Researchers have launched a major new investigation into the power of Community Wealth Building (CWB) to affect local economies and improve population health.
Glasgow Caledonian University will lead a £1.5million study to determine whether retaining more wealth in local communities can prevent premature deaths and tackle health inequalities.
CWB is an approach to economic development that aims to generate, circulate and retain more wealth within local areas.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding the three-year study to examine how CWB is being implemented and how it is impacting local economies and population health.
GCU will work in partnership with researchers from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, the University of Glasgow and Lancaster University to assess whether CWB is improving economic and health outcomes. The findings will inform local economic polices across Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Neil Craig, Professor of Public Health Economics at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health at Glasgow Caledonian University and Co-Principal Investigator, said:“Economic inequality is a cause of health inequality.
“Ultimately, if CWB is found to be effective in improving health and reducing inequalities, this could lead to fewer premature deaths, particularly amongst economically disadvantaged communities.”
North Ayrshire became the first area of Scotland to adopt a CWB strategy in 2020. The approach is now being piloted in Clackmannanshire, Fife, Glasgow, the South of Scotland and the Western Isles. Councils work alongside major employers, businesses and partner organisations and commit to generating employment and spending resources locally.
Dr Micaela Mazzei, Reader at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health and Co-Principal Investigator, said:“Previous research shows that there is a need to better understand whether and how CWB can make a real difference.
“The stakeholders recognise the importance of this work and have pledged to offer practical support, share their expertise and act on the findings.”
Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy at North Ayrshire Council, added:“CWB has become an integral part of how we operate, helping to support both our local community and businesses.
“In the last financial year alone, more than £70million was spent locally with almost 900 suppliers. This research is timely and important as it will deepen the evidence base to increase our understanding of the wider impacts of CWB.”
Dr Jennifer McLean, Interim Director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, said:“We will work to ensure that the voices, expertise and perspectives of those working across various sectors involved in local CWB implementation in Scotland are able to shape and inform this project, so that the evaluation is grounded in local insights, and that learning is relevant to local people and communities.”
MycoPack is one of 11 projects awarded funding by Scotland Beyond Net Zero
University researchers will help turn whisky production leftovers into compostable packaging in a newly funded collaboration.
The project, MycoPack, is a collaboration between Arbikie Distillery, Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Dundee. MycoPack combines innovation with sustainable design, turning waste into valuable packaging and supporting a circular economy.
It is one of 11 collaborative projects awarded funding by Scotland Beyond Net Zero, a collaboration between Scotland’s universities to support Scotland’s drive to net zero.
Arbikie Distillery have partnered with Dr Dongyang Sun, Edinburgh Napier University and Dr. Wenbin Zhou, University of Dundee, to use mycelium, the root structure of fungi, and distillery by-products like spent grain to create durable, lightweight packaging. The material created is impact-resistant, fire-retardant, and fully compostable, offering an eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
Over the next 10 months the project team will focus on proof of concept, testing the material and the design.
Kirsty Black, Distillery Manager said: “At Arbikie, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our collaboration with Edinburgh Napier and Dundee Universities on MycoPack represents an exciting step forward – combining innovation and purpose to create packaging made from mycelium that’s not only environmentally responsible but deeply aligned with our values.
“Together, we hope to pioneer solutions that respect the planet and inspire change across the industry.”
Funded by Scotland Beyond Net Zero – a coalition of leading climate and sustainability experts from Scotland’s universities – this project is one of 11 new research collaborations aimed at accelerating Scotland’s transition to net zero.
Each project involves cross-sector collaborations to address sustainability challenges in energy, finance, food, the built environment, natural systems, and transport.
Professor Nick Forsyth, Vice-Principal (Research) at the University of Aberdeen and Chair of Scotland Beyond Net Zero’s seed fund panel said: “This is the second round of our seed fund, we have now supported 19 innovative and collaborative projects with a total of around £300k of funding.
“Each project involves at least two of our member universities and one external partner, including community groups, government bodies, and the private sector.
“This collaborative and integrated approach is crucial to us meeting Scotland’s ambitious net zero targets. We cannot achieve these targets in isolation, we must work together to innovative, inform and adapt.”
Other funded projects include a collaboration between Heriot-Watt University, the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh working with Community Energy Scotland, Orkney Housing Association, THAW Orkney (Tackling Household Affordable Warmth) and Teeside University to tackle fuel poverty in rural Scotland.
Typically, energy flexibility involves people having access to advanced technology, but this project explores if it can benefit those in fuel poverty. The idea is to create local energy communities and trading systems, letting residents buy cheaper local electricity.
HI-SCOT, a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University, Robert Gordon University and Historic Environment Scotland, will focus on integrating photovoltaic (PV) technology into Scotland’s historic buildings, addressing challenges with aesthetics, regulations, and public acceptance.
The initiative will explore how PV systems can blend with historic architecture. Research will explore mimicking traditional materials and using coatings to minimise visual impact, creating guidelines for Scotland’s historic architecture.
To find out more about each of the eleven projects, please visit the Scotland Beyond Net Zero website: www.scotland-beyond-net-zero.ac.uk.
Clubs, schools, day centres and other community settings could help to make health and care more accessible, new research suggests.
Familiar places like these could remove barriers to care, like not being sure if there is a health or care issue, where to go, how to get there, who to see or what to tell the health or care practitioner.
This is one of more than 20 recommendations made by people across the UK who researchers say are rarely consulted about the design of health and social care services.
A new report coins the term ‘seldom-listened-to’ to describe these people and communities. The researchers also coin the term ‘health labour’ to describe the effort needed by seldom-listened-to people to access health and care.
Participants in the research included siblings of children with life-limiting conditions; women, trans men, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people with energy limiting chronic illness, such as Long Covid and autoimmune conditions; older autistic people with learning disabilities; people living with chronic inflammatory disease, endometriosis; rural communities in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; diverse communities in Greater Manchester; children living in areas of high deprivation in the South Tees region; African-Caribbean communities in London; mental health service users in Kent and both patients and staff who are staying or working in care units in hospitals.
“The people in our study are from communities which aren’t often listened to or included in discussions about the design of health and care services,” explained Professor Mary Stewart, academic lead for the project and Director of Social Interaction, Mental Health and Wellbeing at Heriot-Watt University.
“And yet these communities can experience profound health and care inequalities that can impact on their physical and mental health, quality of life, and the ability to live well – not only for the individual – but also their families and the wider community.
“Our research sets out the specific ways in which staff, organisations, stakeholders, and policymakers can place seldom-listened-to individuals and communities at the heart of the design of the future of health and care.
“We show not only that this is possible – but that it’s vital to co-design the future of health and care with these people and communities to improve health and care for everyone.”
The report is part of research funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – which supports arts and humanities research and study in the UK – and uses creative methods to explore how seldom-listened-to people and groups would like the future of health and social care to look.
Instead of using traditional research methods like surveys and interviews – which aren’t always accessible to seldom-listened-to people – the researchers worked with artists and creative methods to capture the views and experiences of participants. These creative methods included film, music, poetry, podcasts, comics, creative writing and folk stories.
Through a series of activities and workshops, the seldom-listened-to participants ‘reimagined’ health and social care services which could give them more say in decision-making, help them to access and engage with care – and use safer spaces to build trust and rapport.
Research co-author Bryony Nisbet, a Psychology Research Assistant at Heriot-Watt University, explained: “By safer spaces, we mean community places that are already familiar to people, and where they may already have support from trusted others.
“For example, if you’re an autistic adult with learning disabilities, accessing health and care in a day centre you already attend potentially removes the huge physical and sensory overload of trying to get to and navigate around a new place you’ve never been to before.
“For the NHS and social care, the practical change we’re proposing is moving the point of care from GP surgeries into the community. This in turn can help to tackle the growing burden on primary care in the UK.”
Other recommendations in the report include providing multidisciplinary services that span sectors including housing, employment and education – alongside health and care.
Care should also anticipate future needs, for example by developing ‘future-ready homes’ that are already adapted to meet the needs of vulnerable groups as they get older.
The report also recommends that professionals are trained to work with people with varying communication, cognitive, sensory and cultural needs.
The research aligns with the UK government’s 10-year plan to bring the NHS closer to home, including neighbourhood health centres which will house services under one roof and will be open at evenings and weekends.
The researchers have written a policy brief detailing their recommendations for policymakers. This will be shared with politicians across the UK, including Members of the Scottish Parliament and Members of Parliament at Westminster.
The ten projects in the research were all partnerships between communities, community organisations and universities. The other university partners were University of Liverpool, University of Greenwich, University of Strathclyde, Edge Hill University in Lancashire, University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, Teeside University, University of Kent and University of the Highlands and Islands Inverness.
The organisations and charities involved in the research included disability group Chronic Illness Inclusion, Manchester public arts project We Live Here; charity Endometriosis UK; Scottish Autism; educational institution Tees Valley Education Trust and arts community outreach project, Inverness Openarts.
Participants in the research included Oliver Waite, who took part in University of Manchester’s research project, called NHS 75/150 Looking Back, Looking Forwards. This engaged diverse communities in Greater Manchester in discussions around the future of health and care. Oliver’s story is captured in a comic-book style artwork that highlights the importance of seeing people as individuals.
Oliver explained: “I have schizoaffective disorder, I’m autistic and I’ve transitioned from female to male. But I’m more than just a list of medical issues.
“I’m a part-time history student with the Open University, I build models, such as Lego, and I play wheelchair rugby league.”
She said: “African-Caribbean communities are 40% more likely than white British people to come into contact with mental health services and to be detained under the Mental Health Act. “
Our project looked at a different approach, one that builds on the cultural traditions and community support that have always helped people stay mentally well. Through storytelling and folk song workshops, we created a practical toolkit to help promote good mental health in local communities”
She said: “The children and young people in our project were able to explore and express their lived experiences and perspectives on social inequality and health and wellbeing through a series of interactive and inclusive workshops, including comic-making, creative writing, dance and performance.
“We hope the artworks, creative writing and films that captured their voices will help health professionals, policy makers, researchers and the wider public to learn from the experience and insights of children and young people.”
New paper led by ENU’s Dr Adele Goman is the first randomised control trial of this kind
Hearing interventions such as hearing aids and regular audiology appointments have been linked to a reduction in the number of falls among older adults, according to a new paper led by Dr Adele Goman of Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Health & Social Care.
This research, published today in the Lancet Public Health journal, showed that participants with hearing loss who were randomly assigned best practice hearing care reported an average of 27% fewer falls over the course of three years compared to a control group.
Falls are a leading cause of injury for older people and have rising mortality rates, while hearing loss is highly prevalent among those aged 70 and above. However, existing evidence on the effect of hearing aids on falls is mixed, and limited by the methodology of previous studies.
Goman and her colleagues analysed data from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study, a three-year, unmasked, randomised controlled trial of adults aged 70–84 years in the USA designed to study the effect of intervention on cognitive abilities and other health outcomes, such as falls.
The ACHIEVE study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It was conducted by a consortium of eight universities in the United States and led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
The 977 ACHIEVE study participants, all of whom had hearing loss, were randomly assigned to either receive a hearing intervention or to a health education control intervention. Those randomly assigned to the hearing intervention were offered regular one-to-one audiologist appointments, bilateral hearing aids, the option of additional hearing assistive devices, device use support and educational materials. The health education control intervention group received the same number of appointments with a health educator and more broad educational content on healthy aging.
For this paper, participants were asked to report the number of falls they had experienced over a period of three years. Data indicate that participants who received the hearing intervention reported an average of 27% fewer falls over the course of three years compared to a control group.
Dr Goman’s is the first known large-scale randomised control trial that has examined the effect of hearing intervention on falls.
The researchers believe the reduced number of falls among the hearing intervention group could be down to improved auditory input enhancing spatial awareness, or from having to devote less attention to processing auditory input allowing for more attention to be placed on maintaining postural control.
They are now working on a follow-up study with participants to examine the longer-term effects of hearing intervention on brain health, falls, and other health outcomes.
Dr Adele Goman said: “Hearing loss has previously been associated with a greater risk of falling among older adults, but few studies have directly investigated the connection.
“It is possible that the benefit of improved hearing may have enhanced the spatial environmental awareness of these participants, or that the lower demand on cognitive resources for hearing allowed them to focus more on their movement.
“As this is the first study of its kind, more research is needed to establish our conclusion that hearing intervention may reduce the overall average rate of falls. Our ongoing follow-up will also aim to tell us more about the effect over a longer period of time.
“We hope that these findings have the potential to inform researchers and health professionals, and address a leading cause of injury among older people.”
Most children in the UK have ambitions to start their own business in future and would like to learn some of the skills that are needed to do so when they’re at school.
The findings come from new research* of 1,000 children aged 9 – 11, revealing their financial habits and entrepreneurial aspirations.
The results show that over two-thirds (71%) of children want to learn about starting their own business at school, while four in five (83%) aspire to start their own business in the future.
The study, commissioned by Virgin Money, also found that children understand the value of saving, with 88% having saved money for something specific before, saving £57 on average.
Despite the rise in digital transactions over recent years, cash remains a crucial part of children’s financial education. The research shows that almost half (47%) of children save their money in a piggy bank or money box, and 44% use cash when paying for things.
Parents play a crucial role in financial education, with a remarkable 82% of children saying they learn how to manage their finances from their parents. The survey also found that 92% of children are engaging in conversations about money with their parents or guardians, highlighting the importance of family time in financial education.
Children also recognise the value of investing, with around two-thirds (64%) preferring to invest to earn more in the future rather than spend it, if they were given £5.
The research by Virgin Money was undertaken to understand more about children’s views on money and entrepreneurship, as part of its Make £5 Grow programme. This programme is designed to develop financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills in 9-11 year olds across the UK, and over 200,000 pupils from over 3,000 schools have so far taken part.
Newport Primary School, in Brough East Yorkshire, has participated in the Make £5 Grow programme since 2020. Their involvement began when a planned school trip to Northumberland was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. In response, the school organised a unique experience for the students by setting up a school camp-out and expanding it into a larger entrepreneurial project.
Since being involved in Make £5 Grow, the students have engaged in various business ideas, including car washing, homemade sweet treats, ice creams, making arts, crafts, and jewellery.
The funds raised from these ventures contribute to a Mini Festival for the students, featuring a silent disco, DJ, ice cream van, pizza trailer, stuntman performances, popcorn machines, and inflatables for the entire school to enjoy. Additionally, the money has been used to purchase scripts and music for the end-of-year school production. This project has not only provided fun and excitement but also fostered a sense of responsibility and teamwork among the students.
Amy Earl, teacher at Newport Primary School said: “The children count down the days until we start the Make £5 Grow project. They work so hard and deserve to make memories that last a lifetime while sharpening their entrepreneurial skills.
“With the incredible support of their families, who help sell these items rain or shine, the children have gained invaluable entrepreneurial skills and created lasting memories. I would always recommend, and have recommended, this project to other schools and teachers.”
Jasmin Sanghera, community manager at Virgin Money said: “Entrepreneurship is a key driver of growth in our economy, so it’s vital that we help to foster the skills needed from a young age.
“Make £5 Grow is designed to empower children with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their business dreams, and we are thrilled to see such strong interest in learning about this from young people.”
Children participating in Make £5 Grow are encouraged to develop innovative business ideas and generate a profit for their school, using a £5 loan per child from Virgin Money. The programme provides pupils with an insight into how the world of business and finance works.
It helps them to build key money management skills by starting a small business, with access to a Make £5 Grow Ambassador for business support and a suite of curriculum-based classroom tools, which have recently been accredited as a financial education resource by Young Enterprise.
The schools keep any profit made after repaying the initial £5 loan.
Through this initiative, Virgin Money aims to empower the next generation to save, invest, and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, building a financially literate and economically resilient future.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have made a groundbreaking discovery paving the way for a transformative era in photonic technology.
For decades, scientists have theorised the possibility of manipulating the optical properties of light by adding a new dimension—time. This once-elusive concept has now become a reality thanks to nanophotonics experts from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in Edinburgh.
The team’s breakthrough emerged from experiments with nanomaterials known as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) – a special glass capable of changing how light moves through the material at incredible speeds. These compounds are widely found in solar panels and touchscreens and can be shaped as ultra-thin films measuring just 250 nanometers (0.00025 mm),smaller than the wavelength of visible light.
Led by Dr Marcello Ferrera, Associate Professor of Nanophotonics, the Heriot-Watt research team, supported by colleagues from Purdue University in the US, managed to “sculpt” the way TCOs react by radiating the material with ultra-fast pulses of light. Remarkably, the resulting temporally engineered layer was able to simultaneously control the direction and energy of individual particles of light, known as photons, a functionality which, up until now, had been unachievable.
The discovery is directly linked to the possibility of processing data at a far greater speed and volume than what is currently available. It is expected to have transformative impact in several key areas such as optical computing and AI, integrated quantum technologies, and ultra-fast physics.
“It is difficult to grasp the advances we will experience in our daily lives as a result of this breakthrough,” explains Dr Ferrera.
“By using a nonlinear material to fully exploit optical bandwidth, companies and major organisations can process so much more information. This will hold huge benefits to the likes of data centres and advancing AI technology, among others, and will underpin exciting new technologies we cannot fully understand at this time.”
Commenting further on the potential future uses arising from this research, Dr Ferrera said: “Society is thirsty for bandwidth.
“If we are aiming at making a virtual meeting a fully immersive 3D experience, this would demand enormous computational power and processing speed, which only ultra-fast all-optical components can provide. The material properties we are investigating here could increase computational speed by several orders of magnitude, enabling handling much greater volumes of information at a fraction of current energy expenditure.
“What science and technology is trying to do is emulate the human brain but by using electronic hardware. The materials we are working on are the ingredients towards this goal that can lower the energy consumption of these computational units, reducing costs and increasing processing power.”
Dr Wallace Jaffray, a postdoctoral research associate and Sven Stengel, a doctoral researcher, have been working alongside Dr Ferrera on the cutting-edge research at Heriot-Watt University.
The core of their breakthrough lies in the ability to manipulate TCOs to control the speed at which photons travel. This newfound capacity effectively adds a ‘fourth dimension’, enabling extraordinary light transformations, including amplification, the creation of quantum states, and new forms of light control.
Dr Ferrera continues: “Searching for a material that can drastically change under low-energy illumination in an ultra-fast manner has been the quest for the Holy Grail in all-optical technologies since the invention of laser.
“This new class of time-varying media is the biggest leap forward towards the perfect optically controllable material in decades enabling a large variety of novel and exciting effects that scientists all over the world are rushing to attempt. This is a new age in nonlinear optics which targets full light-control without the need of slow electric signals.”
The findings have been published in the peer reviewed journal, Nature Photonics.
Vladimir M. Shalaev, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, who assisted in the research said: “These low-index transparent conductors have brought a real revolution within the field of integrated nonlinear optics, allowing for the effective and energy-efficient manipulation of optical signals on unprecedentedly short time scales.”
Alexandra Boltasseva, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, added: “Our common research effort demonstrates that with these materials we can finally use the variable of time for engineering the optical properties of compounds beyond what is currently possible by using standard fabrication processes.”
Dr Ferrera was recently awarded a share of £6.5m from the UK-Canada Quantum for Science Research Collaboration to advance his research over the next two years.
Benjamín Armijo Galdames, a PhD student at The University of Edinburgh, is attending Parliament to present his biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges as part of STEM for BRITAIN tomorrow (Tuesday 11 March).
Benjamín’s poster, on the valorisation of next generation plastic waste using engineering biology, will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.
Benjamín’s poster was shortlisted from several hundred applicants to appear at the event in Parliament.
On presenting his research in Parliament, Benjamín said, “I applied to STEM for BRITAIN as it is a highly prestigious and long-standing competition. I was also interested in being able to present my research to an audience that is currently involved in the creation of new regulations associated with sustainable development.
“To be able to interact with them, to understand their conception of our work and its importance is fundamental to promote the development of scientific research linked to the needs of society and our community.”
George Freeman MP, Chair of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said: “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
“These early career engineers, mathematicians, and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
Benjamín’s research has been entered into the biosciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver, and bronze prize-giving ceremony.
Judged by leading academics, each winner will receive a cash prize with a medal for the gold recipient.
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, The Nutrition Society, and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with sponsorship from Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, AWE, the Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, the Biochemical Society, and the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
A mathematician who specialises in quantifying uncertainty has won a €2 million funding award from the Italian government.
Lorenzo Pareschi, Chair of Applied Mathematics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, will use the funding to try to better understand and predict complex phenomena such as epidemics, traffic, the economy and even how opinions spread on social media.
Professor Pareschi said: “This research could potentially impact many sectors, including clean energy production and space exploration. But the tools we develop could also be applied to situations closer to our daily lives, like the spread of epidemics, the way opinions develop on social media and the progress of elections.”
The award is an Advanced Grant from the Italian Science Fund (FIS), which was established by Italy’s Ministry of University and Research to support research excellence in Italy.
The University of Ferrara in Italy, where Professor Pareschi is a Professor of Numerical Analysis, said the award underlines the “central role of applied mathematics in understanding and predicting the scientific and technological challenges of modern society.”
Professor Pareschi is also the only mathematics researcher in Italy to receive Advanced Grant funding from the Italian Science Fund, the University of Ferrera added.
Professor Pareschi leads the research project ADAMUS, which develops advanced mathematical tools to analyse complex systems from epidemics to environmental and societal dynamics.
The project identifies interconnected dynamics in seemingly different phenomena—dynamics that often cannot be effectively studied using conventional methods. ADAMUS was created to develop new mathematical frameworks capable of describing, analysing, and predicting such phenomena with greater precision and efficiency.
Professor Pareschi explained: “We are essentially using mathematics to uncover and describe the hidden laws governing certain phenomena. This is becoming increasingly important as risks associated with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, continue to grow.
“For example, we know that social media can influence political elections, shape public opinion, and even affect consumer behaviour. Developing predictive tools for these dynamics can also help mitigate the spread of fake news, enabling us to better understand, control, and navigate these complex phenomena.”
Professor Pareschi received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bologna, Italy, and subsequently held visiting professorships in the United States at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta and the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in France at the University of Orléans and University of Toulouse.
He was previously Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Ferrara in Italy and holds awards including a 2023 Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship, which awards long-term funding to senior researchers in the UK
Since joining Heriot-Watt University in 2023, Professor Pareschi’s research has increasingly focused on problems of uncertainty quantification, optimal control, global optimisation and machine learning.
Professor Pareschi is also member of the steering committee of the Italian Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIMAI), and member of the Committee for Applications and Interdisciplinary Relations (CAIR) of the European Mathematical Society (EMS).
Report shows staff turnover reduced by proactive support
New research published today by workplace expert Acas, highlights the importance of training and proactive action to support neurodiverse staff.
Neurodiversity describes the natural differences in how people’s brains process information, and how they feel and behave. Well-known types of neurodivergence include neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
The report emphasises the importance of training and supporting managers, so they know how to treat and support their neurodivergent staff.
The research shows that creating inclusive environments and personalised adjustments can be achieved proactively, without the need for a formal diagnosis or staff disclosure.
Acas Interim Chief Executive Dan Ellis said: “It is estimated that between 15-20% of UK adults are neurodivergent. This is a potentially enormous number of workers who may not be getting the support they need.
“Our research outlines the urgent need to put support for neurodivergent people at the heart of workplace policies and training, and the huge benefits for businesses when that happens.
“Taking steps to support neurodivergent staff is often quick, easy and inexpensive, but the advantages can be widespread. We encourage employers to make sure they do everything they can to support their staff.”
The independent research was conducted by Birkbeck, University of London, for Acas. The researchers combined insights from experts working in neuroinclusion, in depth case studies and a summary of published evidence.
The research found that neuroinclusion is possible in all workplaces, whether large or small.
The research documents good practice including how to manage performance in neurodiverse teams and the benefit of small changes, such as accessible written materials.
The research found that one small business which is incorporating neuroinclusion proactively, reduced its staff turnover to 8%, against a national average of 34%.
The report found that:
· Proactively supporting neurodivergent staff and creating inclusive work environments where neurodivergent talents are supported can benefit everyone at work.
· Mandatory and regularly updated neurodiversity training is key to promoting inclusive workplaces.
· Line managers are pivotal in supporting neurodivergent employees so it’s vital they have the necessary training to facilitate inclusion.
· Being proactive in making reasonable adjustments shouldn’t require a diagnosis or formal disclosure from staff.
· Specialised adjustments may require balancing of individual and organisational needs. Smaller businesses with limited resources may find external support from organisations like Acas useful.
Professor Almuth McDowall at Birkbeck, University of London leads a research centre dedicated to supporting neurodivergent talent.She said: “It was a privilege to learn from our participants and share good practice. It is very important that neuroinclusion is part of wider conversations about workplace equity and inclusion.
“Conversations about adjustments should focus on performance optimisation to harness neurodivergent talent. Simple and centralised processes are important to reduce the burden on managers.
“Our case studies show that good practice can reduce turnover to as low as 8%. Organisations should set themselves clear targets for neuroinclusion and monitor and publish data.”
The report also shows that some workplaces are taking an innovative approach to neuroinclusion.
Jodie Hill is Managing Partner at Thrive Law, a business that prioritises inclusion and support for its neurodivergent staff. She said: “The benefits of introducing reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent staff at Thrive has been overwhelming, particularly for me as a neurodivergent leader.
“Having the adjustments in place not only helps me, but it helps my team, and my clients, understand my needs.
“By creating a neurodiverse workplace, we create a competitive advantage and a workplace that has cognitive differences. We support people’s strengths and create an environment where those individuals can thrive.”
Looking for wee scientists aged 17-19 months! 
