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Access to work AGAIN

Cookiesmum1986

I feel like this is all I talk about here but it is what it is sorry.

I had my access to work assessment this morning by telephone, it was done by the Royal British Legion.

The guy seemed alright but he didn't have a clue about my job and was recommending weird things like Dragon software and noise cancelling headphones - I work in an outpatient clinic handwriting things into patient notes! I mean I have Dragon software in the house for home studying so I know what it is and how it works and it would never in 100 years work in this setting.

I was hoping he would actually ask me what I struggle with so that I could ask him for advice on things like the complicated system where I'm expected to document the same thing on 3 different bits of paper or stuff like that but he just kept listing off adaptive software for dyslexics, Texthelp? Sonocent? It was odd.

So then he said that Access to work isn't really for neurodivergents, it's for people who need stuff, not people who need human support. He's put me down for 4 sessions of something, I'm not sure what. I know the sessions will be 2 hours long and be with a coach of some type but that's as far as I have got.

I was hoping they would recommend training for my employer as no one around here knows what autism is or how to deal with me and I even said that to him, that my biggest issue is that my manager literally told me she doesn't know what autism is so she does things without realising that internally I'm screaming because it's like cutting my skin and pouring acid on me but he just said "yeah, it's a shame that's not what access to work is for".

I'll obviously need to wait and see what his report says but is there really nothing access to work can do for my situation?

  • So I spoke to my NT husband about some of what happened during the assessment and he said that it wasn't normal and I needed to go back to access to work and complain so I have done that.

    The thing I had to complain about is I have a line manager who bullies me and nothing has helped in terms of work but our main manager was hoping some sort of coaching for me and training for her (the main manager) would help her manage the situation better and we put that on the application. The guy on the phone said he thought my line manager was also autistic, he's never met this woman or interacted with her in any way. We've not described what happens at work, just that her and I have a difficult relationship. The assessor isn't a psychologist and my husband said he can't make those sorts of judgements. Especially as he wants to suggest her using some of my coaching time and all they've given me is 8 hours. That's it, 8 hours coaching for a healthcare worker at risk of being redeployed for the second time in a year in the middle of a pandemic who is working in an environment where everything keeps changing and her manager doesn't know what autism is. 

    so yeah, I've emailed access to work and said I don't need a gadget, I need human support and that guy was a bit out of line.

  • Cookiesmum1986 said:
    He's put me down for 4 sessions of something, I'm not sure what. I know the sessions will be 2 hours long and be with a coach of some type but that's as far as I have got.

    I also live in Scotland and I had coaching sessions through "Access to Work" a few years ago and I personally didn't find the coaching sessions to be helpful (perhaps some other people might find them useful).  I moved to another workplace and got "Access to Work" again, but this time I chose not to have the coaching sessions.

  • in reply to Cookiesmum1986

    Specialisterne once had an office in Glasgow. Then it fell by the wayside. Disappointed

    Their Belfast office was good. However, they were Tech-centric regarding work opportunities. USEL in Northern Ireland were more accessible and flexible, as far as I'm concerned.

    I'm not sure about Scotland. I found the Autism groups in my local area very child-oriented too. Once you turn eighteen, you’re sent to the lions.

  • in reply to Magnolia1

    I live in Glasgow, I can't find a service like this. Everything is aimed at children, parents of autistic children or people who are so autistic that they'd need more than a bit of support to get a job. 

  • https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/kb5/surrey/localoffer/service.page?id=hjItcX8JsZQ

    Sounds like you need something like this. I referred myself and they have been SO helpful. I see an amazing support person online once a month and she helps me understand the NT world. She has also contacted work on my behalf and acted as a go between. Not sure where you live but hopefully they have something like this you can access.