Why are Coventry Children's and Adult Services signing up to the pledge?
At the moment there is a patchy picture of acceptance for neurodivergent social workers, those with conditions – or neurotypes – such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Whilst neurotypes such as Dyslexia, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, and ADHD are defined as “Protected Characteristics” under the Equality Act (2010), not everyone identifies as disabled. People choose to define themselves using different language, for example, “Neurodivergent” or “Neurodiverse.” Respect for people’s right to identify is important as the language and understanding about neurodiversity evolves. Many workplaces generalise disability and are unwittingly designed in ways which do not support neurodiverse people’s ability to thrive and add value. Some individuals will navigate these workplaces by hiding signs of their neurodiversity. Masking or camouflaging different thinking can be exhausting, placing an immense pressure on a person’s mental and physical health.
The picture within Coventry is unclear with informal feedback from neurodivergent social workers stating there is a lack of awareness and understanding from some team managers, a lack of support from occupational health within reasonable timescales, action plans being used when presenting issues are relating to a lack of support provision, difficulty in implementing reasonable adjustments and workspaces that are not considerate of neurodivergence. There have also been some positive reports of understanding and supportive colleagues and managers going above and beyond to support employees.
It is therefore essential that a better understanding of the experiences of neurodivergent social workers is gained and that these experiences are considered in planning for and implementing any recommended changes.