Written by Dr Shirley Woods-Gallagher, Executive Director of New Bridge Group (July 2024)

During Neurodiversity Celebration Week March 2024, the Good Employment Charter released a pre recorded podcast with me about “Bee Neuroinclusive.”

Within the first two months of it being launched, it was the fastest growing podcast episode the Charter has ever released, and the within the top 3 of all time.

By its nature, the Bee Neuroinclusive campaign is a different type of campaign. Its fundamental focus is on a complex and sensitive area of public policy, which challenges beliefs and offers real life reflections of uncomfortable truths by openly talking about things at work some of us never even talked about when we were at school.

The Conversations We Need to Have

Whilst these conversations can be challenging, they are absolutely necessary, as they help to inform positive change beyond performative inclusion.

I am proud to be an Autistic Executive. Don’t spill your tea/drop your phone! I get that unless you have worked in the field/have lived experience by you/a family member, no one is going to think neuro pride even exists. There is no place for shame. It will never be a catalyst for growth.

This huge listening uptake for the podcast wasn’t about me. This was about the sheer scale of unmet demand for information about neuroinclusion in Greater Manchester. Even at the launch of the Disability standard for the Charter in April, it was clear there were gaps in the guide around neuroinclusion that I shared in my closing speech.

The Truth of Neuroinclusion at Work

The uncomfortable truth is, there are an awful lot of neuorodivergent staff not ‘out’ at work. Whilst some organisations have either unofficial or official staff groups, most don’t share their neurodivergence with their line managers for fear of not being believed, or worse; they will be restructured out. For example, Birkbeck University research on neuroinclusion in 2023, shared that 65% of neurodivergent people would not disclose their neurodivergence to their line manager at work through fear of it being used against them.

We know the stats already that 53.5% of disabled people aged 16-64 are in paid employment in the UK today compared to 81.6% of non-disabled people. Whist this is a huge gap, try looking at this through a neurodivergent lens. In 2024, according to the DWPs own stats, just 30% of people who are ‘out’ about their autism at work are in paid employment in the UK. Even getting to the benchmark of all disabled people of 54.5% would be a win at this stage. Even the Buckland Review 2024 published just ahead of the recent general election found that 36% of autistic graduates are unable to find work within 15 months of graduation. This isn’t about educational levels at all.

Neuroinclusion is a Conscious Act

We need to Bee Neuroinclusive. Inclusion does not just happen. It’s a conscious act. We make it happen. If we are all being neuroinclusive at work, this will genuinely be a catalyst for growth, productivity and skills utilisation. It will also mean more people pay tax and spend locally.

Greater Manchester likes to say that we do things differently here. Are we, authentically, when it comes to neuroinclusion at work?

You don’t necessarily need to buy in some neuro inclusion awareness training ‘off the shelf’ straight away. Remember, we are talking about things here that hardly anyone has ever openly talked about at work before, so taking time to both reflect and discuss what this means for your organisation matters.

My own experience has seen me work with colleagues and partners who are all at different stages of their personal journeys in understanding neurodiversion and what that means for inclusion in the workplace.

Working for New Bridge MAT, an organisation that champions neurodivergent employees, is empowering and puts me in a position where I can support others, as they look to the workplace for increased understanding, acceptance and to make appropriate adaptations.

New Bridge’s own record of supporting our young people to access employment is excellent, and always improving. With our ‘Destinations’ focused ethos, over 20% of our neurodivergent and SEND young people leave us and go into employment. That figure is more than 10 times the figure of the local authority.

There are always lessons to learn and improvements that can be made, but organisations like New Bridge are living proof that asking the challenging questions can make a positive difference to the outcomes of neurodivergent employees.