|
Gloucestershire's Neurodivergence Celebration Week 2024
Wednesday 20 March: Employment
This year, Gloucestershire is taking part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week (18 – 24 March 2024), a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.
During the week, we’ll aim to raise awareness by signposting to resources, updating you on activities across Gloucestershire, as well as celebrating the differences of local neurodivergent individuals. We've rebranded the week to 'neurodivergence celebration week' to keep the focus on neurodivergent conditions. All content has been coproduced by local neurodivergent people. If you've missed our other bulletins this week, you can find them here.
Today’s theme is all about Employment!
|
|
National Campaign - Today's Resources |
|
|
What’s going on today? Interactive Online Events are happening at the times below:
8.00 – 8.45: Neurodiversity At Work: Ask the Experts
9.30 – 11.00: Culture, Community and Class in Neurodiversity: Who Gets Left Behind?
12:00 – 13:30: The Benefits of Neurodiversity in the Workplace
14:30 – 16:00: Creating a Neuro-inclusive classroom
16:30 – 18:00: Neurodiversity: Fuelling Creative Minds
If you miss any of the sessions, or want to watch any back, post-event recordings available too.
|
|
|
National
Local
Useful Information & Resources [From Job Search and Information to Training/Learning to Volunteering Information]
Working and Learning - Preparing For Adulthood
Life in the MiND's 8th Podcast - Work, work, work
Your Voice Network - Blog posts including Reasonable Adjustments & tips for recruiting autistic people.
Gloucestershire Employment and Skills Hub brings together the key employment and skills provision of GFirst LEP and Gloucestershire County Council, offering an open door for residents and employers who would like information, advice, guidance or support around careers, training, skills, employment and recruitment.
Our services are free to anyone whether employed or looking for work, in education or those who looking to start their journey by accessing courses to help build their confidence.
|
 Forwards is an all age, all disability service; supporting people with disabilities, including neurodivergent people, achieve their employment dreams. Forwards can provide help to identify skills and job goals, improve confidence, manage anxiety and overcome barriers.
Working closely with a number of partners, from health providers to employers. Forwards provides access to all the many organisations who can help with all aspects of returning to work, including money and budget management, debt advice and benefits advice.
Meet the Autism Job Broker - Maria!
My name is Maria and I joined the Forwards team in January 2024. I came from a customer service background, and now want to make a difference to people’s lives.
My role as a Health Job broker is to assist autistic individuals get into paid work. This involves liaising with our customers and finding out what skills they can bring into the workplace and helping them to reach their goals – a career.
My role also involves speaking with employers and encouraging them to break down old-fashioned barriers that may prevent those with disabilities from joining the workforce.
|
Callum's story
Callum started working with Roseanna after completing his supported internship, where he spent time gaining experience at an arts venue and a local supermarket.
Before meeting Roseanna, Callum was applying for supermarket jobs and being invited to interviews but struggling to get the job he wanted. This resulted in him feeling very demotivated after working so hard on his applications.
Roseanna soon recognised that Callum would be the perfect candidate for a brand-new NHS role as a Ward Assistant due to the characteristics and skills he had demonstrated from their sessions. They looked at an application together and Roseanna helped coach Callum with hints and tips to support him. This resulted in Callum being invited for an interview.
Work started on preparing Callum and Roseanna spent time discussing and sharing resources to assist working in a healthcare setting as well as preparation to ensure he felt comfortable with the type of questions he might be asked during his interview. Callum attended his interview feeling completely prepared and full of confidence, despite his previous setbacks.
Callum was able to demonstrate his suitability for the role and understanding of his responsibilities, all while showcasing his warm and friendly personality and fantastic sense of humour.
Callum has now started his first paid job and embarked on his journey to independence through sustainable employment.
|
Chris's story
Chris had been working in a hotel for a couple of years on a zero-hour contract. He wanted to work more hours and have the opportunity to work within a company with more chance of career progression.
During their sessions Roseanna showed Chris an advert for a Domestic job role at Gloucester Royal Hospital. Hospital Domestic staff work in different areas of the hospital, including in-patient wards, operating theatres, clinics, and the emergency department.
Chris took this opportunity and applied for the role with support from Roseanna. Together they prepared for the interview, and as a result Chris really shone, giving all the right answers as well as showing his passion to learn and develop. This led to Chris being successful in his pursuit and start working for the NHS.
To support his new career and the transition into his new role, Chris received funding from Access to Work for a job coach. The job coach assisted during the induction process and ensured not only Chris, but his employer too, were fully supported.
|
|
|
What's happening in Gloucestershire? |
|
Let’s Talk about Neurodiversity conversations been taking place since October 2023. The sessions have proven extremely popular, with hundreds of staff members across the ICS joining the conversations.
They have provided an opportunity for connection and conversation around the subject of neurodiversity and supporting neurodivergence in the workplace for health and social care staff across Gloucestershire. These conversations help the ICS to understand individual experiences and how best to support neurodivergence in the workplace.
|
Virtual Information Session - Coming Soon!
- Are you autistic or neurodivergent?
- Do you want support to find work?
- Do you need help to identify your skills and find your preferred career path?
- Do you need support to manage anxiety and overcome barriers?
- Are you currently in work but facing challenges or want to progress to a different career?
- Are you an employer who has job opportunities or require advice on how to make reasonable adjustments?
Come find out about how Forwards can support you and meet Maria [Autism Job Broker]. Contact neurodiversity@gloucestershire.gov.uk for more information.
Spectrum Works Fair
Do you want to connect with inclusive employers who are actively seeking diverse talents?
Join us at our Spectrum Works Fair and meet organisations who can help neurodivergent people with skills development👇
📅 Thursday 4 April
⏰10am-2.30pm (quiet hour 10-11am)
📍The Employment and Skills Hub, GL1 2EA
|
Join the following online Lunch and Learn sessions during Autism Acceptance Week!
Introduction to types of neurodivergence
Tuesday 2 April: 1 - 2pm
How to make recruitment inclusive
Wednesday 3 April: 1 - 2pm
Creating workplace support
Thursday 4 April: 1 - 2pm
Maintaining a workforce
Friday 5 April: 1 - 2pm
Workplace resources
Monday 8 April: 1 - 2pm
If you are interested, email employers@gloucestershire.gov.uk with the session you would like to attend. You will then be sent a Teams link to attend virtually.
|
|
|
Gloucestershire Neurodivergent Experiences |
|
|
We'll be sharing local neurodivergent experiences throughout the week. Today, we have Josh's experience of neurodivergence.
"As an AuDHD person living in Gloucestershire, Neurodiversity Celebration Week can feel bittersweet. I’d love us to celebrate and show appreciation to all the amazing contributions of neurodivergent people in the county. I think it’s important to shine a light on those who are leading on work that leads to change for neurodivergent people – the mentors, the influencers, those working to tackle systems that exclude and harm us, and the people speaking out and sharing their lived experience. The work is not easy, and compassion and care feel so important to include in the celebrating. Sometimes it can feel hard to celebrate when so many neurodivergent people are experiencing mental illness, distress, and trauma because of systems and environments that harm us. As this change happens, having safe spaces where we can build connections with each other and ourselves, experience joy in the way we would like to, and heal is important. I would love to see more of these spaces led by us, and resourced and supported in the way we feel they should be."
AuDHD, created by the neurodivergent community, is an unofficial but popular term used to describe individuals who are both autistic and ADHD. This means that an AuDHDer has been self or formally diagnosed with autism and ADHD because they have characteristics of both conditions. Life as an AuDHD-er is constantly trying to find a balance to satisfy opposing needs, which are changing all the time depending on the environment, the day and the chapter of life.
ADHD is a disorder that is defined through analysis of behaviour. People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with day-to-day functioning and/or development.
|
Resources
|
|
 |
|
If you want to receive the Autism in Gloucestershire newsletter directly to your email address click here and you will be able to sign up to receive these updates.
Got something to share or want more information? Email: neurodiversity@gloucestershire.gov.uk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
