Supporting Disability in the Workplace
We support Neurodiversity
We recognise 'neurodiversity' as the way in which everyone’s brains naturally work differently from one another. Just as you may be born right-handed or have green eyes, how your brain works and where you sit on the cognitive spectrum will be unique to you.
Most people are neurotypical or ‘not neurodivergent’, which means they think and behave in a way that society traditionally considers ‘normal’. However, around 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent, meaning that they behave, think, process, and interpret information in ways that differ from most other people.
Traditional working practices are often designed with a neurotypical society in mind, which can make it difficult for neurodivergent employees to thrive at work. Some examples of neurodiversity include;
- Autism
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
Dyslexia Screening
Do you feel you have traits of dyslexia and would like to take a short test to highlight a potential diagnosis? We've created a short check which you can do that includes a number of questions that ask you regarding how comfortable you are with reading and writing, as well as other areas. Please note that the quiz is just to see if you have any traits of dyslexia - it does not officially diagnose dyslexia.
If you feel comfortable to take the short quiz, please complete this document and return to lead.employer@sthk.nhs.uk.
Once you have sent it, a member of the HR Team will review this document with your results and be in touch with the next steps for diagnosis and support you throughout the process.
If you would like to access further support and information, you can visit the British Dyslexia Association, the NHS' website on Dyslexia and the Dyslexia Association. They contain specific information and guidance tailored for dyslexia.
A guide on supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace
We have created a guidance on How to Support Neurodiversity in the Workplace which may assist with your training programme in light of a neurodiversity diagnosis.
How we can support you?
Please take a look at the dropdown options for the ways in which Lead Employer can support you in your daily working life;
- Access to Work
Disclosing a health condition to an employer can be a very difficult decision to make at times. People may be worried about prejudice from their employer or work colleagues, they may be concerned that they will be treated differently to others. People may be worried about a lack of understanding around their health condition in addition to the fear of being labelled.
Disclosing a health condition will allow Lead Employer & Health Educational England to identify the support required, and ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place to support an individual throughout their training.
Once the HR Team is aware of your request to have a reasonable adjustment, they will be in contact with you to discuss the next steps to support you.
Access to Work is an employment support programme which helps you to overcome barriers in work due to a disability or mental health condition. They can support you if:
- You have a neurodiverse condition
- You have a hearing or sight impairment
- You have an MSK condition or similar
- You are experiencing long covid
- You require support with your mental health
Requests may include:
- Adaptive equipment such as ergonomic keyboards or chairs
- Assistive Software for speech to text and text to speech or Zoom text software
- Training for your items and software
- Workplace coaching or strategy sessions
In addition, please take a look at our wellbeing resources booklet for further information on our "Access To Work" support.
- Reasonable Adjustments
A reasonable adjustment is a particular adjustment to your daily working life that will enable you to best fulfil the requirements of your training contract.
Potential reasonable adjustments that could be implemented depending on your needs:
- Adjustments to working hours
- Modification to duties
- Time to attend appointments
- Phased return to work if you are returning from time out of training
- Modified or specialist equipment (through Access to work process)
- Support when you rotate host organisations as part of your specialty training
- Further Support
Contact Us
For further information, please contact our Helpdesk Team (Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm) on 0151 478 7777 or via livechat.
Alternatively, you can contact our Case Management Team on LeadEmployer.CaseManagement@sthk.nhs.uk
Useful links
Disability History Month Project
For 2021’s Disability History Month we caught up with some of our colleagues who shared experiences on their own disabilities and impairments.
The three part podcast series shares an insight into the lives of our Lead Employer and STHK colleagues, as they talk about how their disabilities impact their roles and where their support came from.
You can listen to the three part series on our website here.