Now Finch is effectively helping people build routines, self-care etc – without even realising it using a similar theme!
The reward aspect of Finch – a pet bird – getting clothes, food etc for your bird and reward stickers for you, is helping many neurodivergent people build the routines that help them to thrive.
I’d never heard of Finch until yesterday. During the penultimate ADHD coaching session with a manager in academia, they shared their use of Finch, how it had helped them without them even realising it.
Having checked the app out myself, I can see how effective it can be. The free version enables most activities to be done.
To my peer coaches out there – check it out. This might be an additional tool you might share with some of your coachees.
To my fellow humans – neurodivergent and neurotypical, why not check Finch out? If nothing else it will be a fun window of distraction for your minds.
A great meeting with Anna & Bal from South London Job Centre Plus this morning to discuss the promotion and support for the next Growing Talent programme in September.
A date for the diary of anyone London-based looking for work!
Fed-up of being ‘ghosted’ when applying for jobs?
Time to disrupt things?
Why not join us? We’ve got proven success over 10+ years of getting people into work – and not a cv in sight!
If you are over 18 – no upper age limit, want to work in London and are seeking a job you can grow into a career – check out the carousel attached.
If you aren’t looking for a job yourself, but know someone who is, pass it on!
9 points you’ll learn if you read the carousel to the end – up for the challenge?:
1. You don’t have to leave your home/favourite coffee shop 😀 2. Instead of a cv…. 😀 3. PPP – all about you 😀 4. What’s cool about slow dating? 😀 5. 1-2-1 meetings 😀 6. Workplace and life skills 😀 7. Talent Hub 😀 8. When to apply 😀 9. Reassurance – Jane knows what she’s doing & she’s bloody good at it! 😀
Absolutely no ghosting in sight!
Are you ready to join us in a little recruitment disruption?
Since joining LinkedIn back in November 2008, the knowledge and services I offer has evolved organically into workplace mind health, resilience building, inclusion and team cohesion.
This grew out of coaching unemployed people into work – via the Real Apprentice (2004-2013) and Growing Talent (2013 to date).
To move anyone forward from a place where they feel stuck, you have to make a connection, build confidence and trust to understand where each individual is starting – their blockers and desired goals.
This individual focus is pivotal to secure workplace cohesion especially where neurodivergent and neurotypical brains come together.
Anyone who has experienced adversity in their lives, never forgets the emotions they felt.
Adversity changes your soul. In time, it makes you stronger. More resilient yet years later something triggers a memory of those times, and the emotions come flooding back.
That is the power of our brain. It never forgets anything. It has infinite storage space. We must always be alert to those intrusive emotions returning.
I have written various programmes to teach self-empowerment and growth tools needed to move forward from a position of no control.
Connecting with diverse people from all walks of life on their journey to employment, threw up the clear need for more understanding in the workplace of neurodivergence.
There are so many pressures on managers, they may not realise some of their team are neurodivergent and mistake symptoms for behaviours – which can lead to a whole heap of pain for everyone.
Seeing the pressures of neurodivergence in the workplace when awareness was limited on individuals and the business was the driving force to become a Certified ADHD Coach.
Along with coaching 1:1, I devised two workplace virtual seminars. One to raise awareness for managers and one for non-managers. Both assessed and certified by CPD. Both have been well received across diverse sectors from a leading UK University, manufacturing and corporates.
Simple steps and techniques I’ve developed as a certified ADHD Coach enable workplaces to reduce the risk of burnout, long term sickness, loss of talent even challenge at Employment Tribunal.
NHS waiting lists for formal assessment in the UK are off the scale. Many employees won’t have been assessed. Many won’t have been coached 1:1 to recognise how their neurodivergence shows-up and how they can tame it.
An assessment doesn’t need to be in place to seek out coaching. Steps can be learnt to take control of their brain and work with it – not against it.
Employers can fund this coaching as part of their ‘reasonable adjustments’.
It should be noted a formal assessment doesn’t have to be in place before an employer’s liability kicks in at Employment Tribunal.
Compensation awards are uncapped averaging around £45K. Awareness training or teams and 1:1coaching for individuals is far cheaper and less impact on everyone!
I used to deliver a mental health programme which was reactive. Its title made employers think they were getting trained first aiders in mental health without any consideration about their safety or ability to hold empathetic conversations.
For the last 4.5 years, I’ve been a global I-Act Instructor delivering this innovative programme to countries including USA, Canada, China, Taiwan, India, Germany. In line with ISO45003, this programme teaches proactive and first responder steps as well as how to start, manage and end conversations safely.
How has your expertise and services evolved since you joined Linkedin?
Peter realised he didn’t have enough money on his Oyster to use the train to travel into London, so he planned his journey, got up extra early to arrive as close as possible to the start time of Growing Talent‘s Orientation week.
Grace had an equally trying time having to juggle getting the children to school and then into Central London. Did she want any ‘special treatment’? hell no. She set her mind on doing Growing Talent following her husband’s experience on the last programme, no matter what.
So a morning of learning, discussing, sharing thoughts, views and opinions on effective communication, unconscious bias, what is neurodivergence, managing conflict, how to move on – internally and externally, we arrived at some case studies. Real life experiences of problems previous Growing Talent participants had experienced. What would Grace and Peter have done? the conversation flowed.
That’s the beauty of working together leading with respect, inclusion and without pre-judgement.
For the rest of the week, we move to training our minds – the holistic element of Growing Talent
Both Peter and Grace are joining CIS Security Limited Their ability to connect with people, observe the cues humans give and think calmly coupled with the intense security training and guidance CIS Security Limited will give them, they have a world full of opportunities about to open for them.
A big thank you to those behind the scene supporting Grace and Peter including
You never forget the feeling of standing out for the ‘wrong’ reasons.
As a member of the ‘bullied club’ at primary school, we tried to make ourselves as invisible as possible. Our days largely consisted of trying not to get noticed. Which we generally failed to do.
Sam (name change) one of our crew was noticed daily. They had free school dinners which meant they queued separately.
This was decades ago when the country had more money than it appears to have today. Wouldn’t it have been better, back then, to make school dinners free to every child? Instead of highlighting their ‘difference’ which caused more self-loathing and bullying.
Fast forward to today. I ask myself the same question when speaking with managers about easy adjustments they can make for their neurodivergent staff.
You may have noticed adjustments you’ve agreed aren’t being used.
Ever considered why?
Ever asked the team member why they aren’t making use of the adjustment you agreed?
In my experience people often won’t use adaptions agreed because it highlights their difference to their colleagues.
What if those adjustments, where possible, were offered to all staff?
One manager I was speaking with had agreed with one of their ADHD team members they could use their fidget toys anytime they wanted to. Yet had never seen them do so. They could still see them struggling to focus in team meetings.
Why not make fidget toys ‘normal’?
The manager brought a selection of fidget toys – all colours and shapes. At the next team meeting, the manager said nothing as they put all the toys on the desk, picked one up and started using it. They then started the meeting.
One by one the team picked up a toy and used it as they went through the agenda. Once a few colleagues had started using the fidget toy, the ADHDer picked up a toy to.
At the end of the meeting, the manager asked how everyone felt using the toys. All agreed, their concentration increased and ideas flowed. They kept their toys and used them as they wanted to.
Job done. Everyone felt included. The agreed adjustment of using the fidget toy benefitted everyone – which is so often the case. The team member who initially needed the fidget toy, now felt more confident using it.
Managers should be aware of:
⚡ 1 in 7 adults are neurodivergent which clashes with a neurotypical environment.
⚡ A formal assessment doesn’t need to be in place before your responsibilities under employment law activates (Piper vs Coventry University 2023)
⚡ Compensation at Employment Tribunal under neurodivergence is uncapped – averaging c£45K per award.
Simple things will help and benefit the whole team!
If you want to explore how you can make your workplace more neuro inclusive and reduce the risk of burnout or an Employment Tribunal contact me.
How do you currently ensure your workplace is neuroinclusive?
The eight week personal empowerment programme I wrote as an optional resource for those who apply for Growing Talent but don’t progress past the selection stage, is not only certified by The CPD Certification Service but now on it’s third cohort!
Yesterday was the first session. The format is always the same. The first 45 minutes or so focus on the course content followed by open discussion on anything and everything. Brain storming ideas on personal issues, job searches and entrepreneurship.
The foundation content for week one is exploring and analysing where we are, where we want to be, how to get there and tools to use at each stage.
So, what were the thoughts at the end of the session?
“This has been so amazing. Better than I thought. I feel energised and ready to move forward.” Karen.
Karen still felt the same after I gave her some additional homework tasks on top of completing the e-workbook!
Human connection, collaboration and exploration are fundamental to self-empowerment.
Roll on next week!
If you are currently unemployed in London looking for your next opportunity without the pressure of a cv and formal job interview, why not join Growing Talent? Deadline to apply 2 June 2025. _________________________
Wandering around the market on a warm, blue-sky day in Lanzarote, this bag jumped out at me.
The stallholders were a local father and son selling the leather goods they made themselves.
Bags and rucksacks of every size and colour, this green one stood out. The intricate pattern in contrasting red on the flap, two zips on the back and long adjustable strap – exactly what I needed for work back home. Few would have such a bag – bonus! I like to be different!
The father with his smiling toothless grin wrapped the bag and off I went pleased with my purchase.
Back in the hotel room a few hours later, I took the bag out of its wrapping. What was that smell? Subtle, yet pungent. I couldn’t find the culprit anywhere until I sniffed the bag – deeply and closely. Urgh – this was a difference I didn’t want!
After a search on Google, I discovered:
🫣 All sorts of hides can be used – including camel 🫣 All sorts of products can be used to tan the leather – including fish oil and urine! – who knew
Pungent smells can occur when inferior hides and tanning products are used as the leather breaks down. There is no cure.
The bag was left behind but clearly illustrates what you see on the surface isn’t always the whole story!
This is true of people too. Especially in the workplace.
People at all levels must deal with pressure and change continuously. This can weigh heavy on them and their colleagues.
What can be done? Give them the tools and knowledge they need:
💡 Raise awareness amongst managers – is what you are seeing the whole story? 💡 Roll out training for staff to proactively build their resilience and thrive. 💡 Provide coaching for neurodivergent team members to tame the impact on them.
I specialise in workplace programmes that enables teams to thrive. Including:
Neurodivergent coaching 1:1 – how to thrive in a neurotypical workplace (I am a certified ADHD Coach)
Awareness of neurodivergence for managers – what you might see, what you might do. Critical for true team inclusion and reduction of risk of an ET (CPD certified programme)
How to be an ally to your neurodivergent colleague – for non-managers (CPD certified programme)
I-Act Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing – global programme accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in line with ISO45003. (I have been delivering this programme to global organisations for over four years)
Time to talk about the transformation I can deliver for your team?
The theme for 2025 is ‘community’ and the impact on us. The workplace is a key ‘community’. Sometimes we’re there more than at home!
Something impactful workplaces can do anytime of the year is run neurodivergent awareness sessions.
Change assumptions into curiosity. Isolation into inclusion. Hidden into seen.
Want to know more?
City & Guilds 2025 Index shows 13% of employers involved in current Employment Tribunals are there because of a conflict with neurodivergence.
It’s easy for pressurised managers to assume symptoms seen are behaviours/attitude. It can also be costly!
Neurodivergent conditions are protected under Disability within the Equalities Act 2010. Compensation in this areas is uncapped with average payments around £45K.
It’s estimated 1:7 adults are neurodivergent – many won’t know it. Assessment in the UK can take 7+ years. Medication is often in short supply. Learning how their neurodivergence shows up enables them to learn how to tame it. This is key in the workplace to enable creativity and productivity to flow whilst smashing the risk of burnout.
Ensuring managers have awareness training to understand how to be curious and engage with all members of their team – is a cost effective ‘no brainer’. Isn’t it?
As is giving colleagues the tools and knowledge to be an ally.
As a certified ADHD Coach, I have devised CPD certified sessions for workplace managers and colleagues.
Are you interested to learn more for your workplace?Contact me for an exploratory chat
Some thoughts from managers who have completed the awareness session:
“I learnt more about the legal side and our legal obligations that I wasn’t aware of. I didn’t know it was classed as a disability.
I learnt more about the executive functioning and how that’s impacted and additional ideas about how to support someone with ADHD to make reasonable adjustments for them.”
“I thought it was really informative and contained a good level of information to increase the awareness for a manager in spotting and helping individuals with ADHD”
For more years than I care to count, I’ve mentored, coached, empowered and collaborated with awesome unemployed people, who at the time, couldn’t see just how awesome they were!
Devising programmes on a scale of intensity from hour long seminars to courses multiple weeks long, it’s nerve racking being in limbo waiting for the evaluations from participants.
Growing Talent had run for ten years when the fact there was no option for those unemployed participants who were not offered an opportunity to have a resource to grow further grew louder. So, I devised the Talent Hub.
Eight weeks long, delivered virtually over an hour each week covering a specific workplace or life skill each hour with a workbook and review plan as well as a CPD certificate on completion, it was a lot of work to move from idea to reality.
Would the transformation I wanted participants to receive happen?
Was the course and materials good enough?
Was I good enough?
There would be no answers until the leap of faith was taken.
Now the first CPD certified Talent Hub has completed, it’s clear from the evaluations the goals have been achieved.
If you have an idea, know this, you will never be ready.
The time will never be perfect.
Just do it. If it needs tweaking, you can do this afterwards – but you won’t know the tweaks you need to make until you do it!
Have you got an idea you are waiting for the perfect time to launch?
