A new campaign to welcome and celebrate neurodiversity across the UK healthcare communications industry
March 21, 2024 | DE&I, healthcare communications, neurodiversity
THINKING DIFFERENT
This Neurodiversity Celebration Week (18 to 22 March) the Healthcare Communications Association (HCA), Fox&Cat, and The ADHD Foundation have joined forces to launch a new campaign to help welcome and celebrate neurodiversity for those working in healthcare communications. It is estimated that there are 50% more neurodivergent practitioners working in creative sectors, like healthcare communications, than in the general population1,2*
This campaign comes at a time where there is an increasing need for collaboration of individuals with different forms of intelligence – teams that can think strategically, creatively and analytically. This is particularly welcome since, as an industry, we’re facing unprecedented challenges around resourcing, time and budget constraints. There is a need for us all to ‘think differently’ if we want to meet these challenges and continue to innovate on both client and agency sides.3
The campaign THINKING DIFFERENT principally aims to help create healthier communications around neurodiversity so that the needs of neurodivergent people are understood and addressed by their employer. The campaign unearths the many advantages of welcoming and involving neurodiverse individuals in our dynamic healthcare communications industry. In doing so, not only can we enhance creativity and innovation while also fostering inclusivity and empathy, but we can also deliver more effective and impactful communication strategies.
The campaign has three core materials:
- Neurodiversity & Me – a guide for those who think differently and would like more information because they’d like to start a conversation about neurodiversity
- Neurodiversity & You – information for whole teams to encourage them to find out more about working with, and having a conversation around, neurodiversity at work
- Thinking Different – a guide for employers and managers on welcoming and celebrating neurodiversity in the workplace
Mike Dixon, CEO of the Healthcare Communications Association, said: “We’re delighted to be launching these new resources alongside Fox&Cat and The ADHD Foundation. It is our hope that this campaign will help in-house and agency teams working across healthcare communications to have more meaningful conversations around neurodiversity and catalyse the inclusion of neurodiverse individuals within the workplace.
“This campaign, alongside our wealth of other health and wellbeing initiatives, helps to ensure the evolving needs of those who work in health communications are continually being considered and addressed.”
The shared aim of this campaign is to help ensure that policies and processes within communications businesses are set up so that firstly, those with specialist needs are appropriately cared for at work and secondly, that businesses benefit from those who think differently.
Paul Hutchings, founder of Fox&Cat who himself has ADHD, said: “Neurodivergent people live in a world that is not structurally made for us, so we face challenges that a neurotypical person won’t. This can have a negative effect on our mental wellbeing due to things like insufficient support, the stress of ‘masking’ and social exclusion and anxiety, meaning we can feel unfulfilled and may develop thoughts that can lead to depression.”
Paul Hutchings continues: “I hope that the awareness created by his campaign will lead to much reduced feelings of avoidable pressure and stress for all involved.”
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about welcoming and celebrating neurodiversity both inside and outside of work. Prof. Amanda Kirby, Chair of The ADHD Foundation, says: “We were delighted to be involved in a campaign that sets out with such a positive outlook and a framework to guide conversations. Our vision is to create a world that views neurodiversity and ‘thinking differently’ as a strength, whilst acknowledging and understanding some of the challenges associated with having lifespan neurodevelopmental conditions.”
This campaign draws on the advice from: Mike Dixon CEO, Healthcare Communications Association (HCA); Paul Hutchings – Founder, Fox&Cat; Antonia Katsambis – Independent HR Practitioner; Prof. Amanda Kirby– Chair of the ADHD Foundation; Alex Lincoln – Medical Writer; Dr Emma Mahoney – Clinical Psychologist & Founder, The Advisory ND; Diane Wass – Managing Director, JPA Health & Trustee of the ADHD Foundation
This content was provided by Fox&Cat
Company Details
Latest Content from Fox&Cat
How brands can rise to meet consumers’ high self-care expectations
With ‘The Great Deceleration’ – a move towards slow living, and a focus on improving mental wellbeing being two predicted trends this year, does this open the door to a...
Multi-award-winning healthcare communications agency fox&cat scoops PR Week’s New Consultancy of the Year 2023
Recognised for its focus on wellbeing and its unique, lean and agile agency model, integrated healthcare communications agency, fox&cat has won ‘New Consultancy of the Year’ at PR Week’s 2023...
New campaign to help guide conversations around the menopause at work for those working in health communications
This World Menopause Day, fox&cat, the Healthcare Communications Association (HCA) and The Menopause Charity have launched a joint campaign to help guide important conversations around the menopause at work for...
So, you can deliver excellent outcomes & meaningful impact at low cost
Under the tree: an example of behaviour-change in mental health by fox&cat.
The speed of science and the pace of comms
Pharma red tape slows comms but there is a solution, Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, writes.
Humancomms for humancare?
Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, writes on the role of humour in healthcare comms: PharmaComms 2023
Mental health in PR: New industry-wide CPD-accredited training programme launches to help manage work-related pressure and stress
Fox&cat, CIPR, PRCA and HCA launch Under the tree: a free training programme designed to equip agency, in-house and independent communications practitioners with the skills they need to manage work-related...
#Wellbeing Week: Let’s tackle pressure
Hear from Paul Hutchings, founder of foxandcat.online, with tips and advice to help your comms team thrive under pressure
Fox&Cat Now Helps All Communications Teams To Thrive Under Pressure
Specialist communications agency fox&cat relaunches today with a refined proposition: to help all communications teams thrive under pressure. So, whether pressure is being felt in an in-house team, an agency, or...