If you’ve ever felt that the system wasn’t designed for different ways of thinking, you’re witnessing something important change. A new campaign is shining a spotlight on neurodivergent social workers—people who think, process, and experience the world differently—and showing why these diverse minds strengthen the entire profession.
Campaign Celebrates Diverse Minds in Social Work
Community Care has launched the “Neurodiversity belongs in social work” campaign, a month-long initiative running through March 2026. The campaign explicitly includes social workers who experience dyscalculia, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence.
“Four years ago, conversations around neurodiversity in social work were generally about how practitioners could support people with autism or ADHD—rather than about neurodivergent social workers themselves,” writes Anastasia Koutsounia, Community Care’s workforce editor. Despite an estimated one in seven people in the UK being neurodivergent, the profession has rarely addressed how to support its own neurodivergent practitioners.
The campaign will feature stories from social workers across the neurodiversity spectrum, exploring how their different ways of thinking shape their practice and strengthen their connections with communities they serve.
A new campaign celebrates neurodivergent social workers—including those with dyscalculia—showing how different minds strengthen the entire profession. What strengths might your workplace be missing?
Why Neurodiversity Strengthens the Profession
Research from Birkbeck University reveals that neurodivergent employees bring core strengths including hyperfocus, creativity, innovative thinking, empathy, critical thinking, and resilience. These skills lie at the heart of effective social work.
“A neurodiverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves is better placed to understand, connect with and advocate for those communities,” notes the campaign. Practitioners report that being open about their neurodivergence has helped them connect with those they support, break down stereotypes, and build trust from the outset.
At a time when recruitment and retention of social workers remains hugely challenging, supporting neurodivergent practitioners to thrive helps sustain a creative, resilient workforce—people who stay because they feel safe and valued.
Quote: Disclosure remains a calculated risk and reasonable adjustments are still too often treated as exceptions rather than embedded practice. Attribution: Scott Richardson, chair of the BASW neurodiversity group
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Moving Beyond Labels to Strengths
While progress has been made, disclosure remains a calculated risk for many practitioners. “Reasonable adjustments are still too often treated as exceptions rather than embedded practice,” notes Scott Richardson, chair of the BASW neurodiversity group.
The campaign aims to change this by highlighting how workplace environments structured in rigid, neurotypical ways create unnecessary barriers. Simple changes can make a workplace neuroinclusive—allowing diverse minds to contribute their full capabilities.
The initiative also references the book “Emergence: Hidden narratives from neurodivergent social workers” by Siobhan Maclean and Kelly Bentley-Simon, which explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent practitioners in the field.
Key takeaways
- Campaign Launch: Community Care's month-long "Neurodiversity belongs in social work" campaign launches in March 2026, celebrating social workers who experience neurodivergence including dyscalculia.
- Strengths-Focused: Research shows neurodivergent employees bring hyperfocus, creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and resilience—skills that strengthen social work practice.
- Join the Movement: A free webinar on March 19 and community resources help neurodivergent practitioners connect, share experiences, and advocate for inclusive workplaces.
Getting Involved in the Campaign
A free webinar scheduled for March 19, 2026, will feature Siobhan Maclean discussing various neurodivergent identities within the sector. The session provides advice for neurodivergent colleagues on harnessing their strengths and seeking support, while empowering managers to foster inclusivity.
Social workers can join the BASW Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group and participate in dedicated community spaces. The campaign encourages sharing on social media using #NDinSW to spread the message: neurodiversity belongs in social work.
As the campaign unfolds throughout March, expect to see more stories exploring how different ways of thinking create stronger connections with communities and more innovative approaches to social work practice.
Quote: A neurodiverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves is better placed to understand, connect with and advocate for those communities. Attribution: Community Care campaign statement
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Every child growing up with different ways of processing information deserves to know that their brain isn’t broken—it’s simply building unique pathways that the world needs more of. The same truth applies to professionals: neurodivergent social workers aren’t problems to be accommodated; they’re assets to be developed.
The systems that insist on conformity rather than flexibility are the ones missing out on creativity, empathy, and resilience that diverse minds naturally offer. When we stop treating neurodivergence as a deficit and start recognizing it as a difference that brings strength, everyone benefits.
If you’re ready to learn more about supporting different ways of thinking—whether in your family or your workplace—the Learning Success approach offers tools that help build on existing strengths. Their free resources include a personalized Action Plan you keep even if you decide not to continue.
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References
- Community Care - Neurodiversity belongs in social work: a campaign celebrating the profession's diverse minds
- Birkbeck University Research - Neurodivergent employees in UK businesses
- Community Care Webinar - Neurodiversity, Social Work and Belonging webinar
- Siobhan Maclean - Emergence: Hidden narratives from neurodivergent social workers
