POLICY
Accessibility Action Plan (Recruitment + Retention)
This document can be used to track readiness to employ a learning disabled management trainee, ensuring that the trainee has the best possible chance of success at Spectra.
Contents
Policy
Learning Disabled or Neurodivergent Manager Recruitment and Retention Accessibility Action Plan
Introduction
In the research conducted by Hazel Sealeaf titled Where Are The Managers?, a number of recommendations are made for organisations who intend to employ neurodivergent or learning disabled people in senior management roles.
Spectra intends to employ a learning disabled manager in the team in the next three years, preceded by a year-long training programme.
This document should be used to track our readiness to employ a learning disabled management trainee, ensuring that the trainee has the best possible chance of success at Spectra.
Last Updated: [DATE]
Who: (Staff Names/Job Titles)
Pre-Recruitment
- HaveĀ up-to-date HR policies & procedures. These should include induction checklists, standards for probation lengths and probation meetings.
- HaveĀ dedicated Access Staff. Consider appointing someone who can do the administration tasks of identifying, resourcing & meeting access needs. This will include supporting to write Access to Work applications and grant offer processes, reading access riders & chasing up actions with other staff members.
- HaveĀ accessibility policiesĀ which include how staff can raise problems if their access needs arenāt being met. Plan how to resolve problems without more work for neurodivergent staff or staff with learning disabilities.
- Have clearly defined, and ideally tested, practices for conflict resolution at senior-level positions.
- Consider including options for external mediation.
- Invest inĀ facilitated coaching sessions for senior leadershipĀ teams which are expanding for the first time, or employing a neurodivergent person for the first time.
Deadline: (Month, Year)
Progress: (Achieved / In Progress / Not Started)
Who: (Staff Names/Job Titles)
Designing the Role
- Offer the role asĀ part-time or as a job share.
- OfferĀ flexible home-workingĀ as part of the role.
- Try toĀ define daily tasks. Rather than saying āmanage external relationshipsā, try āco-chair virtual meetings with our sponsorsā
Deadline: (Month, Year)
Progress: (Achieved / In Progress / Not Started)
Who: (Staff Names/Job Titles)
Recruitment Period
- AcceptĀ applications in multiple formatsĀ ā including video, audio, and text. Consider accepting applications via phone call, where applicants can ask clarifying questions as they go.
- Write job adverts & job pack documents inĀ plain language or Easy-ReadĀ formats.Ā
- ProvideĀ photos or videosĀ of people who will be key relationships in the job pack.
- Consider offeringĀ taster sessionsĀ / experiences of the roles being recruited for. Some roles ā like trustees ā are not well understood by people who havenāt worked in similar roles before. Offering taster sessions may help more people apply, and reduces the chances of people leaving roles early and needing to re-recruit.
- ProvideĀ walkthrough sessions / sensory descriptions of major working locations. This can help people ask for changes at interview locations, and eventual working locations.
Deadline: (Month, Year)
Progress: (Achieved / In Progress / Not Started)
Who: (Staff Names/Job Titles)
Induction
- One-to-one meetingsĀ with key working relationships.
- Access Meetings.Ā Have a dedicated meeting to talk about any access needs new starters have. Not everyone will know all their access needs right away, so agree check-in points later on. Always have an option for staff to ask for another meeting in case anything changes for them.
- Flexible Observation Periods. Include a period of time where new starters are simply observing the key tasks involved in the job. Be flexible with how long this period is, before slowly handing over responsibilities.
- Proportional Inductions. Too much information at the induction stage can be confusing, and wonāt be retained as well. At first, just share the most key information for the role. Think about how other information can be shared across the whole trial period rather than in the first 2 weeks.
Deadline: (Month, Year)
Progress: (Achieved / In Progress / Not Started)
Who: (Staff Names/Job Titles)
Company Culture
- Policies, meeting agendas, and important emails should aim forĀ plain language or easy-read. Understanding the basics of plain language is something everyone in an organisation should learn, not just specific staff members.Ā
It may help people engage with important documents if you encourageĀ phone-calls or meetings to discuss written materials.Ā - Some ideas & concepts need to be practised in contextĀ for them to be understood. Consider role-play and forum theatre exercises to explore scenarios like safeguarding. This can help people to learn & remember important information.
- OfferĀ pre-meetingsĀ before board meetings or major company meetings so people can look at the agenda, ask questions and understand documents in their own time.
- When writing agendas, try toĀ make the purpose of the meeting clearĀ ā e.g. is this a meeting about sharing information, making decisions or coming up with ideas? If attendees need to do different things at different points, try to make that clear in the agenda ā e.g. when are people listening or expected to talk?
- Find ways of accepting neurodivergent communication styles, like info-dumping or non-linear tangents. A well-trained facilitator can summarise the points raised by neurodivergent staff members for others in the meeting with different communication styles.
- Bring rehearsal and workshop techniques into your meetingsĀ like focus games, check-ins, smaller groups and creative activities. These can allow more people to contribute, concentrate for longer, and speak up when something isnāt working.
Deadline: (Month, Year)
Progress: (Achieved / In Progress / Not Started)
Review of Action Plan
Created: [DATE]
Last reviewed: [DATE]
Reviewed by: [NAMES/JOB TITLES]
Approved by Board of Directors: [DATE]
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