Neurodiversity Pledge for Social Work Employers
We pledge to raise awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity among our workforce through a focus on promoting appropriate training and delivering opportunities for knowledge development. We will create a culture of appreciation, celebration and belonging and make sustainable changes to ensure the workplace is neuro-inclusive.
The pledge has been created by a group of neurodivergent social workers with the backing of the Social Workers Union (SWU). Its authors hope the pledge will encourage employers to recognise the contribution neurodivergent social workers bring to their roles and commit to act towards a neuro-inclusive workplace.
Deb Solomon, a social worker from Derbyshire, is among the leaders of the campaign and said, “Our pledge will give employers of social workers an opportunity to promote acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity among all members of staff. We will also expect signatories of the pledge to create a neuro-inclusive culture of appreciation, celebration and belonging in their organisations.”
John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, said, “By asking employers to sign up to a pledge and evidence their inclusive culture, we will be able to share examples of good practice across the social work profession. SWU has been delighted to support this group and we’re honoured to host the pledge on our website.”
Jenni Guthrie, Principle Curriculum Lead at Frontline, said, “We need to challenge the stigma around neurodiversity and celebrate the numerous skills neurodiverse individuals can bring to the social work profession. But a first step to doing this is to ensure that employers become more neuro-inclusive. It has never been more important to value every member of staff and our workplaces should be psychologically safe spaces for neurodivergent social workers to be themselves.”
David Grimm, a social work student from Glasgow, added, “By working to create a neuro inclusive environment, social work employers and educators across the country will act as a beacon of hope and empowerment that welcomes more neurodiverse workers.”
Pledge Criteria
Each organisation that signs the pledge must:
- Identify a minimum of two named individuals who will support the pledge within the organisation. One must be a strategic lead, one must be a neurodivergent social worker.
- Commit to maintain a “champion” role.
- Provide evidence of commitment to the pledge including evaluation of impact.
What actions can organisations take?
Examples of neuro-inclusive actions that organisations can take
- Conduct an annual Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure that existing policies and procedures do not disadvantage neurodivergent social workers from participation in the workplace.
- Use feedback from neurodivergent social workers to help develop workplace policy to ensure it is neuro-inclusive, including a specific disability and neurodivergence workplace policy.
- Develop a pathway for support involving occupational health, HR and IT, with understanding of Access to Work and reasonable adjustments.
- Centre neurodivergent voices in developing training and material around neurodiversity in the workplace, including working with Neurodivergent Education Groups.
- Include manager training tailored to line-managing neurodivergent social workers in the workplace as part of their formal induction.
- Give opportunity to neurodivergent social workers to develop a supportive staff network for themselves and allies.
- Give due consideration to neurodiversity in social workers when managing a disciplinary/capability process.
- Ensure job adverts and interviews are worded and conducted in a way that is inclusive of neurodivergent candidates.
- Effect reasonable adjustments in the workplace to ensure inclusivity of neurodivergent social workers.
- Recognize that people with neurodivergent neurotypes bring unique skills, perspectives and experiences to our team(s), especially within appraisals and promotion requests and acknowledge that a neurodiverse workforce leads to greater innovation, creativity and productivity.
- Have zero tolerance of behaviours that are prejudicial towards Neurodiversity.
- Commit to take action by making improvement in at least one area per annual year and describe the efforts and results in the appropriate end-of-year reports.
- Prioritise inclusion of Neurodiversity in organisational calendar of celebratory events.
- Ensure digital accessibility of information throughout the organisation.
- Embed evaluation and review processes across all organisational levels capturing neurodiversity data.
Pledge Form
If you would like to sign up to the pledge – please fill in the form below.
Template email – Asking an employer to take the pledge
Dear [First and last name of the person you are emailing at the Employer],
I’m writing to ask [Name of Employer] to take a pledge to recognise the contribution neurodivergent social workers bring to their roles and commit to act towards a more neuro-inclusive workplace.
The pledge has been created by a group of neurodivergent social workers with the backing of the Social Workers Union (SWU). It provides employers of social workers with an opportunity to promote acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity among all members of staff.
[Add paragraph about your own experience of being a neurodivergent social worker if appropriate.]
With the recruitment crisis facing social work, it has never been more important to value every member of staff and our workplaces should be psychologically safe spaces for neurodivergent social workers to be themselves.
We need to challenge the stigma around neurodiversity and celebrate the numerous skills neurodiverse individuals can bring to the social work profession.
You can find out more at https://swu-union.org.uk/swu-campaign-fund/pledge-celebrating-neuro-inclusive-social-work and I look forward to your response.
[Sign off]
Examples of what could be included in a pledge
This will be a space to showcase examples of what Local Authorities and other social work employers across the UK have included in their pledges.
Overview of Neurotypes
Autism – Jenni Guthrie
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – David Grimm
Dyscalculia – Scott Richardson
Dyslexia – Vinice Cowell
Dyspraxia – Florence Smith
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Max Hawker
Overlap and acquired neurodivergence – Florence Smith
About the Neurodigervent Social Workers Special Interest Group
The Special Interest Group (SIG) for Neurodivergent Social Workers and professionals within social care is supported by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).
With the backing of the SWU Campaign Fund, the Neurodigervent Social Workers SIG has developed this employers’ pledge to celebrate neurodiversity in the profession.
If you are a social worker in the United Kingdom with neurodivergent traits, come and join us, let’s be the change and make our workplace neuro-inclusive! This vibrant, active SIG meets online, usually on MS Teams, on the last Tuesday of every month, 7pm till 8.30pm. Click here for more information.
There is also a Neurodivergent Students, NQSW and ASYE social workers group that meets online on the second Tuesday of every month. Click here for more information as well.
Contact us
If you have any queries about the pledge, support or signposting to resources, please contact the Neurodivergent Social Workers Campaign Team at: NSWcampaign2024@gmail.com