The terms “neurodiversity” or “neurodivergent” is often a topic of conversation for those with a responsibility to build a diverse workforce in businesses, but what does it mean? 

The reality is that everyone is different... and there is no single way in which we should think, learn and behave.

Neurodiversity, as a concept, describes these differences and their challenges, but also strengths. Neurodivergence is a term originally attributed to sociologist Judy Singer from the 1990s, and it’s a term used to described people with neurodiverse conditions such as autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD amongst others.

• In the UK, around 15-20% of the population are thought to be neurodivergent
• In the UK, 29% of autistic adults are employed, according to 2021 data from the Office for National Statistics
• The British Dyslexia Association estimates that around 10% of the UK population is dyslexic.

65% of neurodivergent employees don’t disclose their conditions to employers out of fear of discrimination (Birkbeck’s Research Centre for Neurodiversity at Work, 2023).

This tells me that too many neurodivergent people in the workforce do not tell their employer that they need support, so managers in businesses need to be given the training and confidence to make reasonable adjustments. Furthermore, a shockingly low percentage of people with autism are in employment.

The team at Weston College and I sat down a year ago and just felt something needed to change. So what did we decide to do?

As a national SEND Centre of Excellence, the College supports over 1,000 neurodivergent students each academic year. We’re experts in this field. We spoke to local employers and asked them what they wanted us to do, and they told us.

We created a series of 1 day, informal but informative workshops a year ago, delivered by highly skilled and experienced neurodivergent and inclusion specialists working at Weston College, alongside some online 'Lunch and Learn' sessions. 7 workshops and 2 lunch and learns later, we have trained 200+ managers for local businesses to be neurodiversity confident. We’ve had law firms, construction, theatres, engineering and media businesses. The impact has seen employers make reasonable adjustments in their businesses for their staff and customers.

Puxton Park was one of the employers who attended the training, and following the workshop, introduced an access card scheme for neurodiverse and disabled visitors to aid communication of a person’s needs and act as proof of access requirements. They also now provide Ear Defenders, free of charge to visitors.

Georgina Francis, Operations Manager of Puxton Park, says: “Being an inclusive attraction has always been extremely important to us. We have worked closely with Weston College and have had the privilege of taking part in their neurodiversity training workshops. This training was enlightening and informative and opened our eyes to the opportunities and initiatives we can take part in to best support the disabled and neurodiverse communities.”

We’re not stopping there. We aim to double number of workplace managers we train in the 23/24 academic year.

We're also offering Conscious Inclusion training which will explore Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) delivered by highly experienced and specialist staff with lived experience. The one-day training supports employers to listen to voices lesser-known, as well as suggesting ways to create an improved culture of inclusion for marginalised groups in the workplace. This workshop is a must attend for anyone looking to celebrate diversity in their organisation. The workshop will deliver impactful sessions around LGBTQ+ Inclusive Language & Issues, Anti-Racism, Trauma-Informed Approaches and how to welcome Sensory Differences.

I’ll finish where I started... everyone is different.

By working together, we can raise awareness and train people to make reasonable changes and maximise the talent that we have in our region.

Employers interested in the training can contact me at lynsey.mckinstry@weston.ac.uk or visit our website here.

- Lynsey McKinstry – Business Partnership Manager & SEND Employment Co-ordinator