What is a workplace needs assessment?
Workplace needs assessments identify the support an employee may require to perform their job comfortably and effectively, particularly when that individual lives with a disability or neurodiversity. The assessments focus on finding adjustments and strategies, actionable by you as their employer, to help them remain happy and productive, and your organisation to remain inclusive and adaptable.
Recommendations include:
- Neurodiversity Coaching
- Assistive Technology, such as screen readers
- A support worker (such as a job coach)
- Adapted desks or chairs
- Additional transport
Private workplace needs assessments for employers
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Our workplace needs assessments are strengths-based, insightful, and provide an immediate way forward, focusing on:
- Strengths and manager insights, highlighting your employee strengths and providing tailored support. We sit down for a 15-minute virtual call with you as the manager to gain insight into your organisational goals, and one hour with your employee to get a real feel for the difference that could be made.
- Immediate implementation, delivering reports within two weeks to enable swift action on recommendations. This supports well-being as quickly as possible, helping to prevent disengagement or burnout.
- Additional implementation support for an additional £500. This one-off session provides step-by-step guidance to align the recommendations we have made with your company objectives, maximising their impact.
How Access to Work (ATW) works alongside workplace needs assessments
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The Access to Work Scheme gives employers funded support in making adjustments for disabled employees. It helps cover or share the cost of these adjustments, making workplace support more affordable. The Access to Work scheme is related but not the same; the workplace needs assessment is an evaluation, whereas the UK government support scheme (Access to Work) can fund the adjustments.
The Access to Work (ATW) process can take up to 8 months to complete, and a workplace needs assessment in the interim can provide the immediate support required to make an employee's working life more comfortable and productive. The ATW scheme provides valuable, long-term inclusivity in a cost effective way, but we would strongly recommend reaching out to us for interim Access to Work support if you are pursuing this funding; it can make all the difference in a positive experience for neurodiverse employees.
Phased Approach for Immediate and Long-Term Support
- Some employers opt for the Private Assessment initially to implement essential, strengths-based adjustments that boost employee well-being quickly. They may then proceed with ATW for non-urgent elements that can accommodate the longer processing time. This approach ensures immediate support while leveraging ATW funding for additional adjustments, creating a comprehensive support plan that prioritises employee health and engagement.
How do Exceptional Individuals handle workplace needs assessments for employers?
We offer these assessments impartially and online, allowing employers all over the UK to benefit from our expertise on behalf of their employees. In essence, we identify solutions to barriers experienced by an employee in their job which arise because of their disability. Our recommendations, which we assist in implementing, ensure that neurodiverse employees can reach their full potential, unlocking job satisfaction, productivity, and innovation in your workplace.
What neurodiverse conditions are supported by workplace needs assessments?
Neurodivergences commonly supported by workplace needs assessments include:
- ADHD, with support for focus, organisation, task management, and distraction reduction
- Autism, including adjustments for communication, sensory processing, routines, and developing a predictable work pattern
- Dyslexia, with strategies and assistive devices for reading, writing, spelling, and processing written information
- Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder), with adjustments made to support motor coordination, organisation, and task planning
- Dyscalculia, including support and techniques to improve work done with numbers
- Tourette Syndrome, with support in managing tics, and reducing triggers and stressors
Our workplace needs assessors
Our team of workplace assessors includes Ruth-Ellen Danquah, Timothy Lang, and Leroy Willington. Each brings extensive experience and specialised skills, ensuring a comprehensive and trustworthy service.
Ruth-Ellen Danquah – Chief Innovation Officer & ADHD Business Strategist
Over 15 years of transformational leadership. Has supported 1,000+ business owners and generated £120M+ in revenue as a global SaaS business development manager.
Key expertise: trauma-aware, capacity-led performance strategies; AI automation; executive function training; inclusive business design.
Notable achievements: trained 600+ senior leaders (HSBC, Aviva, Man Group, Lush); secured £1.4M+ in Access to Work funding; increased internal coaching capability by 40% across enterprise partners.
Timothy Lang – Head of Delivery & Coach
Eight years of lived coaching experience supporting neurodivergent individuals. Oversees delivery of Needs Assessments, Employee Support, Coaching, and Mentoring.
Key expertise: adapted process models, conversational coaching methods, leadership of assessment and support teams.
Notable achievements: brings personal insight from Dyslexia and ASD traits; leads the Audits team.
Leroy Willington – Assessor & Delivery Lead
Eight years of expertise in neurodiversity, workplace inclusion, and holistic assessment. Former Holistic Assessor for the DWP.
Key expertise: person-centred assessment, practical employment recommendations, internal quality assurance, HR systems and compliance.
Notable achievements: developed tools and communication strategies to improve clarity for clients and employers; produced detailed DWP reports informing Access to Work support.
Get in touch to request a Workplace Needs Assessment
Once you have submitted your form, we will get back to you within 2 working days. If you’d rather speak with us, call us on 0208 133 6046.
FAQs
What’s involved in the optional implementation session?
If you have opted for our implementation session, we will work through your report with you to ensure our recommendations can be actioned easily. This includes prioritising the recommendations to implement based on impact, cost, and ease. We’ll also help you plan their rollout, which can include assigning responsibilities, and setting realistic timelines.
We will also take the time to discuss any customisation for these recommendations, based specifically on your organisation’s structure, culture, and resources. Any barriers that come up can also be workshopped, helping to anticipate and address them for more straightforward implementation.
Don’t forget that we are also very familiar with helping businesses integrate adjustments with their existing policies, helping them remain inclusive as well as effective operationally; advice around this can form part of this session too!
What employers are eligible for workplace needs assessments?
Any employer can pursue a workplace needs assessment in the UK, though the government funding available will vary depending on circumstance and company size. There are no eligibility criteria for an Exceptional Individuals workplace needs assessment; most employers that we work with get in touch when an employee has disclosed a neurodivergent condition.
What happens after a workplace needs assessment?
The support we can provide for businesses with neurodivergent employees and/or a drive to make their workplace more inclusive doesn’t stop at workplace needs assessments. We can continue to provide neurodiverse recruitment support, and neurodiversity consultancy to ensure you and your employees stay supported.