The Rehabilitation Code: What It Means for You
Written by Louise Hawkley — MSc Rehabilitation (Neuro), BSc (Hons.) Occupational Therapy · RCOT & BABICM member
If your family member has been seriously injured and there is a personal injury claim in progress, you may have heard the phrase “Rehabilitation Code.” This is what it means.
What is the Rehabilitation Code?
The Rehabilitation Code 2015 is an agreement between the organisations that represent claimant solicitors and insurers in England and Wales. It sets out how early rehabilitation should be arranged and paid for in personal injury cases.
The short version: the insurer agrees to fund rehabilitation for your family member now, before the claim is settled, because getting the right support in place early leads to better outcomes. The money spent on early rehabilitation does not reduce the compensation your family member is entitled to claim later. The two things are kept separate.
Why early?
After a brain injury, the first months and years matter. The brain has a greater capacity to recover during this period, and the right rehabilitation at the right time can make a real difference to long-term outcomes. The Rehabilitation Code exists precisely because waiting until a claim is settled, which can take years, before funding any rehabilitation makes no sense for anyone.
What happens in practice
The first step is usually an Immediate Needs Assessment. A case manager visits your family member, spends time understanding their situation, and writes a report setting out what rehabilitation they need and what it would cost. That report goes to the solicitor and the insurer.
If the insurer agrees to fund the recommended rehabilitation, the case manager then coordinates and delivers it. They work with therapists, doctors, schools, care providers, and anyone else involved in your family member’s recovery.
You and your family are involved throughout. A good case manager keeps you informed, listens to your concerns, and makes sure the rehabilitation plan reflects what matters to your family, not just what looks good on paper.
What Hawkley Rehab does
We carry out Immediate Needs Assessments and manage rehabilitation programmes under the Rehabilitation Code. We are BABICM-registered and work with adult and child clients across England and Wales.
If you have questions about what to expect from the process, or if you have been referred to us and want to know more before your assessment, please get in touch.
