At the start of 2025, Digital Innovators, commissioned by Birmingham Council, delivered their Transition to Work programme to Special Educational Needs (SEN) colleges across the West Midlands.
This programme focuses on developing core skills like communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration to bridge the gap between education and employment. Recognising the need to tailor the programme, Digital Innovators partnered with National Neurodiversity Training to ensure it is inclusive, accessible, and engaging for neurodivergent and disabled learners.
The Challenge
For SEN students, accessing work can come with additional barriers, including communication, anxiety about new environments, and a lack of tailored support. The Transition to Work programme addressed these challenges by teaching practical skills through a hands-on, project-based learning approach.
Key challenges included:
- Limited Preparedness: Coaches lacked specific training in understanding and supporting neurodivergent and disabled students.
- Inclusive Communication: Coaches were uncertain about using appropriate and inclusive language.
- Consistency and Compliance: Adapting to evolving SEN educational standards and maintaining regulatory compliance.
Digital Innovators recognised that a generic awareness training wouldn’t be enough. They needed a structured, hands-on approach that would deepen their understanding of neurodiversity and enable coaches to embed inclusive teaching practices effectively.
The Solution
Digital Innovators partnered with National Neurodiversity Training to design a programme training that combined real-life insights with practical, immersive activities—allowing coaches to step into the shoes of SEN students and practice implementing strategies in a supportive environment.
This partnership began with an in-depth consultation with Peter Cripps, Design and Technology Director at Digital Innovators, and John Snape, Coach, to understand their pain points and align the training to the Transition to Work programme’s objectives.
The following key part of the solution was leveraging the Neuro-Inclusion Maturity Diagnostic - a unique tool designed to assess the current understanding of neurodiversity and SEN within Digital Innovators. This was followed by analysis and a comprehensive report highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.
The insights gained from this diagnostic allowed National Neurodiversity Training to design bespoke learning pathways for the coaches at Digital Innovators, focusing on practical strategies and tailored content.
This included modules such as:
- Understanding Neurodiversity and SEN
- Inclusive Communication Strategies
- Implementing Reasonable Adjustments
- Project-Based Learning for SEN Students
The training was delivered in person to ensure maximum engagement and effectiveness. To make the content relatable, Rosemary Burningham, our lived experience expert who had previously been in SEN education, shared her journey.
The approach was not just about sharing knowledge but equipping learners with practical tools and techniques to apply immediately. Participation rates were exceptional, with 100% of learners completing the training and providing feedback.
Participation wasn’t our only success metric. As part of the solution, key goals were set, including:
- Achieving a 30% average increase in learners’ understanding of neurodiversity and SEN.
- Boosting the confidence of 75% of learners in effectively supporting SEN students.
- Enhancing the confidence of 85% of learners in using inclusive language.
The Results
All learners completed the Neuro-Inclusion Maturity Diagnostic, providing a baseline against which to measure progress. The feedback from the learners was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting both the effectiveness of the training and the relevance of the content to their daily roles.
John Matty, Student Coach said
“The way National Neurodiversity Training delivered the session was THE way to do it. This training isn’t something that we’ll just finish today, and that’s it…it’s something I’ll be thinking about all the time”.
Key Results Achieved:
- 41% increase in understanding of neurodiversity.
- 56% increase in knowledge of SEN.
- 67% improvement in using inclusive language.
- 64% increase in ability to support SEN students.
These outcomes empowered the learners and had a tangible impact on the students. With more inclusive communication and better understanding, Digital Innovator’s coaches created a more welcoming and engaging learning environment for SEN students, directly aligning with their mission of making education accessible and empowering for all.
Key Takeaways for Other Educational Providers
- Tailored Training Drives Engagement: Bespoke content addressing specific challenges ensures higher participation and relevance.
- Lived Experience is Transformative: Involving trainers with lived experiences made the content more relatable and impactful.
- Measurable Goals Enhance Outcomes: Setting specific, data-driven goals ensures that the impact of training is clear and actionable.
Iveta Pudilova, CEO of National Neurodiversity Training, says:
“It was fantastic working with the Digital Innovators team on such an important topic. At National Neurodiversity Training, our mission is to make inclusion the standard, not the exception. Working with Digital Innovators allowed us to demonstrate how tailored, lived-experience and expert-led training can transform how SEN students access education and thrive in the workplace.”
For more information on National Neurodiversity Training and Digital Innovators, please visit:
www.nationalneurodiversitytraining.com and www.digitalinnovators.co.uk