BOOK THIS COURSE:
NEURODIVERSITY TRAINING FOR TRADE UNION STAFF

Red in the Spectrum offers specialist neurodiversity training for trade union staff.

Trade union staff deal with members, reps, officers, the public and each other ie. with a large and neurologically diverse range of people.

They can make the most of these interactions, and help strengthen the union’s work, with an understanding of neurodiversity and of the needs of dyslexic, autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent people.

Red in the Spectrum provides neurodiversity training, specialising in working with trade unions. As well as running courses for reps and officers, it also offers neurodiversity training for trade union staff.

Neurodiversity training for trade union staff addresses issues such as:

  • How can we make publications readable for dyslexic members?
  • What can we do to make union events more inclusive?
  • How can we avoid overwhelming people at our meetings?
  • What factors make the sensory environment less distressing for autistic people?
  • How can union training courses meet the needs of learners with ADHD?
  • What strategies will make sure our organising initiatives reach workers of all neurotypes?
  • How can the union’s website and social media enable participation?
  • What barriers does our union office put in the way of dyspraxic and dyscalculic people, and how can we reduce them?
  • How can we make people with Tourette’s feel comfortable about getting active in the union?

Neurodiversity training for trade union staff

  • is planned with input from the union, to meet your specific needs
  • can range from a short workshop to a course of a day or more
  • can be delivered online or in person
  • takes a ‘social model’ approach, identifying barriers to inclusion and how to reduce and remove them
  • uses real-life case studies of neurodivergent workers and trade unionists
  • directly addresses the role of trade union staff.

Red in the Spectrum’s neurodiversity training for trade union staff is written and delivered by Janine Booth, who has decades of experience as a trade unionist and a lifetime’s experience of neurodivergence.

Usual price: £80 per hour, up to £400 per day.

Neurodiversity training for trade union staff

Informative and engaging

Janine provided an excellent overview of neurodiversity from a trade union perspective.
Using the social model of disability, she explained the need for union reps to understand both the nature of specific learning difficulties and how to take this issue forward in the workplace.
The session was informative and engaging, leaving the reps encouraged and enthused to tackle issues that may arise in their workplace.

Steve French
Head of Trade Union Studies, Shrewsbury Colleges Group

Everyone was motivated and enthusiastic

Janine tutored a two-day ‘introduction to neurodiversity’ course that I organised, held at London Bridge station.
Neurodiversity and its different effects and presentations is a hugely misunderstood area. On the railway, we meet people whose plans can be disrupted and routes changed with no notice. Neurodivergent people may struggle with these situations more and need railway workers to recognise and understand the additional support they may need.
Janine’s training was excellent. Everyone was motivated and enthusiastic about the course and the way she delivered it. They benefited hugely from the course that she wrote and delivered for us. She is an excellent tutor who works cooperatively with her students so they get the best out of the training. I would definitely recommend her training.
Janine is also a kind, friendly and welcoming person who uses those qualities to ensure everyone is comfortable and gets the most from her training.

Sue Gazzard
Lifelong Learning Steering Committee, Southeastern

Very practical and popular

Janine ran a very practical and popular workshop at unionlearn’s recent Learning, Health and Well-being conference focusing on the issues facing workers with Autism. Janine has since had her book, “Autism Equality in the Workplace”, published. Both the training session and the book are well worth seeking out if you are a rep looking to better understand and support colleagues at work with the condition.

Liz Rees
Unionlearn Director

Enormous value

All trade union reps need to come on this training! Janine has used both her trade union and personal experience to develop and deliver a highly effective course which equips reps to become more confident in dealing with autism related issues both in their workplaces and their trade unions. At the WEA these courses were in high demand and hugely popular with consistently good feedback citing the enormous value in terms of new knowledge and awareness of autism.

Monica Gort
Former TUC Course Coordinator at WEA London Region

10 out of 10

RMT courses score consistently well when assessed by our accrediting college. But only one has been rated 10 out of 10: Janine’s Autism in the Workplace course. Highly recommended!

Andy Gilchrist
Former National Education Officer, RMT

Overwhelmingly positive feedback

The Royal College of Podiatry asked Janine to help us with training for our staff and activists on how best to support our members who have neurodivergent conditions. Janine’s approach was highly professional, her learning style was excellent and interesting to all participants, and we had overwhelmingly positive feedback.
We will continue to work with Janine and would highly recommend her to other trade unions.

Martin Furlong
Head of Employment Relations, Royal College of Podiatry

Very informative, thought-provoking and useful

Janine delivered a number of session on neurodiversity for staff at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Staff found the sessions very informative, thought-provoking and useful in terms of understanding neurodiversity and how that impacts people and organisation.
Janine presents the subject matter in an easy way to understand and has an honest and engaging style with helpful lived experience of neurodiversity. The sessions are interactive, with a good balance of presentations, group work and breaks.

Maryam Boroumand
Learning & Development Manager, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

A superb programme of neurodiversity training

Janine Booth has provided a superb programme of neurodiversity training courses to PCS staff, reps and members since 2016.
Janine ensures that content and delivery are grounded in Union Organising and Social Model approaches that challenge, provoke and educate. Feedback is consistently positive.

Keith Johnston
Trade Union Education Officer, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)

An excellent course

An excellent course, with a very good instructor. Delivery methods had the correct balance of information, interaction, real lived examples and student participation.
Fire Brigades Union workplace representative

Our Values: we believe

  • that humanity is neurologically diverse and that this is beneficial
  • that minority neurotypes bring strengths as well as challenges
  • that your organisation will be stronger if it becomes more inclusive of neurodivergent people
  • in the social model of disability, understanding that society disables people who have impairments and/or differences
  • in the slogan ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ – that barriers can only be removed by listening to neurodivergent people rather than talking over us
  • in accessibility as standard, not ‘as required’
  • that neurodivergent people need more than ‘awareness’: we need equality, rights and acceptance.
  • that training is most effective when it is participatory and enjoyable
letterhead 01