October is ADHD Awareness Month with the 2024 theme of ‘Awareness is Key’.
In honour of the awareness month, Leeds Mindful Employer Network is highlighting a free new resource by the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and Touchtone. The resource is designed to help with identifying workplace reasonable adjustments for Autistic people and people with ADHD/AuDHD. There are versions for both employees and employers.
In this blog, Rhiannon Oliver, (Touchstone, Co-production Coordinator for the NHS West Yorkshire Neurodiversity (Autism and ADHD) review) outlines in detail how and why the resource has been produced, and how it can help with workplace wellbeing.
“One of the major themes that came out of the West Yorkshire Neurodiversity Program deep dive, and much of the work since, has been employment for Autistic people and people with ADHD.
Many of our stakeholders with lived experience reported that a fundamental lack of understanding about neurodiversity from most employers and a lack of flexibility in the workplace meant that stress, burnout, not passing probationary periods, and feeling depressed about work were commonplace.
Many people who wished to work felt they could not work or could not retain employment because their needs as a neurodivergent person were not met.
Most people were aware that they were entitled to reasonable adjustments but were unsure what they could or should ask for. A common scenario would be that their employer would ask ‘what do you need’? (without offering suggestions) and the employee would either not know what might help, or be anxious that what they needed would be considered unreasonable and so didn’t feel confident enough to ask it.
Lots of people said that they wished there was a ‘list to choose from’. This inspired the coproduction of the ‘menu’ of options featured here. They were pulled together via a series of online and in-person workshops which were designed and delivered by neurodivergent people. Within these workshops, we explored what could work or has worked for neurodivergent people in the workplace.
We took the decision to make ‘twin’ documents for employees and employers with the same content based on their differing experiences. We also stuck to guidance that would be applicable to a broad range of jobs. The list is not exhaustive, but we hope it can help neurodivergent colleagues to explore the possibilities around reasonable adjustments.
With this neuro-inclusive recruitment in mind, we supported the compilation of a toolkit for the West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership’s Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme Website. Again, taking the approach of tailoring content and tone to the audience, the toolkit has two sections; one aimed at existing staff, students and prospective applicants, and one aimed at managers. It contains information and resources such as supporting neurodivergent staff, taking care of your wellbeing at work and a directory of relevant support organisations. The content of the toolkit was coproduced through the workshops and with NHS professionals. This toolkit will be located at Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism programme workforce :: Workforce Transformation (wypartnership.co.uk)
We’ve also developed a series of videos featuring our neurodivergent colleagues working across the WY Partnership, talking about their experiences at work and the reasonable adjustments that have support them to thrive at work. The videos are available at Supporting neurodivergent people at work :: Workforce Transformation (wypartnership.co.uk) “
Thank you so much to Rhiannon for contributing to this blog.
Download the version for workplaces: Autism, ADHD and AuDHD at work: A Guide for Employers
There is also a version for individuals. Download Autism, ADHD and AuDHD at work: A Guide for Employees
There is also a video available, which explains what reasonable adjustments might look like at work for Children and Young People.
