Access to work is a government grant which is open to anyone with a physical or mental health condition or disability. You can apply for the grant to help with the following:
· Support getting a job (eg during the interview process)
· Practical support that helps you to fulfil your current role
· Support to help get to and from work
The scheme is open to all neurodivergent individuals or to support mental health conditions, for example anxiety or depression. It is important to note that you do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply to Access to Work.
The access work grant might be used to cover:
· Assistive technology
· Adapting equipment to make it easier to use
· Work coaching to help build confidence, manage anxiety
· Support at interview
Anyone who thinks they might be eligible for support through Access to Work needs to apply as an individual rather than through the university. The website to apply to is located at:
https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
Before applying, an Occupational Health consultation might be helpful especially if you are unsure about the type of help that might be available to you. To arrange this you should ask your line-manager to refer you to Occupational Health.
You might also find it useful to talk to other people who have applied for assistance through Access to Work. The Newcastle University Neurodivergent Peer Support Group on Yammer is a very helpful and friendly community. You can join this group here:
by Rachel Queen, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute