Colleagues are encouraged to get involved in a number of activities to confront stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences, celebrate the unique strengths and traits that thinking differently brings, and highlight the many advantages of building neuroinclusive teams.
Throughout this week we will be raising awareness of specific neurodevelopmental conditions, providing tips on how to be a good ally to neurodivergent colleagues and signposting specific guidance for parents and carers of neurodivergent young people. There will be employee information sessions, including a webinar on dyspraxia led by Salvesen Mindroom, and the launch of a dedicated Neuroinclusion at Work hub with a range of resources accessible to the whole firm.
Burness Paull has an ongoing commitment to being a neuroinclusive employer, having partnered with Salvesen Mindroom Centre since 2022 – the first law firm to sign up to their groundbreaking Neuroinclusion at Work programme. Since then, we have continued to look for ways to develop and improve policies and procedures to support neurodivergent colleagues, including introducing a reasonable adjustments passport system that remains live and up to date as an individual progresses throughout their career with the firm, developing and implementing an inclusive recruitment guide to ensure application, selection and onboarding processes are fair and transparent, and providing workplace assistance and helpful resources to colleagues on diagnostic pathways. The firm has also invested in a range of inclusive technologies to make the tools, devices and software used as accessible as possible.
Based on direct input from our colleagues, we have also recently established a peer support group for parents and carers of neurodivergent young people, realising the impact this can have in and out of the workplace. This network provides direct access to expert advice from specialist support organisations, as well as an opportunity to share experiences with others in a similar situation.
Emma Smith, Inclusion & Wellbeing Manager at Burness Paull said: “Neurodiversity Celebration Week raises awareness of the many strengths and talents that come from thinking differently, and helps bring positive change around the way neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported, empowering them to achieve their potential. But this isn’t something that should happen for just one week of the year, which is why we have neuroinclusion firmly as part of our wider respect & inclusion strategy.
Aa a responsible employer we’re always looking at how we can both improve things in our own organisation and collaborate with others to play our part in helping widen access to the legal profession. There is such momentum behind this in the legal sector and beyond and we’re very proud to be working with groups such as The Legal Neurodiversity Network and Salvesen Mindroom, who are doing fantastic work to make real change happen.”
Burness Paull’s market leading employment law team is heavily involved in advising clients on how they can also become more neuroinclusive, and regularly provides guidance on attracting, retaining and supporting neurodiverse talent. Over the next couple of months they will be holding a series of webinars exploring this subject, delving into the specifics of different neurological conditions and giving advice on best practice for HR professionals and managers. We’ll be posting details of these sessions soon and how to secure your place but in the meantime, you can revisit our “Top ten tips on how to build an inclusive workplace to attract, support and retain neurodiverse workers” here.
