Employers across Plymouth have come together to form a new network to support their neurodiverse employees and help them reach their full potential.
The official launch event on February 24 at Home Park saw some of the biggest employers in the city come together including; Plymouth City Council, Babcock, Pluss, Plymouth Parent Care Voice and the Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of educating employers about neurodiversity and sharing best practice to put in place the right adjustments to enable current and future neurodivergent employees to thrive in the workplace.
Most people are neurotypical, meaning that the brain functions and processes information in the way society expects, but it is estimated that around one in seven people (more than 15% of people in the UK) are neurodivergent, meaning that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently.
Neurodivergence includes attention deficit disorders, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and Tourette’s Syndrome.
Neurodiversity refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It highlights that people naturally think about things differently and have different interests and motivations, and are naturally better at some things and poorer at others.
Peter Stokes, Babcock’s Neurodiversity Network Chair based at Devonport, said:
“There are many myths around neurodiversity and by establishing this employer network, we aim to work collectively and bust many of these myths, as well as focusing on the stigmas that unfortunately still exist. For example that dyslexic people struggle to read or write letters backwards, ADHD is a label for naughty children and that autistic people struggle with emotional awareness.
“Every neurodiverse person is unique and has their own set of challenges but collectively they also have a range of strong characteristics like creativity and big picture thinking, as well as great problem solving and analytical skills.
“Many of the world’s top entrepreneurs are neurodiverse and utilise these skills to their advantage. Some of the most prominent technology firms in the world are realising the strengths these employees bring and actively helping them thrive in the workplace. This network is in place to help all employers and anyone with a condition to bring their best self to work.”
Councillor Patrick Nicholson, deputy leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said:
“The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published new data in 2021 that showed just 22 per cent of autistic adults are in any kind of employment. By establishing strong foundations now will encourage and inspire future generations with neurodiverse conditions to be confident and ambitious when choosing career paths.”
