Bolton NHS  Foundation Trust has set up a Neurodiversity Support Group to create a more understanding workplace .

Monthly meetings now take place to offer a safe space, resources and sensory aids; a popular “Neurodiversity in our workplace” toolkit; and a series of neurodiversity awareness training sessions.

These initiatives aim to foster a culture where neurodivergent colleagues feel supported and empowered to speak up, contributing to the work of the trust and to improve employee engagement.

Now the Neurodiversity Inclusion and Support Group is a finalist at this year’s HPMA Excellence in People Awards, with the group’s work making the Browne Jacobson Award for Excellence in Employee Engagement shortlist.

 

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James Mawrey, Director of People and Deputy Chief Executive at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We want everyone who works at Bolton to feel supported in their role. Our support group is about creating psychologically safe spaces where staff feel comfortable to share their experiences, needs and to build connections with other colleagues.

“Their feedback is helping us to adapt our working environments to better meet individual needs and their voices are helping to shape wider organisational changes, such as our Reasonable Adjustments process.

“It’s fantastic to see the positive changes we’re making as an organisation being recognised nationally through being shortlisted for this excellence award.

Feedback highlights staff feel safe and valued, with many describing their attendance at sessions as a safe space where they can be themselves.

This change was reflected in the Trust’s latest Staff Survey results:

– “We are compassionate and inclusive” rose to 7.40, significantly above the sector average of 7.21.

– “We each have a voice that counts” increased to 6.80, outperforming the sector average of 6.67.

– “We are recognised and rewarded” improved to 6.12, exceeding the sector average of 5.93.

James added:” We know there is always more we can be doing to make sure our staff have the support and resources they need to thrive at work, but these results demonstrate that we’re already making great progress in creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace, with a measurable impact on employee experience and engagement.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Birmingham on Tuesday 20 November 2025.