Claire Kimberley, Serco

Claire Kimberley’s introduction of a Neurodiversity for Managers L&D initiative at Serco, a global organisation that partners organisations to deliver a range of government services, was born of the fact “there had previously never been any training materials on this topic [within the organisation], particularly for managers who are supporting neurodiverse employees in the workplace”. 

Described by the judges as “very passionate [about] about making a real difference, not only about raising awareness but impacting productivity and business results as well”, Kimberley set about changing things. 

In developing the course, she held several meetings with management and worked closely with the internal employee group, SercoUnlimited, listening to the lived experiences of neurodiverse colleagues and finding out what their managers had done to support them in the workplace. “It became evidently clear that there was a demand and a need for this learning intervention,” she said. 

Neurodiversity for Managers, which went live in November 2023, was delivered virtually in the form of self-directed learning resources. Kimberley has since received many emails from people explaining the personal impact the course has had on them. “From attending the course, employees have contacted me explaining that they are applying for a diagnosis for themselves or are going to support their employees in seeking a diagnosis for an undiagnosed neurodiverse condition,” she said, adding that while it is hard to quantify from an impact and evaluation perspective, “those individual stories really show the impact of the training materials.”

Originally the course was run bi-monthly but, due to large waiting lists, it is now run monthly – and more frequently on some occasions. More than 70 people enrolled on the course between November 2023 and April 2024. According to the feedback, 100 per cent of participants said they could apply what they had learned and 100 per cent said the course materials would help their development.

The judges were impressed by the “agile approach” to the learning and development process – which means Kimberley is “continuously evolving the delivery method and content” – and praised the “excellent feedback from users and stakeholders”. They added: “Claire is making a real difference within the sector.”