Employment after severe head injury: do the Manpower Services Commission schemes help?

This paper describes the use of Manpower Services Commission (MSC) employment rehabilitation schemes by a series of severely head injured people. Most of those who achieved employment did so without making use of MSC schemes. A majority of those using MSC schemes remained unemployed at last follow-up. Those attending MSC schemes were more likely to have been in education at the time of injury. Some of those previously in work used schemes, but only after they had already failed at work or had had a long period out of work. MSC schemes may fail to meet the needs of the head-injured because many are too short or use is made of them at too long an interval after the injury. They do not cater well for special training and the flexible approach that is necessary for successful employment rehabilitation of those suffering from brain injury. The priority is for training schemes that can be carried out within the workplace and for support and incentives to employers to help head-injured people return to their previous work.