by Damon Williams
Detective Superintendent | Metropolitan Police Service

Many of you will have read the blog by Suzanne Burke – from the comments so far on the Met Police intranet, it struck a chord with a lot of people. And, as Suzanne’s line manager for the last 18 months or so, I find myself entirely unjustifiably proud of her for writing it!

Anyway, I thought I might share some of my experience learning – or at least starting to learn – to manage an autistic staff member. I hope that my tips might be useful to those of you who do, or will one day, manage someone who is autistic.

I should start by confessing that I’ve been very lucky. I recruited Suzanne at a point when she had already been diagnosed, and she had taken the decision to be completely open about her autism. In short, she’s always been willing to teach me how to manage Suzanne!

My ‘learning journey’ (as we call it these days) began before I even met Suzanne. After she passed the recruitment paper sift, HR contacted me and told me that Suzanne was autistic and I should consider making some adjustments to the interview process. A quick Google search led me to the National Autistic Society (NAS) website and a wealth of information about the condition. This paragraph, in particular, caught my attention:

“…autistic candidates often demonstrate above-average skills in some or all of the following areas: high levels of concentration; reliability, conscientiousness and persistence; accuracy, close attention to detail and the ability to identify errors; technical ability, such as in IT; detailed factual knowledge; and an excellent memory.”

“Well”, I thought, “Who doesn’t want those attributes in their staff?” So, armed with my new-found knowledge, I was suitably equipped to consider some ‘reasonable adjustments’ and tweak the interview process to make sure Suzanne was comfortable and give her the chance to do her best. This brings me to some tips that have found particularly useful that may help others:

Tip 1: Educate yourself
A little time invested researching the condition really helped me understand which bits of a traditional interview and assessment process might be harder for someone with autism and why, meaning I could adapt to make it fair.

Suzanne (as you’ll have guessed) was most impressive in the interview and got the job. And, once she started working for me, we had a number of conversations about her autism – nothing formal, just me getting to know her and starting to work out how I could get the most out of her. This brings me to…

Tip 2: Make time to get to know your staff member
If you followed Tip 1 you’ll have found out about quite a number of typical autistic traits – but every autistic person is unique, and you need to understand them as an individual to manage them effectively.

To be honest, I think Tip 2 is my best one. It should probably be the only tip, but it would be a short blog and I like the sound of my own voice so I’m not stopping now. All the other advice I have follows from Tip 2…

Tip 3: Adapt your approach
Remember that it’s your job as a manager to adapt your style to suit the individual you’re managing to get the best out of them. If you manage everyone the same way, you’re almost certainly getting it wrong for most of them. Certainly, when you manage a person with autism, they’re likely to need something a bit different from you. If they do, it’s up to you to change, not them!

Tip 4: Set clear expectations and give clear feedback
We all find it unsettling not knowing what’s expected of us, and autistic people are certainly no exception. Many autistic people don’t pick up on hints very well, and they won’t always be able to infer your meaning from informal instructions – so, if you want something done a certain way, just say so. If you want something done differently next time, just say so. In my experience, if you’re clear, you’ll seldom have to ask twice. It’s not a matter of ‘spoon feeding’, just providing clarity.

Tip 5: Reflect
Sun Tzu’s Art of War (an odd reference I know, but bear with me) says: “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.” In my experience, if I don’t get what I want from Suzanne, it often means I didn’t ask for what I wanted. If you don’t get quite what you wanted, think about how you explained yourself. Did I explain my request clearly? Could you be clearer next time? This should probably be part of Tip 3, but I really wanted to get that Sun Tzu quote in…

And that’s me… I’m all out of tips. And I feel a bit of a fraud for such a paltry offering of advice.

But writing this got me thinking… and I’ve come to a conclusion I didn’t expect. I started this blog hoping to crystallise some valuable pearls of wisdom to pass on to help you manage an autistic staff member, or end up explaining how managing someone with autism is different but rewarding. But – and this is the unexpected bit – I don’t think managing a person with autism is different to managing anyone else.

Sure – you probably have to work a little bit harder sometimes. And maybe you need to give your approach a bit more thought. Perhaps you need to be a bit more receptive. But, in my experience, the rewards are worth a little bit of extra effort.

So here’s my final tip: whether you’re managing a person with autism or any other neurodivergent condition, remember that you’re managing an individual. If you take a little time to learn about them, adapt your style, set clear expectations and have honest dialogue about their work, you’ll not go far wrong. Additionally, and probably even more importantly, you’ll be helping to make the Met Police Service a more welcoming place for a wide range of talented and capable individuals who have a huge amount to give and often think a little differently. What’s not to like about that? ∎

This blog was originally published on the MPS intranet – it is reproduced here with kind permission of the author

As part of LGBT+ History Month, Wiltshire Police posted a blog by crime recorder and NPAA Coordinator Dave Grainger on his personal experience as a victim of a homophobic assault. To mark the beginning of Pride Month 2022, Dave has kindly allowed us to share his article to raise awareness of hate crime

LGBTQ+ month for me is a time to reflect and for me personally to reflect on inclusion and acceptance of people’s differences.

Before I joined Wiltshire Police, my involvement with the police was only around my previous job of reporting and dealing with shoplifters and burglaries. That was until a night out in Swindon – a night out that changed my life and left me with memories that will live with me forever.

I had left the Mailcoach in Swindon, a gay friendly venue, and was heading up through Regent Street to the Pink Rooms, a former gay nightclub. As I walked alone the short distance between the two venues, four men were walking in the same direction. As they came to my left side they asked where I was going, and I had no reason to lie and said “The Pink Rooms”. I can remember one of the men asking if I was gay and again since coming out I never thought about saying no so I said yes – and it was then my night changed.

The four men quickly circled me, my glasses were removed, the blows started to my face and body. I ended up on the floor where I was kicked, and after my wallet was taken, they ran away. Blood pouring from my busted lip, I made it to the Pink Rooms where an ambulance and the police were called. When I arrived at Great Western Hospital the police officers were fantastic, and after being swabbed the hospital looked after me very well.

Unfortunately, the suspects were never found. The cut lip and bruises disappeared, but the memory of that night lives on and for me the memories came flooding back whilst alone in Bath walking to my team’s Christmas meal last year. Unknown to me, many of my team had met up before the meal for cocktails – as I walked alone, I was very conscious of my surroundings, and although the anxiety was there, I made it to the venue, so a success in a way for me.

My experience is very personal, but sadly is not uncommon where being who you are can result in physical attacks, and in some countries is still punishable by death. Also, sadly many people don’t have the time or inclination to learn and accept others, which is why I feel LGBTQ+ month is very important. I hope that those who feel they don’t need to know or understand open themselves to other people’s differences and grow their inclusivity. ∎

This blog was originally published on LinkedIn by Wiltshire Police – it is reproduced here with kind permission of the author

Read more about hate crime and how you can report it at report-it.org.uk

This blog is taken from an email written by a police officer member of the Police Scotland Disability & Carers Association (DACA) in 2021 – it is shared here for World Autism Acceptance Day with the member’s permission

So today is World Autism Awareness Day, and I thought I’d write a little something. I have been reading so many posts online, and unfortunately lots of people think that autistics have zero empathy, can’t hold a conversation, have no friends or relationships and are pretty much destined to fail in life. I wanted to challenge some of these myths and stereotypes and show you that this isn’t the case at all.

Anybody can be autistic – you can’t tell if somebody is autistic by looking at them or even by having a surface level conversation most of the time.

Lots of famous people are/were autistic, Including Charles Darwin, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Albert Einstein. Autistic people are NOT stupid.

Autistic people can have friends and relationships. I am a busy working mum, I’m married, and I have been a police officer for a decade. I also have friends. I will admit I can struggle building new friendships as I’ve never been a ‘huggy’ person, and I always feel a bit socially awkward, but I do have lots of lifelong friends who I know will always support me and have my back.

Not all autistics like trains and maths – lots do and that’s absolutely fine, but often people will have more mainstream interests like bands or animals. These also don’t need to be lifelong interests. They can last weeks, months or even years, but are usually quite intense.

Autism is just as prevalent in females as males – it just often presents differently so is missed or diagnosed much later. Lots of females ‘mask’ or ‘mirror’ behaviours they have seen in an attempt to fit in. They will learn how society expects them to behave and practice this.

Autism is usually hereditary, and not always inherited from a parent – sometimes it is passed from a grandparent or aunt/uncle, but there’s a usually a family connection. 

Autistic people can have empathy – some people actually have so much empathy they don’t know how to channel it. Others can struggle with recognising thoughts and feelings, but it doesn’t mean they don’t care, it just means that they need to work that little bit harder to understand.

Autistic people can hold eye contact. They are just more aware of it, and it’s a conscious effort rather than a natural one.

I was diagnosed with autism around a year ago. My daughter was struggling in school and was referred for an ADHD assessment (again this is hugely misunderstood and isn’t the naughty schoolboy stereotype people imagine, but that’s a whole other story in itself). During the assessment process, the consultant advised me to seek assessment myself, as he suspected I had it too. I did – I was diagnosed with both ADHD and autism, to my surprise. Until now, I hadn’t shared this with many people – I’m not ashamed, I guess I just hadn’t fully processed it myself and was scared people would judge me. I am me. I haven’t changed as a person, but unfortunately people sometimes see a label and have pre-conceived ideas of how you are supposed to look or act, and I didn’t want that.

I don’t really fit the stereotype, so my whole adult life I have been totally unaware why I’ve always felt like I never quite fitted in or why I saw myself as a bit of an outsider. Growing up I had a few close friends, but never fared well in group situations. I do struggle socially, but not in the way people automatically assume when they hear ‘autism’. I’m overly chatty, I often speak too quickly and don’t always notice the tone or volume of my voice. I jump into conversations and often cut people off when they are talking because I don’t always get when it’s my turn to speak. These are all traits of being autistic too.

A lot of people with autism also have a number of sensory issues. For example, to this day I can’t touch raw chicken – I hate the slimy feeling of it and will always ask my husband to cut it for me before cooking, or I pay extra to buy the pre-chopped packs! I also hate itchy woolly jumpers and nylon tights because the material really irritates me.

I massively struggle with executive function skills such as directions too. Ask anybody who knows me or who has worked with me and they will confirm as it’s a bit of a running joke. Thankfully we have sat-navs and Google maps, so it’s never caused me any real issues in my work or personal life. I once went the wrong way when I was driving to Alton Towers though, and ended up driving for two hours in the opposite direction!

People with ASD tend to be very set in their routines too. I have a job that’s structured, so this really suits me. Even when I’m driving home I always tend to go the same way because it’s a route I’m comfortable and familiar with and know well. If there are roadworks or diversions in place this can really stress me out.

I can get overwhelmed quite easily too. At work I need to stay calm and collected (which I have never had any issues with) but it can be exhausting, as you’re so aware of everything you say and do, so will often come home completely drained and not want to join in with family board games/films etc for the rest of the night.

Autism can be a real gift. I have an amazing memory. Just yesterday a colleague asked for a phone number I hadn’t used in years and I remembered it when nobody else did. I notice lots of little details other people don’t too. I am also very aware of the condition so that makes me a great advocate for my kids.

I think the main thing to remember is that autism is a spectrum condition, so not everyone struggles in the same way. It’s wrong to label people and make assumptions, and that’s why I wanted to share my own experience. ∎