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Safeguarding people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) requires not only knowledge of safeguarding practice and procedures, but also the implications of a brain injury. This paper provides an introduction to the nature and impact of TBI upon individuals and their families. Drawing on anonymised case material and practice experience, it explores how the sequelae of TBI, in particular cognitive, emotional and behavioural changes can produce potential safeguarding issues. The person with TBI's potential vulnerability to different forms of abuse is then considered and the relevance of the legislative framework explored. The paper then summarises key points for safeguarding practice in this complex field. It concludes by emphasising that gaining knowledge of how TBI impacts on individuals and their families is essential to understand their risk of abuse. In doing so, it also highlights that simplistic dichotomies between victim and perpetrator can ignore the complexity of the interactions in which safeguarding occurs.

This paper explores the unique blend of social, emotional and practical issues faced by family members of people with Huntington's disease (HD), highlighting how social workers can provide support. It is based on doctoral research into the experiences of carers of people with Huntington's disease. This was a qualitative study of 31 participants in single semi‐structured interviews, using a grounded theory methodology.After a brief introduction to Huntington's disease, the focus shifts to how Huntington's disease impacts on family members from pre‐diagnosis to death. The discussion then considers how practitioners could assist at various stages in this process. As well as providing practitioners with an insight into carers' experiences, the paper highlights how social workers can ameliorate some of the impacts on their relationships. The paper concludes that services' preoccupation with the practical and emotional burden of caring neglects the social relationships that form the context in which illness and disease are experienced and meanings are generated. The sense that is made from a situation has a significant impact on the degree to which people feel able to continue to care.