Central Government Network

Our theme for the meeting is Empowering and supporting neurodivergent employees in Government.

• We will be joined by our very own Angela Matthews, Director of Policy and Research at Business Disability Forum.

For an overview of, and updates on BDF’s Disability Network Leaders’ Forum, Work and Health Policy Forum and Access to Work Forum.

• Then, we will be joined by Helen Musgrove, Director of Psychological Consulting at Lexxic (and former Senior Civil Servant) to discuss practical ways in which we can empower and support neurodivergent employees in Government.

Lexxic is a specialist psychology consultancy which provides neurodiversity assessment, training and consulting services to Government.  We will also be inviting Government departments who are taking action on neuro-inclusion to share their ideas and experiences – what has worked well, any challenges they have encountered and their plans for the future.

15-20% of Civil Servants are neurodivergent.  These individuals often bring fresh perspectives, creativity, problem solving skills and expertise which are vital in tackling many of the big social challenges the Government is responsible for addressing.  However, they often face barriers in the workplace which can prevent them from thriving at work.  In this session we will cover:

• What we mean by neurodiversity, and some of the key traits, strengths and challenges often associated with specific neuro-differences.
• Examples of the support and adjustments that can help neurodivergent individuals to thrive.
• The neurodiversity assessments and follow-on services that departments can access from Lexxic (via their Occupational Health Provider) – what, why and how?
• What departments can do in practice to become more ‘Neurodiversity Smart’, creating a neuro-inclusive culture and removing barriers across the employee lifecycle.
• The experiences of departments implementing neurodiversity projects – what has worked well, any challenges encountered and plans for the future.
• Finally, we will have a Panel discussion followed by questions by Neil Fletcher, Disability and Workplace Adjustments, Home Office; Amy Constance, Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Intellectual Property Office; Jessie Curnow, National Environmental Assessment Service Deputy Director, Environment Agency.

They will discuss:

• What have you done in your department to become more neuro-inclusive and why?
• What has gone well? What, if any, challenges have you encountered and what have you learnt from these?
• What are your plans for the future?

This meeting will be an opportunity for our Central Government members to share current concerns and support each other.

This event will operate using the ‘Chatham House’ rule.

If you require this content in a different format, contact enquiries@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.