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
Employee wellbeing in creative agencies: three tips to get you started
Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, and new friend, Welfy, a workplace wellbeing training firm, discuss the importance of collaboration
Managing unhelpful pressure in your creative agency: the human approach
Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, answers the questions: what does it mean to be human in 2021? Are we putting ourselves under too much pressure?
Happiness and wellbeing: you can have both, but they’re not the same thing
"Wellbeing needs to remain central to leadersip", writes Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat. In this article Paul and his network explain the difference between wellbeing and happiness. And how problems...
How nature can help you manage the pressures of agency life
Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, outlines how nature can help you can boost staff wellbeing in your agency this Mental Health Awareness Week
Leaders leading leaders: objectivity and respecting the micro-leader
Passionate leaders go far. But clip their wings, fail to recognise their skills or respect their passions, and you’re set for uproar. Especially with Gen Z now established in the...
Oh no… not more training
Paul Hutchings, founder of fox&cat, discusses ways to help your team manage pressure in a more human, pressure-centric and engaging way
Want to give perfect client service? Tough luck, you’re human
In this article an ex-client of mine, Liz Skrbkova, and I explore the (unhelpful) pressures of trying to perfect the client-agency relationship
Feeling the pressure?
Pressure affects us all differently. But one thing is certain... left unresolved, pressure will have a lasting negative effect on the culture of your agency
Next Generation Consultancy Launches To Help Creative Agency Teams Manage The Pressures Of Agency Life
A new ‘mould-breaking’ virtual support agency, fox&cat emerges today with a clear mission – to help creative agency teams manage the growing and evolving pressures of agency life. Initial roll-out...