You have your Access to Work award - what now?
Your award letter has arrived - but what now? This page explains what your award actually means, how booking works, how payment is handled, and how to claim the funding, so you know exactly what happens next.
Not applied yet? Start with our Access to Work guide.
New on the blog: Access to Work, from applying to your award letter.
On this page:
What now? Start here
If your Access to Work award letter has arrived, and you are not sure what to do next, we are here to support you.
Award letters can be confusing. It may name things like coaching, co-coaching, Disability Impact Training or workplace training, sometimes with hours and costs attached, without much explanation of what they actually are.
Your grant letter may list:
- Workplace Coping Strategy Training
- Virtual Strategy Coaching Sessions
- Workplace Strategy Mentoring Sessions
- ADHD/Autism Coping Strategy Sessions
These are all covered under our coaching services.
Some awards can include Disability Impact Training or Disability Awareness Training too - every type of support is explained below.
If, after reading the information here, you are not sure what your letter means, fill in the enquiry form below - or email a copy of your letter to [email protected] - and we will translate it for you.
What does your award letter mean?
Now that Access to Work funding has been approved, Creased Puddle can deliver some of the recommended support.
Coaching
Co-coaching
A joint coaching experience for you and your manager to help facilitate conversations and develop understanding.
Disability Impact Training
An educational, 1:1 input from a fully qualified and experienced Neurodiversity trainer designed to help you understand your neurodivergence better.
Disability Awareness Training
Designed for your immediate team or colleagues, D.A.T. provides evidence-based neurodiversity knowledge for those working most closely with you.
Frequently asked questions
These cover the stages after an award has been made. Questions about eligibility or applying are on our Access to Work guide page.
How booking works
There is no online checkout for Access to Work support because getting the right support is about people, not transactions. We first take the time to review your Access to Work grant letter and make sure we can match you with the specialist who is the best fit for your needs. From there, we can get everything set up and started. Here is how it works:
1.
Get in touch
Fill in the enquiry form below, or email us. If you have your grant letter, send a copy to [email protected] - it tells us exactly what has been funded.
2.
We review your award
We confirm we can provide the support that has been approved, sort any paperwork with you and your employer, and advise you on the next steps.
3.
We match you and introduce your coach
We ask a few details about your neurodivergent traits or diagnosis and your current challenges, then assign the coach whose expertise and style best fit you. Then we introduce you.
4.
You schedule sessions together
You and your coach schedule your sessions at times that suit you. You complete the coaching at your own pace.
Costs, invoicing, and claims - the transparent version
Money questions are the ones people are most nervous to ask, so here are the answers up front:
How payment works
Access to Work may advise that costs can be paid directly from your funding, but in practice that often is not the case. So your support can start promptly and continue without interruption, we invoice the full cost of the agreed services once your booking is confirmed - in most cases your employer pays this invoice. Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice.
You then claim your Access to Work funding through your online portal to reimburse your employer, once the coaching or training has been delivered. This approach prevents funding-related delays.
Your copy of the grant letter explains how to claim. You will need to create an account with GOV.UK One Login - on your online portal you can then see the details of your grant, make claims, and track the progress of payments.
Not sure what you need? Get in touch
If you have read the guidance above and still have a question, or you would like to contact Creased Puddle, fill in the short form or email us.
What happens when you enquire
- We read every enquiry and reply by email
- We point you to the right next step - even if that is not us
- No obligation, and no marketing emails unless you tick the opt-in
Prefer to talk? Call 01904 463171 or email [email protected]. Please read the FAQs first - most questions are answered above.
Access to Work enquiry
The form takes about two minutes. Tell us where you are up to and we will point you to the right next step. We aim to reply by email within 2 working days.
Trusted, evidence-led support
Creased Puddle has delivered neurodiversity coaching, training and consultancy since 2017 - independently evaluated, strengths-based, and built around the person rather than the paperwork.
You are not a number to us. We do not underestimate the trust you are placing in us to support you on your coaching journey. We created this Access to Work resource in collaboration with Access to Work users to help you to understand the process and what different terminology means. If you have any feedback on how we can improve it, please let us know.
2017
delivering neurodiversity coaching, training and consultancy across the UK
1,000s
of coaching hours delivered, by coaches trained to ILM Level 5
20
a UK-wide network of around 20 partner coaches and neurodiversity specialists