Hertfordshire Constabulary launches Neurodiversity Champions

Volunteer scheme helps to provide support to neurodivergent officers and staff

Strategic lead for disability Detective Chief Inspector Craig Flint, and Force Neurodiversity Lead Nicola Ponikiewski

Hertfordshire Constabulary have recruited almost 30 Neurodiversity Champions to help support neurodivergent colleagues across the Force. Volunteers have been briefed for the role provided by the Constabulary’s neurodiversity team.

While these champions cannot diagnose conditions such as autism and ADHD, they can provide a listening ear and signpost to resources and further support. Many of them have lived experience and are available to speak to anyone who needs advice or support about neurodiversity.

Strategic lead for disability, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Flint said: “There has been a lot of work taking place to get to this point and I would like to thank those who have been busy behind the scenes to bring this to fruition.

“I would also like to thank those from across the organisation who have volunteered for the role of Neurodiversity Champion, which is a responsibility on top of their day jobs in policing.

“This is a big step forward in our work to support those with neurodivergent conditions within our workforce and also those with neurodivergent family members.

“The work of champions may include helping a supervisor to support a team member with a neurodivergent condition, talking a colleague through the process of obtaining a dyslexia assessment and/or workplace adjustments as well as giving guidance to those who may have family members with neurodivergent conditions.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary, along with local policing partners Bedfordshire Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, have achieved Disability Confident Leader status – the highest level of accreditation that can be achieved under the Disability Confident scheme.

Click on the link for a news article on the Hertfordshire Constabulary website. ∎

Guest Blog: My once lone voice is now echoing off the walls

by Ross Campbell
Superintendent | Warwickshire Police

As I reflect on my 10 year anniversary as a diagnosed person with dyslexia – a topsy-turvy journey over which I’ve battled with my inner self and outside influences – I remember that I used to be a lone voice.

I have always been an open advocate for dyslexia and disability, but I never quite felt that my voice was fully heard. It wasn’t fully understood as a disability and my challenges were never properly understood, despite my openness to talk about them. I have blogged snippets for many years, slowly increasing my following, and I know I have influenced and inspired people slowly, but its incredibly humbling when a stranger comes up to me, or reaches out to me and says that I have had a positive impact on their lives, or their neurodiversity, or I am asked to give a talk. This is why I do it.

Supt Ross Campbell

I’ve told probably over 1,000 people my story now – in person, through conferences and online sessions, and to countless others who have engaged with my dyslexia-focused social media page.

I have educated those who have asked me when it was I ‘caught’ dyslexia… “Is it contagious?” Or “How can ‘someone like you do a job like this’?”… and many others. This just shows, in 2023, how far we still have to go. I have people stumble over language around me when I talk about disability; quite frankly, so long as its not discriminatory or offensive, then I really don’t mind how people broach it. It’s the fact that we are talking about it that matters, and long may that continue.

At the time when I began my journey, I was by far one of the most senior people in policing talking about my dyslexia and showing that our amazing difference is not something that will hold you back. Now it is incredible to see so many others sharing their stories, of all ranks and grades right up to Chief Officer. This is absolutely amazing to see and I take my hat off to them, because I know how difficult it is to take that first step. When people see rank, they see success. We as dyslexics don’t see that a lot of the time: we see frustration, challenge, disadvantage, an un-level playing field, failure and buckets of self-criticism. For example, I have sat 10 promotion boards to get to Superintendent.

What portrays this visually is the brilliant image by Sylvia Duckworth, a Canadian teacher who depicts the ‘Iceberg effect’. For me, nothing could be closer to the truth.

When I left school, I did so with no qualifications. Since my diagnosis 10 years ago, I have been to university and achieved a first class honours degree, a master’s degree whereby I got a distinction in my final research project, and I have just started a PhD, for which I obtained a funded scholarship having presented my vision for future research in my specialist field. I have also managed to get promoted from Sergeant to Superintendent. The dyslexic kid done good! How have I done this? Well nothing has changed – my brain is no different, I just now understand how it works. I have an intimate understanding neurodiversity and psychology (through my academia) and I understand what my brain needs in order to work more effectively. It’s a bit like rewiring a fused short circuit.

Let’s go back to the iceberg for one moment. Above the water: wow, look at what I have achieved! – which of course I am absolutely proud of. But I have also spent a considerable amount of time beneath the surface, which is very difficult to come up from because it has a tendency to keep dragging you back down, like a strong current as you try and swim against the tide. On bad days you are trying to do that blindfolded, in a storm. Mental wellbeing is incredibly important for neurodivergent people: mental health can very quickly become a viscous cycle of self-destruction, because neurodiversity at its core can impact on emotion and behaviour.

There are lots of methods that can assist you with keeping your brain regulated with the positivity it needs, such as mindfulness apps, coaching and mentoring, and reading (or listening to audiobooks) on the subject. Also important is the right support in your workplace, the right awareness of neurodiversity, workplace adjustments, and of course, a fundamental shift in culture.

I have, during my time, thankfully been able to influence change in process and policy both locally and nationally; and in my Force, I have a great Chief Officer team who really do ‘get it’. We revolutionised reasonable adjustments for promotion processes in particular, and were very early adopters of policy and practice I now see embedded nationally. That said, there is still a long way to go, and I know we don’t get it right every time. Every time we don’t, that impacts on a person, just like you and me. So we need to listen, learn and continue to share experiences.

I am seeing the increasing number of support groups appearing for neurodiversity both locally and nationally, and there are some really exciting things on the horizon. There are also working groups actively leading and influencing change nationally, across all of the key policing stakeholders and partnerships.

My next adventure is navigating the pathway to an ADHD diagnosis. Again, I have read so many stories around people’s experiences and reflections as they have embarked and progressed on this journey, that I now set out myself with less fear that I may have felt without them. I will write about this as it progresses.

My once lone voice is now echoing off the walls – it’s amazing to see, and long may it continue. We all need to keep encouraging people to speak up because their voice isn’t a lone one; and together, as a community we can continue to do great things. ∎

Discrimination finding for autistic police officer rejected from firearms training

Judgement of direct discrimination following decision by Deputy Chief Constable to block claimant’s application due to her neurodivergent conditions

A police officer was wrongly prevented from commencing firearms training because of her autism and dyslexia, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Lauren Crawford, an officer with Cumbria Constabulary, applied to become an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) in 2019, having successfully qualified to carry a Taser. Despite being supported by the Force Medical Adviser, passing the pre-course assessments and receiving “overwhelming” positive feedback from her supervisor, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Webster blocked the officer from joining the AFO course.

The Tribunal heard that the DCC’s decision had been based on an outdated ‘personal profile’ document written when the officer was diagnosed at University some years previously. The DCC did not meet with PC Crawford or review her AFO application form prior to his decision. The officer attempted to submit a grievance but was advised that there was no route of appeal.

Julia Gargan, Associate at law firm Harbottle & Lewis, said: “The case is a reminder to employers that at all stages of the employment cycle, including during an application process, employees must be treated equally and that a decision regarding an employee should not be made based on assumptions about the potential impact of their disability.”

For further reading, click on the links for an article by People Management, and to download the Tribunal judgement (38 page PDF). ∎