Access to work support
Access to Work
Have you recently been diagnosed or are you on the waiting list for a diagnosis for ADHD, Dyslexia or ASD? You may be eligible to receive an Access to Work grant. This can help you to access the specialist support you need, without going over budget.
What is Access to Work?
Access to Work is a Government scheme designed to make it easier for anyone, regardless of their different needs, to work comfortably and confidently. There are many different types of support offered through the Access to Work initiative. These include help with the costs of transport and vehicle adaptations to enhance mobility. Access to Work can also provide funding for support workers.
A support worker is a skilled individual who provides help to business owners and employees. The support worker’s role is to enable people to carry out their duties with greater ease and efficiency. If a grant is awarded, you may be able to use your Access to Work funding to pay for support from us. The term Access to Work uses to refer to this is: Specialist Support Worker (neurodiversity) – admin support.
Am I eligible?
The Access to Work scheme is open to workers aged 16 and over. Eligible people will have a physical condition, learning disability, or mental health condition that creates additional challenges in the workplace.
For neurodivergent business owners and entrepreneurs, this includes:
Autism spectrum disorder
ADHD
Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia
Anxiety
Depression
Down Syndrome
The scheme accepts applications from those in England, Scotland, and Wales. This is not a loan and it is not means tested, it is a grant provided by the Government.
What support can I get?
The support you could be given will be bespoke to your individual needs. Consider what impact having specific support would have on your ability to run your business, what challenges do you face due to your Neurodivergence?
Some of my clients have received funding for specialist equipment such as a stand up desk, noise cancelling earphones, ergonomic office chair, extra monitors one client even got funding towards his electric bike to enable him to get to client meetings and not be reliant on public transport. You may find specific software that will support you and your business, like time tracking, dictation, project planning, routine planning, mind mapping apps, AI or subscriptions for groups such as online body doubling etc. You can also gain financial support for a coach and a support worker. Some clients have identified that due to procrastination and distractions that working within a co-working space supports their ADHD and therefore have had funding towards these costs.
Importantly, why do you want it? How will this help the challenge you face?
Please note that A2W will not fund business critical admin support but will provide funding for a support worker to help with areas such as executive functioning. It is important to share the depth of any admin struggles for example a simple admin function may take all day and then result in overwhelm and high levels of stress.
For any of us it is better to enhance the strategies that we have already got in place and that work for us, ie if you know you are better to write a mind map of ideas and this works best for you then there is little point switching to a digital mind map platform as this may add to overwhelm.
How to apply
If you believe you are eligible for the scheme, you can apply online here:
https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply
The first stage of applying will take about 10 minutes, at this stage you do not need to know what support you need (although you may have an idea). However, prior to applying, make a list of all the challenges you face for example:
Struggle to meet deadlines, organisation, missing appointments,
Becoming distracted, poor focus
Facing overwhelm, panic attacks and burnout
Overwhelm of ideas
Low concentration levels
Time blindness leading to poor time management
Hyper focusing - resulting in poor self care
Impulsivity, making rash decisions without thinking them through
Remember to include how this affects you running your business.
At Chapter Online, we understand that this can be tricky. It may not always be easy to translate your feelings and frustrations in the workplace into words. The good news is that we’re here to help.
As part of our commitment to supporting the neurodivergent business community, we offer a dedicated application support service. We can help you to communicate your needs in the best way possible. We’ve proudly worked with many business owners and employees to increase their chances of being awarded an Access to Work grant. Contact us to find out more about how we can help.
Right to choose
Since 2018, people in England have gained the right to choose alternative mental healthcare providers under the NHS. There are some criteria that have to be met; ADHD UK has afull explanation here.
