Workplace Assessments
Workplace Needs Assessments
Workplace Needs Assessments for ADHD, autism and dyslexia
Strategies and solutions for challenges experienced by neurodivergent staff in the workplace. UMO provides virtual Workplace Needs Assessments for neurodivergent employees, identifying individuals' ADHD, autism and/or dyslexia-related challenges in the workplace and recommending bespoke neuro-inclusive solutions and strategies.
For employees
Our Workplace Needs Assessments identify which strengths and challenges that you are experiencing in the workplace may be due to ADHD, autism and/or dyslexia. For every challenge, we recommend workplace solutions which align with how neurodivergent brains work. This can enable you to work smarter not harder, improving performance and wellbeing, and contributing to a successful career.
For employers
Our Workplace Needs Assessments identify where staff's workplace challenges, including with performance or conduct, may relate to disability, along with recommendations for reasonable adjustments. Recommendations are often free to implement, and can simultaneously improve staff performance and wellbeing whilst enabling you to meet the legal requirement to provide reasonable adjustments.
For Access to Work
Our Workplace Needs Assessments meet DWP guidance for Access to Work assessments and can also be funded by employers.
An assessment of disability-related workplace barriers and suggested solutions
A Workplace Needs Assessment considers the employee's role, working environment, communication requirements, working systems, responsibilities and day-to-day tasks, and whether any challenges they are experiencing relate to disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The assessor recommends adjustments and strategies which suit the individual, their role and any existing technology, software and systems within the workplace.
- Staff strengths and challenges relating to autism, ADHD, dyslexia and neurodivergence, with or without diagnosis
- Suggested reasonable adjustments and strategies to reduce barriers and enable staff to work more effectively in ways that suit their brain
- Multiple reasonable adjustment options: three adjustment options per disability-related challenge are recommended where possible
- Different types of adjustment: recommendations usually include workplace practices, software that uses the employee's existing workplace software features first, and staff coaching or training to develop neuro-inclusive strategies
How the assessment works
The Workplace Needs Assessment process stays straightforward for employees, managers and HR teams. First, we clarify the referral route; then, we focus on the employee's role, workplace systems and support needs.
Referral or initial enquiry
If your organisation already works with UMO, you can refer staff for a Workplace Needs Assessment. If you have not worked with us before or would like to talk to us first, please feel free to get in touch to set up your account, ask any questions or discuss ensuring our Workplace Needs Assessments align with your organisation's needs. This is also an opportunity to share information about the workplace's systems, processes and existing technology, to inform the recommendations we make for your staff.
Virtual assessment
The individual will receive an invite to book in with one of our qualified Workplace Needs Assessors, with a range of appointment options. They will attend a virtual assessment where the assessor will ask about their job, strengths, challenges and existing strategies, current technology and software. The planned questions will be shared in advance for those who prefer to prepare or who would like to supplement the meeting with written information to enable more time for processing and recall.
Report draft
The assessor will write a draft report, including details of the staff member's disability-related workplace strengths and challenges, and recommendations for adjustments. Staff will have the opportunity to check for content they would like correcting or removing.
Written report
UMO's assessor will provide the final report to the staff member only or the staff member and employer, depending on who was specified in the referral. The staff member and employer can then use the report to inform decisions about reasonable adjustments.
Virtual Workplace Needs Assessment
This option suits organisations or individuals seeking specialist neurodiversity workplace assessment and written recommendations.
Clear, specific and bespoke recommendations
Access to Work guidance expects assessments to explore disability-related workplace barriers, make job-related recommendations and produce a written report. Therefore, UMO builds each report around practical recommendations that are clear enough to act on. These are tailored to the individual, their job role and their workplace.
The assessor links recommendations to the employee's actual role demands, tasks, work setting and technology they already use at work.
The neurodiversity workplace assessment considers strengths, barriers, current adjustments, environment, systems and communication needs.
Recommendations are specific to the individual, role and workplace, but usually include a combination of free adjustments to working methods, assistive technology, environmental adjustments, coaching and awareness training.
Our assessors hold a Level 4 Workplace Assessment qualification and are neurodiversity and workplace specialists.
Useful guidance
In addition, these external resources may help employees, managers and HR teams understand Access to Work, workplace needs assessments, reasonable adjustments and neuroinclusive practice.
What workplace assessment recommendations can include
Every workplace needs assessment report is individual, but common recommendations may cover:
Assistive technology
For example, the report may recommend tools for reading, writing, planning, reminders, note-taking, speech-to-text, text-to-speech or task management. Recommendations will be tailored to the workplace and will not unnecessarily recommend expensive software; for example, the features of existing technology within the workplace can be used where suitable.
Coaching and strategies
In many cases, there are strategies and techniques that neurodivergent individuals can use in order to work in alignment with the way their brain functions. Through Workplace Strategy Coaching, staff can learn about and develop these techniques and adapt their existing working methods. Staff can also be referred to coaching without the need for an assessment, including UMO's workplace neurodiversity mentoring and coaching.
Workplace adjustments
Recommendations may cover communication methods, meetings, instructions, workspace, sensory load, flexible working patterns or line-manager support. Many adjustments such as these are free to implement. Access to Work reports often recommend training to enable managers and staff to implement inclusive workplace practices. Neurodiversity in the Workplace training is also available via UMO.
Questions people ask
Useful information for employees, managers, HR, and disability, neurodiversity and inclusion teams considering a neurodiversity workplace assessment.
Eligibility and scope
Do I need a formal diagnosis?
A diagnosis is not a requirement for being eligible for reasonable adjustments or a Workplace Needs Assessment. If you are experiencing substantial, long-term impairments in the workplace, then you may be eligible for reasonable adjustments under the government definition of disability. If these are likely due to ADHD, autism or dyslexia, then a Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessment may be suitable for identifying potential adjustments for you.
Can this support an Access to Work application?
Yes. A workplace needs assessment can help clarify the barriers, recommendations and support options that may be relevant to Access to Work. Access to Work decisions and funding remain the responsibility of the government scheme.
Why pay for a Workplace Needs Assessment when my employee can have one for free through Access to Work?
Employers should implement reasonable adjustments when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, someone is disabled. However, Access to Work delays can be significant: a Public Accounts Committee report in June 2026 said applicants were being told processing may take up to 37 weeks, and that DWP expected at least 18 months to clear the applications backlog. Funding an assessment can enable employers to understand their employee's needs and consider legal requirements sooner.
Is the assessment only for ADHD?
No. UMO Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessments cover autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
Reports and recommendations
Who receives the report?
We agree report sharing before the assessment. Usually, the employee receives the report first and can then share it with an employer.
Do employers have to implement the recommendations?
Employers must implement reasonable adjustments for disabled employees; however, what is considered to be reasonable depends on a range of factors. Therefore, an employer or employee can propose alternative reasonable adjustments to those recommended in the report. See Acas's advice for more details.
Will the recommendations definitely work?
The Workplace Needs Assessor is an expert in recommending tailored adjustments and solutions to address workplace barriers for neurodivergent staff; however, this is not a guarantee that all solutions will work 100% of the time. Staff should be given time to learn new ways of doing things, and the effectiveness of reasonable adjustments should be reviewed regularly and adapted if necessary. The report will include information and multiple recommendations to draw on.
Ready to book a workplace needs assessment?
Contact UMO to refer your staff for an assessment or discuss availability, referral routes and the information needed before booking a virtual assessment.