Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with an acquired brain injury — and long after discharge, many live with effects the eye cannot see. This course teaches care and support workers what ABI is, how injuries to different brain regions change thinking, emotion, behaviour and energy, and the practical craft of support: memory and communication strategies, neuro-fatigue pacing, decoding behaviour that challenges, fluctuating capacity and insight, and the NICE red flags after any new head injury — across domiciliary care, care homes and supported living.
What this course covers
- Explain what acquired brain injury is, its main causes, and why it is called the hidden disability
- Link the brain's regions to the changes an injury there can cause — physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural
- Use practical strategies for memory, communication, fatigue pacing and routine that make daily life work
- Support behaviour that challenges by decoding it — and apply the Mental Capacity Act to fluctuating capacity and reduced insight
- Recognise the NICE NG232 red flags after any new head injury and escalate at emergency speed
How much does Acquired Brain Injury Awareness training cost?
£4 per person on Care2Learn, with no minimum order and no subscription. If your team needs a full training matrix rather than one course, a subscription at £2 per learner per month covers every course in the catalogue — see the 2026 price comparison.
Who needs it
Every setting supporting survivors of brain injury — stroke, trauma, hypoxia, tumour or infection — across domiciliary care, care homes and supported living, including teams supporting behaviour that challenges. Completion is recorded with the date taken and the date it is next due, so it appears correctly on your training matrix and can be evidenced at inspection.
What the learner receives
A certificate in their own name carrying the CPD Aligned seal, showing the completion date and the renewal date a year later, downloadable at any time. The record belongs to the learner, not just the employer — it travels with them rather than sitting in one provider's system.
Related courses
Providers usually assign these alongside Acquired Brain Injury Awareness.
- Stroke Awareness — 45 min online, £4 per person
- Epilepsy Awareness — 45 min online, £4 per person
- Positive Behaviour Support — 45 min online, £4 per person
- Mental Capacity Act — 50 min online, £4 per person
You can also browse the full catalogue, or read about the Care Certificate for staff new to care.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Acquired Brain Injury Awareness training take?
About 55 min of e‑learning, across 12 sections with 15 assessment questions. Learners can stop and resume at any point, and it works on a phone.
What does Acquired Brain Injury Awareness training cover?
By the end of the course a learner should be able to explain what acquired brain injury is, its main causes, and why it is called the hidden disability; link the brain's regions to the changes an injury there can cause — physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural; use practical strategies for memory, communication, fatigue pacing and routine that make daily life work. The full list of learning outcomes is set out above.
Is Acquired Brain Injury Awareness CPD Aligned, and how is it assessed?
Yes — the certificate carries the CPD Aligned seal. The assessment is multiple choice with a pass mark of 70%; attempts are recorded and learners can retake it. Renewal is set at 12 months from the completion date, so the course reappears on your training matrix when it is due.
How is acquired brain injury different from dementia?
An ABI comes from an event after birth — a fall, a crash, a stroke, oxygen loss, an infection — and once stable it does not progress; with neuroplasticity, gains can continue for years. Dementia is progressive. The two need different planning, different expectations and different hope, and this course covers the ABI side: the hidden cognitive and emotional effects, fatigue pacing, capacity nuances and the NICE red flags after any new head knock.
Does this count towards the Care Certificate?
No — this is a standalone course rather than one of the Care Certificate standards. The Care Certificate is available as its own guided course for staff who are new to care.
Add Acquired Brain Injury Awareness to your team
£4 per person, or included on a £2 per learner subscription.
Get started