What Second Chance does

Second Chance Headway Centre is a Wakefield-based therapy-led day centre that provides rehabilitation services for adults with acquired or traumatic brain injury across Yorkshire and the Humber. Founded in 1980 and operating for over 40 years, the organisation is structured as a private limited company by guarantee (company #05992718) and a registered charity (#1121645). It delivers an interdisciplinary portfolio of clinical therapies — Brain Injury Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Music Therapy, and Specialist Social Work — alongside structured activity modules (art/drama/music, cooking, memory exercises, IT/literacy/maths, communication, and physical activities). It also runs a Community Casework Service.

The business model is hybrid and charity-structured. The Casework Service is commissioned by the NHS Wakefield Integrated Care Board and delivered as part of NHS discharge pathways, functioning as a contracted managed-services revenue line. The therapy centre itself is not NHS-funded and instead relies on charitable fundraising, individual donations, community events (e.g. the Royal Charity Ball, Great North Run fundraisers), and grants — most notably funding from the National Lottery that has enabled service extension. Services are accessed via healthcare-professional referrals, NHS discharge routes, social services, and self-referrals from individuals and families.

The operation is small (23+ staff including an Operations Manager, Clinical Lead/Nurse, qualified therapists, support workers, and five trustees, supplemented by volunteers and Patrons). The headquarters occupies two adjacent buildings in central Wakefield on Almshouse Lane. The organisation is affiliated with Headway UK — the national brain injury charity network — and works alongside other regional providers (MY Therapy, Locala, LCH Neighbourhood Teams, Headway Acute Trauma Support). In November 2025 it announced a services consolidation intended to reinvest savings into programme development, outreach, and direct service-user support.

Name

Second Chance

Legal name

Second Chance Headway Centre

Website

https://secondchancewakefield.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Second Chance Headway Centre is a Wakefield-based charity operating for 40+ years that delivers therapy-led day rehabilitation and community casework services for adults with acquired brain injury across Yorkshire and the Humber, combining NHS-commissioned casework with charity-funded clinical therapies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH)

Keywords

• Brain injury rehabilitation
• Occupational therapy services
• Speech and language therapy
• Community case work
• Charitable day centre

Headquarters

HQ city

Wakefield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. NHS and Integrated Care Board Commissioning: The Casework Service is commissioned by the Integrated Care Board; services are provided in the community for the NHS as part of their discharge pathways.
2. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The therapy centre relies on charitable fundraising, donations, and grants (such as National Lottery funding) to operate. Community fundraising events include the Royal Charity Ball.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Second Chance is a therapy-led day centre that provides rehabilitation services for adults with acquired or traumatic brain injury in Yorkshire and the Humber. It delivers clinical therapies (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, music therapy, brain injury nursing, specialist social work) and a commissioned Community Case Work service, alongside structured group activities that promote independence, communication, and community reintegration.

Product overview

Second Chance is a therapy-led day centre providing a unified portfolio of rehabilitation services for adults with acquired brain injury. The offering comprises professional clinical therapies (Brain Injury Support, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Music Therapy, Specialist Social Work, and Community Case Work) delivered alongside structured activity modules (Art/Drama/Music, Cooking, Memory exercises, IT/Literacy/Maths, Communication, and Physical activities). Together these services form a holistic, person-centred rehabilitation programme designed to improve independence, confidence, and quality of life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brain Injury Support On-site brain injury support delivered by nurses who monitor and manage ongoing medical conditions, offer health advice, and provide psychological support to individuals with brain injuries and their carers.
• Occupational Therapy Helps individuals identify strengths and difficulties in everyday situations and works towards practical solutions for social activities, hobbies, work, education and daily living skills for brain injury survivors.
• Speech & Language Therapy Works with brain injury survivors to improve speech, communication effectiveness, understanding of others, and to manage breathing, eating and drinking difficulties.
• Physiotherapy Assesses movement and function problems, provides advice on improving and managing individual situations, and facilitates adaptive equipment provision for brain injury survivors.
• Music Therapy Therapeutic activities including singing groups that improve physical coordination, memory, language skills, mood, and self-esteem for brain injury survivors.
• Specialist Social Work Assesses, plans and advocates for individual needs, and provides long-term emotional and practical support to people with brain injuries and their families.
• Community Case Work Ongoing support to maximise or maintain independence at home and in the community through assessment, planning and connection to services, commissioned by the Integrated Care Board.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Headway UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Chance is affiliated with Headway, the UK brain injury charity. They are part of the Headway network and follow Headway's codes of conduct. Headway provides resources, helplines, directories (including solicitors specialising in head injury cases), approved care providers listings, and the Brain Injury Identity Card programme.
• NHS / Integrated Care BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasework Service is commissioned by the Integrated Care Board. Services are provided in the community for the NHS as part of their discharge pathways. Referrals come through NHS Wakefield CCG clinical commissioning.
• Headway Acute Trauma Support (HATS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHATS nurses may be available in hospitals to help families dealing with acute brain injury. Part of the Headway network support system.
• MY TherapysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam of community therapists and support workers working across the Wakefield district, providing local rehabilitation services.
• LocalasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit social enterprise based in Batley providing community healthcare services in the Wakefield district.
• LCH Neighbourhood TeamssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeeds Community Healthcare neighbourhood teams providing community-based therapy and support services.
• We Are WakefieldsupportingOthersLocal Wakefield community organisation partnership displayed on website.
• Mindful EmployersupportingOthersPart of the NHS Mindful Employer scheme for workplace mental health support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Different Strokes: Charity providing rehabilitation, exercise, and peer support to younger stroke survivors across the UK. Shares Second Chance's therapy-led day-service approach and brain injury survivor focus, though with a younger demographic skew.
• Headway Hertfordshire: Regional Headway affiliate delivering day services, therapy, and casework to brain injury survivors in Hertfordshire. Near-identical operating model to Second Chance as a peer Headway affiliate in a different region.
• Locala Community Partnerships: Not-for-profit social enterprise delivering community healthcare across the Wakefield and Kirklees districts. Directly comparable as a community-based provider in the same geography, with overlapping therapy services and NHS commissioning.
• MY Therapy: Community therapy team working across the Wakefield district providing local rehabilitation services. Listed as a partner of Second Chance and serves a near-identical client base with a similar therapy mix.

Broad incumbents

• Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust: NHS community provider operating neighbourhood therapy teams in West Yorkshire. Competes for the same ICB commissioning and delivers overlapping community-based OT, PT, and SLT services.
• Stroke Association: UK-wide charity supporting stroke survivors, a major subset of Second Chance's brain injury cohort. Comparable in charitable model, funding mix, and beneficiary overlap, though its remit is broader and includes prevention and research.
• The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT): Operates residential and community-based brain injury rehabilitation services across the UK. Directly comparable to Second Chance in target population and therapy mix, but operates at significantly greater scale and with residential capacity Second Chance lacks.
• Headway UK: The national umbrella charity for acquired brain injury in the UK, of which Second Chance is a regional affiliate. Headway sets standards, runs the helpline, and coordinates the affiliate network, making it the closest comparable in mission and referral infrastructure.

Regional players

• National Star: UK charity supporting young people with disabilities including acquired brain injury through residential and day services. Comparable mission and rehabilitation focus, but operating in different geographies.
• Disability Action Yorkshire: Yorkshire-based charity supporting people with disabilities including those with acquired brain injury. Operates in the same region as Second Chance with overlapping individual and family support services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/2ndchanceh_way
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-chance-headway-centre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Second Chance