Lexxic’s Response to the Buckland Review
At Lexxic, we recognise the barriers faced by autistic individuals, highlighted by the Buckland Report, including unfair hiring practices, unclear processes and outdated attitudes. These barriers can leave individuals feeling unsafe to tell their employer they are autistic, and unable to access support that would enable them to thrive at work.
We welcome the report’s focus on inclusion by design, to reduce the need for autistic and other neurodivergent individuals to request specific adjustments at work. This approach is consistent with Lexxic’s Neurodiversity Smart Assessment and Accreditation, the first employer accreditation scheme for neurodiversity inclusion. The scheme supports employers to become more neuro-inclusive across all aspects of the employee lifecycle and customer experience, understanding their strengths and areas for development, and providing them with an accreditation to demonstrate their neuro-inclusion credentials to employees, partners and customers. We are working with progressive organisations across sectors who are leading the way on becoming more neuro-inclusive, showing that change is possible, and that it has real benefits for employers as well as neurodivergent individuals.
We also welcome the report’s focus on career progression. Whilst improving hiring practices is important, it is not enough. We need to be ambitious, and ensure that neurodivergent individuals, including those who are autistic, receive equal opportunities to progress in their careers and become leaders in our future economy. That is why Lexxic empowers neurodivergent individuals to flourish through our assessment and coaching services, builds awareness and understanding of neurodiversity across organisations, and collaborates with business leaders to create more neuroinclusive working environments and practices. The demand for our services has increased by 550% in the last 4 years, recognising the need and appetite for change.
Helen Musgrove, Director of Psychological Services, Lexxic.