Survey finds only 53% of line managers feel confident supporting neurodivergent colleagues

Just over half of UK line managers (53%) say they feel confident supporting neurodivergent colleagues to thrive at work. The figure comes from a survey by Working To Wellbeing (W2W), reported by Personnel Today on 9 November.

Employees were even less sure. Only 46% said they felt their line managers were equipped to give that support.

A fall since 2022

W2W says confidence has dropped over the past four years. The comparison figure it gave covers colleagues with a long-term health condition, which is a wider group than neurodivergent people alone. This year, 56% of managers said they felt confident offering workplace support to that group, down from 70% in 2022.

Who did the research

Personnel Today describes W2W as a vocational rehabilitation provider. Vocational rehabilitation means services that help people stay in work or return to it, for example by looking at what someone needs and suggesting changes to their job or workplace. That is also the kind of support the survey’s conclusions recommend, so the findings are best read as the company’s own research. Personnel Today’s report does not say how many people took part or how they were chosen.

Dr Julie Denning, a chartered health psychologist and W2W’s managing director, said the findings showed “much room for improvement” in preparing line managers to spot neurodivergent people’s needs early and make room for them. She also said managers already have a lot on their plates. In her view, vocational rehabilitation support for managers and for the neurodivergent people they manage is “incredibly valuable”, including help with adjustments and with following the Equality Act 2010.

She said employers’ hesitation should be seen in context:

“Any employer reticence or lack of confidence must be considered in the context of worries about getting things wrong, as opposed to deliberately creating barriers.”

Needs, not diagnosis

The survey comes about a month after the Fonagy review, which was published in October. Clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy chaired the review, which looked at NHS England’s mental health, ADHD and autism services. Personnel Today reported that the review found long waits for assessment often stop people getting wider help. More than 254,000 people had an open autism referral, and over 90% of them had waited longer than 13 weeks.

The review called for “needs-led” support. That means help based on the difficulties a person actually faces, rather than on whether they have a formal diagnosis. Professor Fonagy said:

“Diagnosis remains essential and must be protected – what has to change is that it is no longer the only door through which help can be reached.”

According to Personnel Today, the review also recommended that employers focus on the specific challenges someone faces in their day-to-day work, rather than asking for a formal diagnosis before offering help.

What happens next

The government has said it will move towards earlier, needs-led support for children, young people and adults. It has said it will set out its response to the review in a new Mental Health Strategy. In October, Personnel Today reported that this was due “in the coming months”.

For neurodivergent workers, this puts more weight on the people they report to every day. Many are still waiting for an assessment, and some have never had one. If support at work is meant to follow need rather than a diagnosis, line managers will often be the ones deciding what that support looks like. This survey suggests many of them don’t yet feel ready.

This piece summarises reporting by Personnel Today. Read the original articles for the full story.