Thinking differently: 

The value of Cognitive Diversity in the public sector

On Thursday 13th May Harvey Nash public sector hosted a fascinating online event exploring the value of cognitive diversity and the un-tapped talent of neurodiverse individuals. Over recent years, Diversity and Inclusion has been recognised as essential when building and developing a successful team and culture. 

Cognitive diversity refers to the unique and broad range of informed viewpoints due to, the inclusion of all genders, backgrounds and identities which inform an individual’s cognitive approach. Teams with greater cognitive diversity are more likely to solve business problems than their non-diverse counterparts. Neurodiversity is an aspect of human diversity and is the recognition of differences in the way individuals think with neurocognition varying among all individuals. It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people (more than 15% of people in the UK) have neurodevelopmental differences, including autism, which are observed when they learn and process information in a particular way.

The online webinar guided by Jon Hurry, Head of public sector practice South, Harvey Nash was joined by three distinguished speakers including; Owen Francis, Director of Higher Education and Non-Profit Practice at Alumni Harvey Nash, Trudi Beswick, CEO of Caudwell Children and Emma Walker, Regional Manager of Auticon. Each speaker provided their organisations experience of cognitive diversity addressing benefits, challenges and initiatives the public sector can use to ensure inclusivity moving forward. There was a Q and A section at the end with some intriguing questions for the panel. 

Find the full event recording below, if you'd like anymore information about Harvey Nash Public Sector, please contact Jon Hurry or Graeme McNaull.