 Some employers may shy away from this subject of providing adjustments for staff and if they do, this is usually due to a lack of awareness…both in terms of ‘what to do’, why they need to do this (from a legal perspective) and in terms of how cost effective and beneficial this can be in the longer term for everyone involved.  Often there is a lack of clarity and when clear processes are not in place there is the potential for negative consequences for both the employing organisation and for the staff they employ. Sadly, there are countless individuals struggling with work-tasks, especially at the current time, and many do not feel safe to speak out and seek support. However, there are those individuals who, when they have spoken out and tried to access support, they’ve found their employing organisation doesn’t take any action. Shocking though it may be, as a consequence of speaking out, some individuals report thereafter experience being bullied and being overlooked for promotion etc.  This situation just isn’t good enough. People shouldn’t be fearful of speaking out and we need to remove the barriers to inclusion within their work environments - going further than physical and cultural inclusion. All employing organisations need to understand that whether to provide workplace adjustments or not – is a must and not an option.  A useful way forward with this could be for us to raise awareness of the potential benefits to the ‘bottom line’ (the money factor) if tailored workplace adjustments are provided. Taking this perspective is more likely to get the attention of those who are more focused on the ‘business needs’ than they are on the potential impact on their colleagues. Taken from Access to Work (Dept. for Work and Pensions, UK) statistics 2017/2018 and *quoted by the British Dyslexia Association in their report ‘Showcasing the ND Workplace) the cost of ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ was a maximum of £3,121 and for many individuals it was less than this.  When we focus on the benefits of retaining an ‘established’ member of staff there is likely to be increased *‘productivity - up to 15%; increased standard of service levels to customers leading to increased sales; reduction in turnover; reduced recruitment costs (min £12,000) and retention of knowledge capital (how things get done, organisational memory, discovery and learning)’. Taking this ‘cost benefit analysis’ into consideration…along with what can be learnt from the increasing number of legal cases where organisations have found themselves culpable (‘on the wrong side of the law’) for not providing ‘reasonable adjustments’ – surely things will change for the better.  Providing tailored workplace adjustments for those who need them within the workplace can be a ‘win-win’ for both the business and the individual.
However, to be tailored and effective the workplace assessment should ideally be carried out by someone knowledgeable who takes time to consider both the challenges and the strengths of the individual. If you would like to know more about training and qualifications for workplace needs assessment for neurodiversity in the workplace, more information can be found by clicking Here.  One of the things that we are noticing now is the proliferation of free training around hot topics. For example, Neurodiversity is now being talked about by everyone and, on the surface of it, this is great because it is helping to generate interest and awareness. However, what is not so great is the quality and perspectives of some of what is being shared - with us seeing ungrounded non-research-based opinions being delivered as ‘training!’. In addition this, 'lived experience' is increasingly being held up as the gold standard for delivering training around a particular subject but I'd ask... 'When we go to see a doctor for help do we expect them to have 'lived experience' of our condition?' In this situation what we are looking for, and expect, is confidence in the fact that they are suitably qualified and have an understanding of the subject to equip them in providing us with accurate, useful information and equipped to guide us towards further investigation and support if required. We believe this is true for training as well. Whilst 'lived experience' is extremely valuable, the important thing is that the individual delivering the training understands the topic, has researched it well and is able to deliver comprehensive, accurate information in a way that helps their audience move forward with their understanding - rather than sharing from a purely from a personal, though sometimes valuable, perspective! We would say, when you looking for training providers it can be useful to find those who offer accredited training - and look at their 'track record'.  So, what does accredited training bring you? Credibility and assurance Training that has been constructed and accredited means that it has stepped through several quality assurance hoops. These are designed to make sure that the training has met the goals that it has set out to meet. This should give you confidence that the time you spend is going to be worthwhile and useful. Qualification Accredited training courses often come with qualifications these give you an opportunity to show your learning and to build networks with like-minded individuals who have a similar level of understanding. Oversight With accreditation comes oversight which means there is a route of accountability around the quality of what is been delivered. It also means that there is a responsibility on the training provider to make sure what has been delivered is still up-to-date and continues to meet the needs set out. Professional understanding Accredited training looks at the subject from more than one perspective examining the available body of evidence. It still gives insight from individual perspectives but what is key here is the macro picture of what is going on as this will enable you to understand the subject better and be able to make your own decisions about how you apply what you are learning.  It's not just about the content! Accessible delivery The final element to consider is the accessibility of the training, are learners being catered for, is delivery appropriate to their needs. This is often a requirement of accredited training programs, and I would encourage you to always ask how the training programme will cater to different learning preferences. If you are seeking training in a particular area, I would encourage you to assess what it is going to give you – and take a look beyond the ticket price of the training. Something may seem like excellent value on the surface because it is free but when you look at what is included it may not offer you what you are expecting. The other, and probably the most important thing, to consider is that your time has a value and if you choose to spend it somewhere that does not give you the benefits you expect In addition to this, there may be added costs and implications in the future for you and your organisation if training is not accurate, comprehensive and useful.
If you would like to find out more about accredited neurodiversity-related training and what it can do for your organisation, please get in contact. Nathan Whitbread (The Neurodivergent Coach) Associate - Right Resources Limited Right Resources Limited are pleased to announce we now provide an inclusive online experience to enable website visitors to access online content and information on our specialist support services and accredited training... barrier-free.  Our website visitors are now able to access a wide range of accessibility and language support tools to customise their digital experience through Recite Me assistive technology. Being able to offer an inclusive experience is essential to support over 20% of the population who may encounter barriers when exploring our website due to having a disability, learning difficulty, visually impartment or if they speak English as a second language. The Recite Me assistive toolbar on both our Right Resources website and our Neuroinclusive Practice dedicated website and includes screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, customisable styling options an on-demand live translation feature that boasts over 100 languages including 35 texts to speech and styling options. The internet can be an incredibly intimidating place and we are keen to help remove barriers and provide the tools to help make your experience with us be as accessible and neuroinclusive as possible. Once you've tried it out, we'd love to hear what you think. Janette Janette Beetham - Workplace Consultant - Dyslexia and Neurodivergent Conditions.  A brief history of the Accredited Dyslexia Champions™ The Dyslexia Champions™ training & accreditation programme was launched in 2017 at Imperial College London. The programme was designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills to enable them to listen, inform and guide their neurodivergent colleagues towards specialist support. These volunteers provide a place of ‘safety’ where individuals can speak about work-related challenges and find out what screening and support might be available to them …and therefore enable them to make informed decisions. Imperial College London already had a comprehensive process of support in place which staff could access via the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Centre (EDIC) however it was found that people were delaying accessing this, fearful it could have a negative impact on their career progression etc. Therefore, the role of an Accredited Dyslexia Champion – the knowledgeable, qualified and impartial first point of contact, who could provide some initial ‘First Aid’ (hints and tips), was seen to be an important addition to the overall support process. There are now Accredited Dyslexia Champions in a number of organisations, including Barts Health NHS, Alder Hey NHS Trust, UCL, UNISON… all making a real difference in terms of psychological safety and helping to ensure people do not struggle in silence.  We (Right Resources Limited UK and the Accredited Dyslexia Champions) are proud to have been short-listed in the Neurodiversity category of the Employer’s Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) Awards 2019 – (with Right Resources Limited UK being the only ‘support provider’ shortlisted alongside 4 major employing organisations). This I believe is testament to the value of this role.  In their training the Accredited Dyslexia Champions cover the following subjects; dyslexia and neurodivergent ‘conditions’ from a workplace perspective, wellbeing related to this, legal considerations, what a process of support might look like and listening skills. We use blended learning with two workshop days, 3 webinars and two sessions of one to one mentoring during the personal study period when they complete an OCN Level 2 assignment entitled Neurodiversity - pathways to support. Thank you to all the Accredited Dyslexia Champions - you are making a real difference in helping to ensure neurodivergent colleagues feel supported …and encouraging your workplaces to become neuro-inclusive.
 You may have already heard something about the role of an Accredited Dyslexia Champion – about them being; approachable, knowledgeable and impartial work colleagues who, following their training about neurodivergent ‘conditions’ in the workplace, are qualified to provide foundation information and signposting. However, with the next training programme fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share a couple of examples of the great work some of these, now qualified individuals, are doing – not just making it safe to talk about challenges with worktasks and providing foundation information, but helping ensure their employing organisations are more able to ‘tap into’ and utilise any latent potential within a neurodiverse workforce. The first example is an Accredited Dyslexia Champion, who works in an equality and diversity role within an organisation employing over 7,000 staff. He realised after undertaking the training that there was no clear process of support within his employing organisation. On investigation it was found that what people could access and how well (and appropriately) they were supported was very ‘hit and miss’, depending on who they spoke to and where they were located. The Accredited Dyslexia Champion was instrumental in bringing together a number of key members of staff, who had been doing their best to provide information and guidance – yet were not themselves qualified in this, and he helped facilitate a collaborate approach to producing a comprehensive, accessible process. This process, based on what the Accredited Dyslexia Champion was able to share with the group, now helps ensure staff are able to access appropriate support and, when on this ‘journey’, each individual can expect to receive the same level of service. The second example relates to someone who is a Union Learning Rep working within an NHS organisation. She herself shares several really useful examples of how being an Accredited Dyslexia Champion has helped people access support and how she has been able to offer guidance to line managers related to need to implement ‘reasonable adjustments’ as recommended within a workplace needs assessment. This particular individual was also an extremely valuable contributor to a recent NHS dyslexia/neurodiversity network learning event I had the pleasure of being involved in. During the event I did an online presentation and Q & A and then the Accredited Dyslexia Champion did a follow up activity with the group to discuss what their ‘next steps’ might be following what they had learnt in the session. As a result of her involvement, a number of NHS organisations are now actively moving forward on their journey to help make their workplaces more dyslexia/neurodivergent-aware organisations. When asked what they had learnt from attending the network event in their group discussions these are some of their key points they listed:
Delegates on the Dyslexia Champions™ training & accreditation programme come from a cross section of organisations and these individuals undertake a range of different roles. These are just two examples of the positive impact these individuals are now having within workplaces. I will share more in future posts. Regardless of where they currently work…and the role they do, every one of them has given feedback stating how valuable this training has been to them and to their organisations. If you’re interested in becoming an Accredited Dyslexia Champion and becoming a catalyst for positive change within your organisation you can find more information here. I look forward to hearing from you.
Janette Janette Beetham – Founder Dyslexia Champions™ Staff Dyslexia & SpLD Consultant – Imperial College London  Bandwagon. We’ve recently seen an increase in the number of people talking about neurodiversity and at long last this is beginning to get the attention it deserves. However, accompanying the increased awareness it would appear we are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are simply seeing this as a business opportunity which I believe is a less than helpful situation ...not least because if people are brave enough to speak out and seek support we should ensure the information and support they are provided with is appropriate and of the highest quality. As well as seeing this increase in people ‘getting on the band wagon’ as a business, I believe there is also a degree of confusion over what the word actually means. The lack of clarity has prompted me to write this post because in this situation when seeking support services etc there is the risk of taking a provider ‘on face value’ and we may commission someone without really checking their credentials, which may result in getting either incomplete or inaccurate information and guidance.  So, firstly let’s look at what the word neurodiversity actually means and then look at the current use of the word. The word neurodiversity relates the diversity of human brains and minds – the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species. (Which when viewed in the wider context, actually relates to each and every one of us…because we are all individuals and therefore every brain is different). However, there are those individuals who have a brain that functions in ways that diverge from the dominant societal standards of ‘normal’ and these you may also see referred to as being Neurodivergent depending upon who has written the article. Neurodiversity is a natural and valuable form of human diversity and as such should be accepted and respected just as diversity of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age and physical abilities. However, here are a couple of quotes which indicate the currently accepted usage of the word: ‘Neurodiversity is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labelled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others'. (2011 US National Symposium on Neurodiversity). Neurodiversity is a relatively new term that refers to people who have dyslexia, autism, ADHD, dyspraxia and other neurological conditions'. (ACAS 2017). Whilst these statements have become acknowledged and accepted, often when we read articles about neurodiversity we see reference to only one or two of the neurodivergent ‘conditions’ which also adds to the confusion. This is especially the case with regards to Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder / Autistic Spectrum Condition) as the term is thought to have first been used by Judy Singer, an Australian social scientist who herself has Autism. (The word neurodiversity first appeared in print in an article by journalist Harvey Blume in 1998). In light of this, it is important to understand that neurodiversity-related posts and articles are commonly either written from the perspective of the author’s own areas of specialism or they may be written by someone who gives their own personal perspective of what they feel neurodiversity is – both of which can be useful but will not necessarily give a comprehensive and accurate overview of this multifaceted subject. So, my advice, when reading posts about neurodiversity, is to check the authors background and their credentials and/or check the credentials of those they are quoting within the article. As with any subject area, ideally if you are seeking specialist advice & training services or searching for speakers etc there is an essential 'triune' of ingredients to consider, as seen in the diagram below – however this is especially important in relation to neurodiversity as it is essential that what you ‘buy’ should if possible include the various recognised neurodivergent ‘conditions’. 
Ideally, your chosen neurodiversity-related services should be a service provider who sits in this ‘sweet spot’ where all three of these areas overlap (indicated with a heart in the diagram). So, when buying-in to either post & articles or neurodiversity-related services it is important to check for authenticity, experience & quality...it's too important to get wrong. Caveat Emptor - buyer beware. Janette Beetham MIC FRSA Right Resources Limited....for a thriving and productive neurodiverse workforce. Janette is an experienced consultant & coach specialising in dyslexia & neurodivergent conditions in the workplace. She is the Staff Dyslexia &SpLD Consultant at Imperial College London and Senior Consultant to the BDA (British Dyslexia Association, 2017). She works with individuals and organisations across all sectors providing solutions-focused consultancy and support. In 2017 she published a paper entitled: Workplace Dyslexia & Specific Learning Difficulties―Productivity, Engagement and Well-Being She is also the founder of the Dyslexia Champions training & accreditation programme (a training programme which covers 7 neurodivergent 'conditions').  10 Things Every Employer Should Know About Dyslexia & 'Neurodivergent Conditions'.1. It's widely accepted that most dyslexic/neurodivergent individuals have strengths/positive attributes which could significantly benefit their employing organisation. 2. Lack of ‘organisation-wide’ awareness of what dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions really are, means there is still stigma and prejudice within workplaces. 3. When individuals know where to go to find out what support is available to them within the organisation they feel safe and they usually welcome the opportunity to have a conversation about it. 4. These neurodivergent ‘conditions’ are commonly accompanied by anxiety - and an unsupportive workplace culture commonly results in lack of disclosure if & when an individual starts to experience difficulties. 5. If there is a recognised, accessible process of support in place, seeking and accessing appropriate, tailored support can be a straightforward, positive experience which is relatively low cost. 6. Reluctance to disclose when these individuals are experiencing difficulties can impact on their wellbeing…and in the longer-term, if no support is accessed, this can have a negative impact on mental health. 7. Providing appropriate, professional, workplace-focused support to neurodivergent members of staff in a supportive environment is likely to enhance wellbeing and increase engagement. 8. HR departments may assume they understand how dyslexia & other neurodivergent conditions such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADD… can impact within the workplace and they may believe they are meeting legal obligations but unless they have undertaken professional training with a recognised 'body' their policies may be inaccurate and their processes may not be appropriate. 9. Employees in ‘dyslexia/neurodivergent-friendly’ organisations are more likely to fulfil their potential and make valuable contributions. (It is important to remember that neurodivergent individuals have helped shape the world we live in and these include; Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford...and many more). 10. It is estimated that 1 in 8 of the population are dyslexic/neurodivergent . If employing organisations are not providing appropriate support innumerable employees are likely to be ‘treading water’ (not making expected progress) at best… and if they don’t feel able to reach out when they need help there is an ‘unseen’ cost in terms risk to wellbeing and mental health as well as costs associated with reduced productivity, absenteeism etc. Being ‘dyslexia/neurodivergent-friendly’ makes good business sense. It’s good for people and good for the employing organisation. An increasing number of employers are now starting to see the benefit of having Accredited *Dyslexia Champions within their workforce. These impartial, knowledgeable volunteers have undertaken a course of study (*which includes 7 neurodivergent ‘conditions’ and other subject areas such as listening skills, wellbeing & mental health) equipping them to be able to answer questions and provide signposting which enables people to make informed decisions about whether to seek formal support …or not. This role has the potential to act as a catalyst for positive change and already some of these individuals are making significant contributions towards ensuring their employing organisations become more ‘dyslexia/neurodivergent-friendly’ organisations. Shouldn’t all organisations have Dyslexia Champions™?
To find out more about the programme please click here. Janette Beetham MIC FRSA |
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