No mind left behind: Gillian Christie

On a crisp and icy November morning, representatives from the private and public sectors, the Scottish and Swedish governments, and the academic community were warmly welcomed in Stockholm for a ‘Neurodiversity at Work’ roundtable. The hosts were HRH Prince Carl Philip and HRH Princess Sofia.

The 2023 event was a collaboration between the Prince Couple’s Foundation and the Scottish neurodiversity charity, Salvesen Mindroom Centre. Its purpose was to bring key stakeholders from the two countries together, including Baillie Gifford, to share their knowledge and experience and discuss how to create more inclusive workplaces and society.

A rising tide lifts all boats

Neurodiversity starts from the premise that it includes everyone. Like fingerprints, no two people share the same brain anatomy. That results in differences in how our brains take in and process information, which affects how individuals experience and interact with the world.

It’s estimated that 15 – 20 per cent of the population is neurodivergent. When workplace policies and practices are inclusive for neurodivergent employees, it creates a ‘rising tide’ that ‘lifts all boats’, not just neurominorities. That was the outcome sought by the roundtable.

The participants shared a common aim of wanting to help shape a world where the unique variations of our minds are not merely accepted but cherished and recognised as a source of collective strength.

It was agreed that by embracing diversity and inclusion, society can unlock the untapped potential of neurodivergent individuals and foster innovative solutions to the complex challenges we face, benefiting individuals, companies, and society.

The value of neurodiversity

The consensus was that neurodivergent talent is needed more than ever if we are to truly experience the many benefits of diverse workforces. Before the roundtable, EY Sweden and The Prince Couple’s Foundation published a neurodiversity report entitled The Value of Being Yourself.

While the report found that many challenges remain for neurodivergent individuals in the workplace – 88 per cent of survey respondents had not shared their diagnosis at work – it also explored the potential that could be unlocked by allowing our differences to be the norm.

The roundtable focused on fostering that potential, as individuals shared practical strategies to help formulate the ‘how’ to create neuroinclusive environments.

Baillie Gifford was represented by Rhona McHugh, Head of Employee Experience and member of its Diversity & Inclusion Group, and Gillian Christie, chair of its Neurodiversity Group, an employee-led staff network.

“Being autistic, it was inspiring to hear the different approaches being taken to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces that value all staff and to contribute to that discussion by sharing some of our neuroinclusion journey here at Baillie Gifford,” says Gillian Christie.

The roundtable covered topics such as the economic benefits of integrating neurodivergent individuals in the workforce, the role of the government and public bodies in furthering neuroinclusion, and how companies are developing tailored approaches for neurodiversity-inclusive work environments.

We also visited the laboratories of KIND (Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) at the Karolinska Institute to learn how genetic factors contribute to our identity and hear how KIND collaborates with the Swedish government to support and shape global healthcare systems.

The roundtable ended with a joint call for continued and enduring action. Following this, some of the stakeholders are currently working with Mindroom on developing a neuroinclusion charter. This will allow organisations to benchmark their journey and give them suggestions for how to progress toward becoming a more neuroinclusive workplace.

In addition, Baillie Gifford continues to participate in and benefit from Mindroom’s neuroinclusion at work partnership, working with partner organisations to further neuroinclusive practices within the organisation, and further afield so that no mind is left behind in the workplace.

About The Prince Couple’s Foundation

• The Prince Couple’s Foundation was established in 2015 in connection with The Prince Couple’s wedding.
• The Foundation’s vision is that all children and young people should have the opportunity to be themselves. Its mission is to bring together, inspire, and run projects focusing on its two operational areas: dyslexia and online safety.

About Salvesen Mindroom

• Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom), founded in 2000, is a charity that champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds.
• Its mission is to be a leading centre for change in how we live, work, and learn. It achieves this through support, education, advocacy and research, collaborating closely with the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, part of the Clinical Brain Sciences at Edinburgh University.

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