Following the launch of the Pioneer Menopause policy in 2023 and the significant impact it delivered for staff members and across the organisation, it became clear that supporting colleagues who may be suffering in silence or “masking” their struggles was a key priority for the broader staff well-being strategy at Pioneer.
Early 2024, Executive Nurse Director, Professor David Gray championed progressing a Neurodiversity initiative for staff based on the success of the Menopause policy and his personal experience of family members with neurodiversity.
June 2024 brought the creation of the staff neurodiversity champion network at Pioneer, led by Nurse Director Siobhan McCoulough. Through this network Pioneer learned about the frustration amongst staff who suspected they had ADHD, especially frustrating was their waiting list time for assessments, which in some cases was noted up to three years. It became clear that staff needed support in obtaining a medical diagnosis quickly.
From extensive scoping of Psychiatry services available Pioneer identified that ‘Berkeleys Psychiatrists’ was best placed for our staff to obtain a medical diagnosis, treatment and a route to a shared care pathway. The investment in the Menopause policy has proven to deliver a huge return on investment so Pioneer have chosen to use the same methodology of funding staff to receive neurodiversity care.
Practice Manager at Berkeley Psychiatrists, Alp de Waal said “At Berkeley Psychiatrists, we take pride in offering exceptional assessment and treatment services to patients with neurodiverse conditions and other mental health disorders, ensuring comprehensive and compassionate care. However, we feel particularly saddened by the way people with ADHD are sometimes treated by their GPs. This is why we maintain a list of GP surgeries that accept shared care proposals, allowing our patients to benefit from the positive outcomes experienced by others seen at our practice, should their GP initially display a negative outlook on taking over their care.”
Professor David Gray stated “We saw with our organisational approach to menopause and now with ADHD that effective timely specialist input can be life changing for colleagues and their families”
Siobhan said “my passion lies in giving hidden disabilities a voice and ensuring equal opportunities for those who have not had access to specialist support. Our champion network has received tremendous support from the executive team at pioneer and is widely accepted across the organisation. Beyond being cost effective, this initiative is essential for building and inclusive and innovative workplace – the very foundation of Pioneer”.
This week, to recognise neurodiversity week, Nurse Director Siobhan McCoulough will support our Neurodivergent team members to share their experiences of this initiative on social media, so watch this space.