This week, we attended the Disability in Policing Conference 2025 once again. It is a special event for us and one that we look forward to throughout the year.
It’s a chance to shine a light on the incredible work that takes place throughout UK police forces. We reconnected with familiar faces and welcomed many new ones as we continue to strengthen our ties with UK policing.
The conference also shone a light on the increase in disability related tribunal claims taking place and how much it is costing. The average cost per claim begins at £4,600 but can rise significantly. The Police Federation of England and Wales have incurred costs in the millions in both litigation and compensation for their members.
Disability discrimination volumes remain on track to have increased by 30% in 2025. The types of discrimination cannot be gathered by the tribunal records yet, however, across England and Wales there has been a notable increase in claims related to neurodiversity.
This can change, but how?
There has been a positive correlation identified by a DPA working group which shows investments in reasonable adjustments reduce negative outcomes.
Our CEO and Founder, Caroline Turner, delivered a presentation titled ‘Neurodiversity – Achieving the Policing Standard‘ and you can watch the highlights of the video below.
The transcript for this video is at the bottom.
Right now, over half a million people are waiting for ADHD assessments and more than a quarter of a million for Autism assessments. While the demand for diagnostic services grows, the pressures on policing continue.
Across forces, we’ve seen the difference when organisations invest in training their own Level 4 Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessors. Instead of relying on external screening, these assessors design flexible, bespoke systems that fit roles and reduce risk. And the results are clear: a values-led approach to inclusion consistently outperforms tick-box compliance.
This presentation is about achieving the policing standard. For me, these are three very interesting, distinct points.
Number one is achieving – what assistance and support can somebody receive to help them achieve?
Number two is policing – policing is governed by its own culture.
And the third is standard – from the Code of Ethics to the absence management policy, from health and safety to the CVF itself, standards, benchmarks and targets are everywhere.
Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by carrying out stress risk assessments and acting on them [1]. Stress risk assessments can help line managers start conversations with their staff, even without talking about neurodiversity.
One of the questions we get asked on all of our training is: How do we encourage line managers to start conversations about neurodiversity? Well, if you have nothing else, start by asking around it. That can provide a framework.
In workplace needs assessments, individuals often highlight how their values are their strengths. When they do not fit, they feel the need to leave and find alternative employment. In many cases, they will settle for less money in lieu of a more value led organisation and that contributes to the disability pay gap.
I do not know whether you have seen the statistics on how many people are waiting, particularly for Autism and ADHD assessments at the moment. You have just over half a million people waiting for an ADHD assessment [2] and over a quarter of a million people waiting for an Autism assessment [3], and that is just on NHS waiting lists.
You will also have seen the huge growth in private diagnostic providers, so it is likely well over a million in total.
In 2023-24, 16.4 million working days were lost due to stress, depression or anxiety [4]. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health notes that many adjustments, particularly around neurodiversity, cost nothing and often reduce absence and boost productivity [5].
At this point, I would like to acknowledge the increased demand on departments such as Occupational Health, HR, and equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging, especially as resources are unfortunately being cut back in those areas. The demand is not reducing; in fact, it is increasing.
Some organisations have trained their own Level 4 Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessors who do not base their reports purely around dyslexia screening. This system enables forces to design support systems that are flexible, bespoke to the role, and able to triage according to risk.
Yesterday, Hailey from the Federation told us that the average settlement is around £8,000 to £10,000. However, as you have heard time and time again, many adjustments are free or low cost [5].
Last year, the UK government published its Get Britain Working White Paper, setting a long term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate for working age disabled people in the UK [6].
It underpins the message that a values led approach consistently outperforms tick box compliance.
So, what is values driven practice and what does it mean in reality? ACAS describes a values driven approach as one which anchors decisions in clear organisational values such as respect, equity, curiosity and accountability [7].
It is about belonging, performance and retention, not just creating a policy.
There is amazing talent and passion within your own service, within policing. That is why I am here. I just want to help you implement some of those strategies and the great ideas you are already having.
Please allow us to do that: to co design services with you, to support you, so that you can become standalone as organisations and reduce the need to seek support externally. Allow us to help you to do that.
Thank you very much.
References
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Stress risk assessments and employers’ legal duty
- NHS England (ADHD Management Information) – Around 549,000 people waiting for ADHD assessments in England (May 2025)
- NHS England (Autism Waiting Time Statistics) – About 224,000 open autism referrals (Mar 2025)
- HSE Labour Force Survey 2023/24 – 16.4 million days lost due to stress, depression or anxiety
- IOSH – Neurodiversity and Workplace Adjustments – Many adjustments cost nothing and boost productivity
- Department for Work and Pensions – Get Britain Working White Paper – Government 80% employment rate ambition
- Acas – Organisational Values and People Management – Values driven decision making