Overview
Initiative type
Model of Care
Status
Deliver
Published
June 2026
Summary
A lived experience–led ‘Neurodiversity in the Workplace’ CoP established to build neuroinclusive capability and reshape practices, policies and culture. The CoP evolved from an education initiative to support neurodivergence
Dates: August 2024 - ongoing
Implementation sites: Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital (RBWH)
Partnerships: Employees Navigating Access, Barriers, Leadership & Equity (ENABLE) Group
This project was presented as a poster at CEQ Showcase 2026 (PDF 471KB).
Aim
To create and sustain a safe, inclusive and collaborative community of Metro North Health employees with shared interest in creating a neuroinclusive, dynamic and strength-focused workplace to optimise productivity and leverage the full potential of every employee through implementation of a scalable CoP.
Outcomes
- Reach & demand: >300 interdisciplinary leaders/managers/educators, & clinicians have attended the Neurodiversity in the Workplace Workshops, with demand outstripping offerings.
- Spread & Reputational Benefits: Requests for education and workplace adjustments received from services beyond Metro North Health and Queensland Health; interdisciplinary requests to join the education faculty.
- Innovation: Codesigned development of a Neurodiversity Strengths & Inclusivity Model to guide implementation of fit-for-purpose recruitment & education strategies; workplace/work role accommodations; supportive team cultures; workforce management practices; & strengths-based role design.
- Culture and risk: Improved psychological safety, engagement, & belonging reported; DEI compliance.
Background
Neurodivergent people are under-represented in the workforce. Australian Public Service (APS) Employee Census data indicates that: >15% of respondents identified as neurodivergent, a further 9.3% thought they might be, and 9.5% were unsure what the term meant. Unemployment remains disproportionately high among neurodivergent people (34.1% vs 4.1% general population), highlighting systemic barriers to recruitment, retention, and progression. “Neurodiversity,” originally articulated by sociologist Judy Singer, is grounded in the Social Model of Disability, reframing neurological differences as natural human variation rather than deficits. This lens emphasises capability, fit, and environmental design - not remediation of the person. Evidence linking workforce diversity to improved organisational performance adds a pragmatic imperative, with diverse teams associated with stronger financial outcomes. In 2024, Nursing & Midwifery Education at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) initiated work to better support neurodivergent students and staff through education resources and reasonable adjustments.
A volunteer working group of educators undertook a literature review and benchmarking, and—guided by the Social Model - co designed a ‘Neurodiversity in the Workplace’ Workshop for Managers and Educators. Strong engagement revealed the need for an ongoing
mechanism for learning, problem solving and community building, catalysing the evolution from a single facility, single profession working group into an interprofessional Community of Practice spanning all Metro North Health facilities.
Methods
Design and approach - We used a lived experience–informed, strengths-based approach underpinned by the Social Model of Disability and the Community of Practice (CoP) paradigm. Activities included: (1) targeted literature review and external benchmarking; (2) co design of an educator/manager workshop; (3) iterative refinement based on participant insights; and (4) transition to an interprofessional CoP to sustain capability, problem solving and resource sharing. Implementation.
Education: Delivered Neurodiversity in the Workplace workshops covering neurotypes, reasonable adjustments, recruitment
and progression, and self advocacy—prioritising practical tools managers can apply immediately.
Community: Established a CoP for neurodivergent employees, carers and allies to share lived experience, reduce isolation and masking, and co create solutions that travel across teams and facilities.
Framework development: Co designed the Neurodiversity Strengths and Inclusivity Model to guide role design, adjustments and capability building at individual, team and service levels.
Measurement: Tracked engagement (registrations/attendance, cross discipline participation) and documented practice changes (e.g., adoption of accommodations, faculty interest, external EOI) as proximal indicators of system readiness and cultural shift. Governance and alignment - Work aligned with Metro North Health DEI priorities and obligations relating to disability inclusion, supporting risk reduction and ethical compliance while enhancing staff wellbeing and productivity.
Discussion
Enablers and context. Success hinged on (a) a psychologically safe, lived experience–centred environment; (b) visible alignment with organisational DEI priorities; and (c) an interprofessional CoP structure that allows knowledge to move across professional and facility boundaries - truly a workforce without walls.
Lessons learned. A persistent Medical Model framing can entrench deficit narratives; recasting to a Social Model, strengths based approach is essential to unlock capability and belonging. Demand has outpaced capacity, indicating the need for scalable delivery modes and distributed facilitation. Early engagement with leaders/managers is critical; the CoP provides a vehicle to translate learning into everyday practice.
Limitations. While demand and spread are strong, formal outcomes beyond reach and engagement (e.g., changes in recruitment, retention,
sick leave, or productivity) require longitudinal evaluation and standardised data capture across services. Transferability across Queensland Health. The CoP model and the Strengths and Inclusivity framework are adaptable to diverse settings (clinical, corporate,
metropolitan, rural/remote) and can be embedded within existing education and workforce management pipelines across Hospital and Health Services (HHSs), offering a low-cost, high-reach pathway to scale.
Next steps. Scale CoP participation and faculty; develop a leader/manager toolkit mapped to the Strengths and Inclusivity Model; formalise evaluation (pre/post capability, accommodation uptake, progression/retention); and partner with additional HHSs to enable statewide spread.
References
1. Australian Catholic University (2024). Neglecting neurodiverse a waste of talent. ACU News. Retrieved from: https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/news/2024/march/neglecting-neurodiverse-a-waste-of-talent
2. Australian Public Service Commission (2024). Neurodiversity: APS profile. Retrieved from: https://www.apsc.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/workforce-information/research-analysis-and-publications/state-service/state-service-report-2023-24/aps-profile/neurodiversity
3. Agestrong Health Group (2025). The Hidden Crisis for Neurodiverse Australians. Retrieved from: https://agestrong.com.au/our-insights/the-hidden-crisis-for-neurodiverse-australians/
4. JobAccess (2023). Understanding workplace attitudes toward disability.
Australian Government. Retrieved from: https://jobaccess.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-11/5386-understanding-workplace.pdf
5. Rollnik-Sadowska, E. & Grabińska, V. (2024). Managing Neurodiversity in Workplaces: A Review and Future Research Agenda
for Sustainable Human Resource Management. Sustainability, 16(15): 6594. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/15/6594
6. Granger, C., Hameed, Z. & Kelly R. (2023). Neurodivergence and the healthcare workforce: a hidden facet within equality, diversity
and inclusion? BMJ Leader, 7:1–7. Retrieved from: https://bmjleader.bmj.com/content/7/Suppl_2/1.7
7. Austin, R.D. & Pisano, G.P. (2017). Neurodiversity is a Competitive Advantage: Why you should embrace it in your workforce. Harvard Business Review, May-June 2017. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage
8. Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: A biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125. Retrieved from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7732033/
9. McDowall, A., Doyle, N. & Kiseleva, M. (2024). Use of Evidence and Neurodiversity at Work: A stakeholder perspective on the use of evidence about neurodiversity at work. Retrieved from: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/170648/1/final-WEB-12-june-MARKET-VOLUME-5-2024%20%281%29.pdf
10. McKinsey & Company (2020). Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. Retrieved from: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf
11. HelloMonday (n.d.). Leading neurodiverse teams checklist. Retrieved from: https://www.hellomonday.co/resources
Key contact
Adam Turbutt and Cath Saddler
Nurse Educators
Metro North Hospital and Health Service