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As a global leader in young people’s personal development, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) supports hundreds of thousands of young people to develop skills and confidence through structured, purposeful experiences. With around 400 employees and a wide-reaching network of volunteers and participants, DofE recognised that many people within its workforce and community are likely to be neurodivergent.

In 2023, DofE partnered with Adjust to deliver a programme of neurodiversity training. We spoke with Emma Dresser, the organisation’s Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Business Partner. She described about why they commissioned the training, what’s changed since, and how neurodiversity in charities can be supported through practical action and culture change.

Q&A with Emma Dresser, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Business Partner, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Why was neurodiversity training a priority for DofE?

We recognised that neurodiversity was likely to be a significant factor across our workforce and participants for several reasons. Many neurodivergent people are values-driven and purpose-led, and the DofE naturally attracts that. This mirrors trends seen across neurodiversity in charities, where purpose driven roles often appeal to neurodivergent people. We offer remote working and flexible working, which is appealing to neurodivergent employees. Over half of Gen Z identify as neurodivergent. We are an organisation dedicated to supporting young people, it’s essential that we understand and reflect their experiences.

We wanted to build an inclusive and supportive working environment for everyone. And especially for people who may not have felt fully understood or supported in the past.

What did the neurodiversity training involve?

We ran a two-part programme with Adjust. First, two organisation-wide awareness sessions, which over 65% of our staff attended. Then, we followed up with seven in-depth workshops specifically for managers. These sessions focused on practical strategies for supporting neurodivergent colleagues including communication, adjustments, and inclusive leadership.

The sessions were delivered by Adjust trainers Daniel Aherne, Kate Dean and Onyinye Udokporo, and the feedback was outstanding. Staff said they found the content highly relevant, accessible and engaging. The Adjust trainers really helped people feel comfortable exploring what can be a sensitive and complex topic.

What kind of impact did you see across the organisation?

The change has been significant and we have noticed lasting impact. There’s now a baseline understanding of neurodiversity across the charity. This is shaping how we run meetings, and engage volunteers and participants.

Managers have become more confident in offering proactive adjustments, communicating more clearly, and thinking differently about support. We’ve seen a rise in staff disclosure rates. In addition, we’ve seen a big increase in disabled staff saying they can bring their authentic selves to work. Specifically an increase from 59% to 82%, which was one of the most exciting results from our staff survey.

Can you share any specific initiatives that have come out of the neurodiversity training?

Several really practical ones:

– We now use a ‘Manual of Me’ across the organisation which is a one-page guide for employees to share how they work best. It’s a simple tool that makes a big difference.
– We’ve developed an Assistive Technology Accessibility Guide, to help employees find and use tools that support different ways of working.
– At our 2024 Gold Award Celebrations, we introduced a Low Sensory Space. We recognised that large, busy events can be overwhelming for some neurodivergent participants.

These changes were sparked by the training, but they’re continuing to evolve. We’re now thinking about how to embed neurodiversity across the charity more widely, not just internally, but also in how we work with our participants and volunteers.

What advice would you give to others starting this work?

Start with awareness, but don’t stop there. The real value comes when you follow neurodiversity training up with practical tools, space for reflection, and permission for people to be themselves. In addition, don’t underestimate how powerful it is to make even small changes that show neurodivergent staff and participants that they belong.

Training is Just the Beginning

At DofE, neurodiversity training didn’t sit in isolation. It sparked ongoing change across teams, processes and events. The programme created a foundation for long-term improvements in how neurodiversity is understood and supported. In this case that extended from staff experience to participant inclusion. This neurodiversity training campaign and the lasting impact was recognised by two nominations for the 2025 British Training Awards including awareness campaign of the year.

By investing in understanding and action, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is showing what’s possible when training leads to meaningful, sustained change.