Did you know that there are several national police Neurodiversity support networks available for support? They are run by officers and staff who are incredibly passionate about supporting others. They used their lived experience and understanding of police processes to offer guidance to staff on their own journeys. This is a valuable resource within policing as their support groups provide a community that allows staff to come together and find support. They also champion for wider change, not only in their local forces but nationally to, seeking to change policing culture to form a deeper understanding of Neurodiversity. In our experience of working with these groups, they are often working extra time beyond their working day to take phone calls and answer emails from staff who need help.

Police Neurodiversity Support

These support networks form part of our criminal justice work that we do at Creased Puddle, we continually champion for their importance. It’s crucial that there is a multi-faceted approach to supporting for both officers and staff and these support networks create safe spaces for staff to use. These networks are often run by volunteers during their own time so whilst they can be a great resource, Neurodiversity training and improvements in areas like Occupational Health and Human Resources are areas that can have a huge impact. This is where Creased Puddle can help by delivering professional Neurodiversity training within policing.

National Police Autism Association (NPAA)

When you type in ‘National Police Autism Association’ in to Google, one of the questions it throws back at you is, “can you be a Police Officer with Autism?” The answer is yes. This is why the NPAA exist and as one of the first Neurodiversity networks to emerge, they have led the way in demonstrating why Neurodivergent officers are an asset within policing.

Their aims:

• To support members of the police and criminal justice community with an interest in autism and neurodiversity
• To encourage a culture of neurodiversity in the police service
• To promote and share best practices around autism awareness and service delivery
• To inform the public about autism and neurodiversity within policing, and to champion good work by police forces in supporting the autistic community

Police National Dyslexia Association (PNDA)

The aim of the PNDA is to offer support for Dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions in the workplace and in day-to-day life. They seek to promote awareness, share lived experiences and improve learning around Neurodiversity. They provide specific support and resources around Dyslexia and work to improve access to these nationwide. You can join if you’re an officer or staff via their website.

Their mission:

• Support our Police family across the UK with all things dyslexia.
• Provide a database full of knowledge, understanding and lived experience.
• Provide a listening ear with peer support.
• Support colleagues and forces to fully understand reasonable adjustments, what works for one. may not work for another. 

ADHD Alliance

The ADHD Alliance started as an internal support group within the Metropolitan Police and quickly grew to become a national support group. They primarily support police forces but not many people know that they actually provide their support to both previous and serving members of the emergency services. Their focus is on helping the criminal justice system understand how prevalent ADHD is within it and more importantly how to stop the school-to-prison pipeline. They support staff who are going through the ADHD diagnostic journey and navigating challenges in the workplace. They run regular support meetings every other Thursday so that members can join them and discuss any difficulties they are experiencing.

Their mission:

Our mission is to provide support, education, and resources to individuals and families of those in the emergency services affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We also want to help the emergency services understand how ADHD impacts the public so we can support them better. We believe that ADHD is a condition that should be acknowledged and accepted, and that individuals with ADHD have unique strengths and capabilities.

Our goal is to empower individuals with ADHD to reach their full potential by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of their lives. We are committed to fostering a community that both supports and raises awareness about ADHD, and to reducing the stigma often associated with this condition. We strive to provide reliable and up-to-date information, as well as a safe and welcoming space for individuals to connect, share their experiences, and learn from one another.

The ADHD Alliance are currently working on a new membership site where users will be able to log in and find support directly on the website as well as engage in their services, this is launching late 2024.

Disabled Police Association

These networks are supported by the Disabled Police Association. They are the national body that represents disability support networks in police forces across the UK. Their strategic aim is to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people working within policing. Later this month, Creased Puddle are attending the Disability in Policing Conference 2024 where we will come together with these networks to continue to build our working relationships.

Their mission statement:

The DPA supports and represents those affected by disabilities – including those who live with conditions but do not refer to themselves as ‘disabled’ – by working with others to provide the best possible knowledge through lived experience and interests. We are united as representatives of a national confederation of local networks, and as a voice for the disabled community.

Joining the Networks

Membership for all of these networks is free! You can head over to their websites now and find out more about what they do and see how they can help you. They are all a great resource that provide so much support across the whole of the UK, if they have supported you, head over to our social media to leave a comment for them.

If Creased puddle can help with providing your organisation with Neurodiversity training, please get in touch with us.