plan written by an NDIS behaviour support practitioner, our team follows and implements it as written, including any authorised regulated restrictive practices, and keeps the records the plan requires.
NDIS funding
Using your NDIS plan
An NDIS plan can have up to four support budgets. Core supports help with everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning and personal care, and with getting involved in social and community activities. People often use Core funding for the kinds of support Skillwise offers, such as help at home, household tasks, community participation and, if it is in the plan, Supported Independent Living.
Capacity Building supports are for building independence and skills, including employment supports that help you find and keep a job. Some funding is flexible and some is stated, which means it can only be used for the supports described. Every plan is different, and the NDIA decides who can access the NDIS and what is funded. We are happy to look at your plan with you and talk through which supports we can provide.
How it works
Getting started with Skillwise
Four simple steps. Bring a family member, carer or support coordinator along if you like.
1. Call or send a referral
Ring 0474 151 264 or make a referral online. We usually reply within one business day.
2. A friendly first chat
We talk about your goals, your daily routine and any health, behaviour support or mealtime plans you already have.
3. Your plan, explained
We go through your NDIS plan and service agreement in plain words, in the language that suits you.
4. Support that fits you
We match you with support workers who suit you, and keep checking in as your needs change.
Kind words
What participants and families tell us
Skillwise made our NDIS experience simple and stress-free. Their team truly listens and supports us every step of the way. I always feel my daughter is in safe and caring hands.
The Skillwise team helps me live more independently and with confidence. They are patient, respectful and always ready to assist. I’ve grown so much since joining their support program.
Skillwise staff treat me like family. They’re kind, reliable and genuinely care about my goals. Their support has made a real difference in my daily life.
Questions
Acquired brain injury NDIS support: common questions
Can’t see your question? Call us on 0474 151 264 and talk to a real person.
Can I get NDIS funding after a brain injury?
You may be eligible if your brain injury has caused a permanent disability that substantially affects everyday life and you meet the NDIS age and residency rules. Your doctor or treating team can help with evidence. If you already have a plan, we can talk through which supports fit it.
Do you provide rehabilitation after a brain injury?
No. Rehabilitation and therapy come from your hospital rehab team, private therapists or community health services. Skillwise provides daily living and community support, and we can help you practise the routines and strategies your therapists recommend.
How do you help with memory problems and fatigue?
We use tools that work for you, such as written checklists, phone reminders, calendars and visual schedules. Shifts are planned around your energy, with breaks built in and harder tasks done when you are at your best.
Can my family stay involved in my support?
Yes, if you want them to be. With your consent we can share updates, include family in planning and agree on how we keep in touch. You decide who is involved and how much.
Which areas do you cover?
We support people across Western Sydney, including Rooty Hill, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, St Marys and Penrith. Call 0474 151 264 to check if we can support you in your suburb.
Is Supported Independent Living an option after a brain injury?
It can be, if you need support or supervision 24 hours a day and SIL is funded in your NDIS plan. SIL pays for support workers, not rent or groceries. Many people prefer to stay in their own home with visits at set times. We can talk through which option fits your needs and goals.
Can my support be in a language other than English?
Yes, where we can match it. Our team speaks English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Arabic, Dari and Pashto. Tell us your preference when you call 0474 151 264 and we will try to match you with a worker who speaks your language.
Can you help me get back to work or study?
Yes, if that is your goal. We can help you practise morning routines, plan travel and settle in, working with your employer, rehab team or employment service. We also help you plan around fatigue, so work or study does not leave you with nothing left for the rest of your week.
More help
Organisations that can help
Synapse: Australia’s brain injury organisation, with information, peer support and services. Phone 1800 673 074.
Brain Injury Australia: National information and referral body for people with brain injury and their families. Phone 02 9808 9390.
Carer Gateway: Counselling, coaching, peer support and respite for carers. Phone 1800 422 737, weekdays 8am to 5pm.
Other conditions
We also support
Skillwise supports people with a range of disabilities across Western Sydney. See all conditions we support.
Supports we provide
Ten ways we can help
From daily living at home to work, community and life changes, find the support that fits your NDIS plan.
Get started
Let's talk about your goals
Call us, send a referral or drop into our Rooty Hill office. We’re open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, and our team speaks English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Arabic, Dari and Pashto.