Neurodiversity Celebration Week 17th-23rd March
Neurodiversity is a word used to explain the unique ways peoples brains work. While everyone’s brain develops similarly, no two brains function just alike. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average ‘neuro typical’ person.
Some examples of ways of thinking and behaving can include; Dyslexia, Autism, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD. These conditions often exist on a spectrum and can vary in their effects on different people.
We are proud to be a Neurodiversity employer at Cobalt Hospital.
To make our workplace more neurodiversity-friendly we;
- Are kind and patient
- Offer a flexible working environment
- Have areas for quiet time
- Communicate expected loud noises such as the fire drill
- Give notice of any changes in advance with justification of why
- Provide training to help employees have a full understanding so we can work well as a team
- Educate to fully understand employees needs and behaviours
- Allow reasonable modifications to uniform
We all have things we are naturally good at, and things we are not so good at, neurodivergent members of staff often bring unique skills and talents to their work. For example; problems solving, creativity, logical thinking, attention to detail, data analysis, retaining information and spotting patterns and trends.
Sarah, our Autism/Learning disability champion said:
“Making workplace adjustments to support neurodivergent employees makes them feel valued, supported and part of the team. From a patient perspective we offer ‘Ask, Listen, Do’ to make feedback, concerns, and complaints easier for people with a learning disability, autism or both.
We take time to help people, explain things in a simple way, show empathy and understanding to make patients feel at ease and comfortable in their surroundings while with us. This highlights our commitment to diversity and inclusion and reduces the stigma around neurodivergence.”