Manchester University Students’ Union is a Neurodiversity Inclusivity Confident Employer

About the Students’ Union

The University of Manchester Students’ Union is one of the largest student unions in the country, with approximately 40,000 student members. We are a completely independent organisation and a registered charity, meaning we are not-for-profit and all income we generate goes back into the union. We employ around 80 salaried staff members, and around 400 student staff members.

Our Journey to Neurodiversity Inclusion

At the Students’ Union, one of our core values is “We are inclusive.” It is a value that is important to us. We recognise that being an inclusive organisation means it is a journey of continuous learning, unlearning, and adapting to meet people where they are.

We have always known that being a great employer means understanding and embracing the different ways people think, work, and experience the world. Our value of inclusivity is not only about access — it is about making sure everycolleague feels safe, supported, and empowered to be their most authentic self at work.

When we looked at our practices, we realised there were both big and small changes we could make to better support neurodivergent colleagues. And so began our intentional focus on neurodiversity. After doing some research we came across Positive Psychology Neurodiversity Centre’s website, where we saw the Neurodiversity Inclusivity Confidenceaward an we knew it was something we wanted to apply for.

We then submitted our application and met with Sarah and Reece who talked us through the process and told us what to expect. They were extremely supportive and answered any questions we had and put us at ease. One of the steps of the award process was inviting Reece to the Students’ Union where he delivered in-person training with the People team.

This training was centred around Dr Reece Coker’s lived experience as someone who is neurodivergent and what life is like for a person navigating the working world, we also discussed the different traits of each neurodivergent condition. The training was inspiring, full of humour and most importantly, honest. As a team we found it so beneficial for our learning and we came away from the training ready and excited to make changes. We knew that making some changes would take time to implement so we looked at some of the smaller things we could do. The initiatives we put in place included:

• ‘Manuals of Me’ – Simple, clickable guides written by staff to share how they work best, helping to build understanding and avoid assumptions.
• Ear Plugs – Readily available for colleagues who may experience sensory overload.
• “Getting to Know You” Surveys – A new tool that allows us to learn about individual support needs from day one.
• Updated Affirmative Action Statement – Reflecting our commitment to neurodiversity and inclusion in writing.
• Focus on Psychological Safety – Developing an open, respectful environment where colleagues feel able to speak up and share their needs.

It is important to us to make sure our inclusion initiatives were not performative but something we embed into our culture. One of the most encouraging changes we’ve seen is how much more open and transparent our workplace has become. Colleagues feel more comfortable disclosing if they are neurodivergent with the trust that they will be met with empathy and support from their line manager and colleagues. We have also made significant changes to our recruitment processes to be as transparent as possible; we have a section on our website dedicated to all thing’s recruitment including a comprehensive guide on what to expect from the process. We explain that candidates don’t have to worry about dress codes or shaking hands and they can bring notes into their interview. We want all candidates to feel they can be their authentic selves and give them the opportunity to shine. You can read more about our recruitment process here University of Manchester Students’ Union

Since winning the Neurodiversity Inclusivity Confidence award, we have gone on to receive the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter award. The panel were extremely interested in our inclusiveness and fair practices we upkeep for all colleagues and especially those who are neurodivergent. We are incredibly proud to hold this award; the award celebrates organisations that are actively creating environments where neurodivergent individuals can thrive and we’re looking forward to upholding the values and continuing to implement this into everything we do.