The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has today released their Neurodiversity at Work guide for HR professionals and leaders, in association with Uptimize. The CIPD’s support of neurodiversity represents a milestone in the acceptance of ‘difference of thought’ as a mainstream business concept in the UK, and a growing realisation that conditions such as autism and dyslexia bring a critical advantage to the workplace in the form of visual processing and strong problem-solving skills.

The 48-page report includes a glossary of neurodiverse conditions, advice for managers on getting the best from neurodivergent staff, and case studies of organisations running neurodiversity recruitment and development programmes. It is available as a PDF download from the CIPD website.

We would like to extend our thanks to the CIPD and Uptimize for inviting the NPAA to contribute to the guide, and for including us as a case study.

The Government has recently announced a consultation exercise on eligibility for the Blue Badge disabled parking concession scheme. Blue Badge holders are entitled to use disabled parking spaces, which allow easy access to shopping and other vital facilities and can make it possible for a disabled driver to lead an independent life.

Although the scheme is commonly associated with physical disabilities requiring the use of mobility aids, people with non-visible disabilities such as autism and dementia are also eligible to apply, providing they can show that their condition limits their mobility (for example, difficulty with crowded parking facilities). However, the Government has identified that guidelines around ‘non-physical’ eligibility are not applied consistently by local authorities, with some disabled people being unable to join the scheme despite their condition making it difficult for them to use a car. The Department of Transport, which administers the Blue Badge scheme, hopes to implement revised guidelines that should make badges available for those who need them most, regardless of the nature of their disability.

To give your views on the new guidelines, either as an individual or on behalf of an organisation, visit the Blue Badge consultation webpage. The consultation was launched on the 21st January 2018 and runs until the 18th March.

Since we launched back in 2015, the NPAA has been committed to supporting a range of hidden conditions as well as autism, and to promoting the concept of neurodiversity – difference of thought – in the police service. We believe that the ability to think differently is vital to solve the problems of 21st century policing, and if our mailbox is anything to go by, we’re not the only ones: it’s looking like 2017 will be the year that neurodiversity starts to achieve widespread recognition.

Our web forum is already used by our growing member base to discuss a wide range of topics, and we felt that the time was right for a change of name. We’re therefore pleased to announce that our NPAA forum is now the Police Neurodiversity Forum. Regular visitors will notice that we’ve added folders covering specific conditions, including a new area to discuss mental health and wellbeing. The forum has always been fully searchable (if you’ve never used it, give it a try), and we hope that it will become the ‘go-to’ resource for neurodiversity within policing and criminal justice.

A reminder that our forum isn’t just for police officers and volunteers – other organisations including Government agencies, academic establishments and support groups are also welcome. Click on the Membership page for more details.