Queens Road Medical Practice Neurodiversity Network Case Study

Case study for Autism Guernsey’s Neurodiversity Network Project, showcasing how local organisations are supporting neurodivergent employees. 

Background 

Queens Road Medical Practice has been providing healthcare services to the Guernsey community for over 30 years. The organisation is actively working to embed neuro-inclusion into the heart of its service delivery and workplace culture. 

The initiative is nine months into its development, having launched in the second half of last year. The spark came from a combination of a new management team and personal and professional connections to neurodiversity among staff. 

Rather than setting up a traditional network that staff join, the practice has opted for an open model. The initiative is driven by a group called the Neurodiversity Champion Team. The team acts as the organising engine—shaping policy, coordinating educational opportunities like lunch-and-learns, and running activities. Because there is no formal membership barrier, any member of staff can simply take part in any event or training session that interests them. 

Unlike other neurodiversity networks, the team at Queens Road Medical Practice has a dual scope: it is equally dedicated to supporting and educating colleagues while simultaneously improving healthcare accessibility and communication for neurodivergent patients. 

How the Network Works 

The Neurodiversity Champion Team relies on a lean, structured approach to organise activities and opportunities for all staff and patients across the practice: 

• The Core Champion Team: The initiative was founded and is driven by four dedicated administrative staff members who manage planning and delivery. 

• Senior Management Alignment: To ensure strategic visibility, the practice’s HR Lead acts as the senior management champion within the steering group, attending senior management meetings to advocate for new initiatives and ensure alignment. 

• Clinical Integration: To bridge the gap between operational changes and patient care, a paediatric consultant sits on the team to provide clinical expertise and support. 

• Structured Governance: The team holds monthly organising meetings driven by a clear standing agenda covering policy, training, wellbeing, events, and sustainability. Every meeting is thoroughly minuted to maintain momentum and document early-stage progress.  

While there is not yet a standalone network budget, Queens Road Medical Practice actively supports the Champion Team’s work by providing dedicated time, internal visibility, and ad-hoc funding for staff-wide training and events on a case-by-case basis. 

Impact and Learning 

Despite being just nine months into development, the Neurodiversity Champion Team has already delivered significant practical outputs. These include:  

• Policy and Adjustments: The team authored a comprehensive Neurodiversity Policy that outlines clear pathways for patient accessibility and workplace reasonable adjustments for staff. An extract of this policy can be found on their website.  

• Practice-Wide Education: The team prioritised education early on, delivering autism awareness sessions and practical lunch-and-learns for all colleagues, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback. 

• Patient Engagement: The practice launched a targeted patient neurodiversity survey. The data gathered validated known accessibility barriers and is directly helping the practice prioritise its next physical and operational changes. 

• Open Activities and Events: High-visibility events, including a Great British Bake Off–style competition for Autism Awareness Month and dedicated activities during Neurodiversity Celebration Week, have successfully raised awareness internally, on social media, and across the local community. 

When asked what advice the team would give to a company looking to start their own network, they recommended being clear on the aim of their network and the scope. They recommended prioritising baseline education for staff, recruiting a core team of genuinely motivated people to drive the work, and nailing down governance—setting standing agendas and documenting minutes early on is what keeps you from losing momentum. 

Looking Ahead 

The focus for the next year is moving away from isolated projects and fully embedding neuro-inclusion into the routine governance of the medical practice. Much like existing environmental sustainability work, the goal is for neuro-inclusion to become an automatic consideration in routine project planning and daily practice.  

The Champion Team plans to formalise and reinforce the strategic roles of their HR and clinical leads, ensuring their work remains deeply connected to both business decisions and patient care pathways. Alongside making popular awareness events and training an annual tradition, the team is also exploring how to expand their current model to create even wider, informal connection and networking opportunities for neurodivergent staff and patients alike across Guernsey. 

Case study drafted with permission from Queen’s Road Medical Practice.