Access to Work

Access to Work coaching to help you thrive at work

Access to Work is a UK government grant providing essential support (including coaching) for neurodivergent individuals and those with disabilities or health conditions, including ADHD, dyslexia, ASD, anxiety and depression, to start or stay in work.

I offer funded Access to Work coaching, specialising in helping neurodivergent adults who feel stuck and overwhelmed in the chaos of daily life.

Through our coaching sessions, I'll help you design and achieve your version of success. (I don’t believe there’s one right way to accomplish this.)

I also work with line managers and employers who want to strengthen their support within neurodiverse teams.

What can Access to Work help you with other than coaching?

Access to Work offers a range of financial and practical support to make work easier and more effective, including adaptive software, travel assistance, funding for special equipment, coching and more - depending on your unique needs.

Access to Work can pay for job coaching or coping strategy sessions with an Access to Work coach like me.

This is for you if you need Access to Work coaching quotes or have received an Access to Work grant relating to:

  • Coaching sessions

  • Coping strategy sessions

  • Skill coaching

  • Job coaching

Access to Work coaching sessions and psychologically safe spaces created with ADHD/ASD/RSD/HSP/dyslexia in mind.

“[Victoria] completely understands what busy ND business owners need, and unfailingly meets that need. Her ability to leave people feeling more capable and competent, without triggering any sense of embarrassment or shame, is rare - and much to be valued.”

— Dr Emma Langman

Who can apply for Access to Work

According to the DWP guidelines, you can apply for Access to Work if you have a:

  • Physical or hidden disability

  • Mental health condition which makes it hard for you to do your job or get to work.

Some of my clients have been diagnosed with ADHD or ASD, whereas some have made a personal choice to self-diagnose. Some are on long waiting lists. That doesn’t take away from the fact that you have neurodivergent traits or a mental health condition. My clients are still awarded Access to Work coaching with me even without an official diagnosis. You can find out more about the eligibility requirements for Access to Work on the UK Government website.

How does job coaching work?

In our coaching sessions, we can explore resources and approaches to help you better understand yourself and those around you so you can work with your unique brain and processing style rather than struggling against it.

All sessions are safe spaces created with ADHD/ASD/RSD/HSP/dyslexia in mind.

  1. We start with a discovery call to check that we vibe together, and that coaching is what you need right now.

  2. We’ll set some goals so we both know what you’re working towards. Your goals are totally unique to you. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed with the chaos of daily life or finding out what success means to you, our coaching sessions will create a path that feels right for you.

  3. All coaching calls are adapted to you. Do you prefer to walk and talk? You’ve got it. It’s not unusual for my ADHD clients to change up how they want to meet each week.

  4. I’ll ask thoughtful questions that are designed to gently challenge your thinking. No rush to answer, and rambling words are all good here. I’m trained to listen to all your thoughts, no matter how messy they might feel.

  5. We are equals in this relationship - I’m not going to pretend to be the expert of you. My job is to help you find the answers and I’ll do everything in my power to help make that happen.

  6. No need to make detailed notes if you don’t want as I’ll ping you a summary after each session of what action steps we’ve discussed during the coaching call.

Feel a little better already? Book a call here.

What will we cover during the coaching session?

During our coaching sessions we can work on things like:

  • Time management, focus and concentration. I have a big toolbox of strategies to help. Dopamine seeker or professional procrastinator (hello ADHD!), we can look at personalised strategies through coaching to help you leave work feeling accomplished and fulfilled at the end of the day.

  • Building structure and routine.

  • Dealing with sensory overload.

  • Clear communication and self-advocacy skills. Many people who are newly diagnosed with ADHD struggle to communicate their needs and boundaries to their employers. Through coaching, we can examine this together so you can confidently advocate for your needs at any given opportunity.

  • Managing feedback and adapting to change. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is something many of my ADHD Access to Work coaching clients experience. It’s a feeling of extreme emotional sensitivity and pain, triggered by the perception that you’ve been rejected or criticised.

How much Access to Work Coaching funding do you get?

The amount you’ll be awarded varies greatly from one person to another. Most of my clients receive between 6-20 hours of Access to Work coaching. Typically, we split these into one-hour virtual coaching sessions, but sometimes clients prefer 2 x 30-minute sessions or even longer durations.

I’m based in Nottingham, UK, and all Access to Work coaching sessions take place online, usually via Zoom.

If you’re pursuing Access to Work coaching, our paths might cross:

  1. During the Access to Work application process, if you’ve applied for job coaching, you will be asked to gather three quotes for coaching sessions. Drop me a message and I can send you a quote for you to give to your Access to Work support worker.

  2. Once you’ve been awarded Access to Work funding, you’ll need to choose a coach that fits with the type of coaching support you’ve been granted.

How to Apply for Access to Work Coaching

To apply for Access to Work, you need to complete the online application form. For more details on eligibility and how to apply for Access to Work, visit the gov.uk Access to Work page for up to date details of the Access to Work process.

If you want to read more about how the Access to Work scheme works, I’ve written four guides to help - just choose the guide that’s most applicable to you:

1. Access to Work - Practical Support for Neurominorities in the Workplace

40% of neurominority (including ADHD, ASD and Dyslexic) adults say that they’re ‘impacted most days in the workplace’ by their condition. If work isn’t feeling particularly accessible to you right now, from feelings of overwhelm to falling out of love with work, this article dives into the types of practical support you might be able to get through Access to Work, including my one-to-one job coaching services.

Read more here: Access to Work: Practical Support for Neurominorities in the Workplace

2. Access to Work - A Guide for Employees

This Access to Work guide is dedicated to those in employment. From reasonable adjustments your employer is legally obliged to make (including when you don’t have an ADHD/ASD diagnosis), to Access to Work arrangments. If you’re an employee and want to know more about the accommodations your employer could make for you, or what adjustments you can apply for under the Access to Work scheme, this one is for you.

Read more here: Access to Work - A Guide for Employees

3. Access to Work - A Guide for Employers

Recognising and adapting a neuroinclusive approach is proven to improve cohesion, motivation and staff retention. As an employer you want to support your neurodivergent employees, but perhaps you don’t know where to start. From job coaching to practical accommodations in the workplace, leverage the Access to Work scheme to support your employees, including those with ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia, Anxiety and Depression.

Read more here: Access to Work - A Guide for Employers

4. Access to Work - A Guide for the Self- Employed

My self-employed job coaching clients are often surprised to find they can access a coach like me through Access to Work. Running a business as a neurodivergent person can bring its own unique set of challenges. Learn more about how Access to Work can help you run your business in my guide below.

Read more here: Access to Work - A Guide for the Self-Employed

“ Victoria is both kind and empathetic, driven by a deeper purpose to help neurodiverse individuals reach their full potential. It's been a godsend to distill and clarify what could really help with the various challenges I face as a neurodiverse individual.”

— Graham Bucknell

How to get started with Access to Work Coaching

To find out more about coaching with me through the Access to Work scheme, you can:

📱 Book a discovery call with me here
or
✉️  Get in touch using my contact form here

Frequently Asked Questions - Access to Work Coaching

  • Visit the gov.uk Access to Work page for more on the eligibility criteria, or book a call with me to find out more.

  • Check what your Access to Work paperwork says you’ve been approved to receive to ensure you receive the right support. I typically support people who’ve been awarded coping strategy sessions and/or coaching.

  • Absolutely! Use the button on this page to book a call or send me a message via the contact form, explaining what you need.

  • That depends on your agreement with Access to Work. We can organise our sessions to align with what they recommend and agree to fund.

  • Once you receive your funding, contact me to schedule a discovery call to check that we're a good fit. If it's a yes on both sides, we can then get your coaching sessions scheduled!

  • Yep, absolutely! We’ll split your allocated coaching hours into chunks in line with whatever works best for your brain. For most people, Access to Work coaching sessions are either 60 or 90 minutes.

  • Yep, Access to Work supports self-employed individuals too. We can tailor our coaching sessions to meet your specific business needs.

  • I coach all individuals, and all are neurodivergent, so I’ve become super aware of how their brains work and use coaching skills that are effective for them.

    I always work with the human in front of me, diagnosis or not. We all have our own unique brains, needs, and ways of working, so I accommodate my coaching practice to you.

    As of June 2025, I’m working through a coaching course to hone my skills and toolkit of strategies, which are specifically tailored towards adults with ADHD.

  • Your Access to Work funding meets the cost of coaching. You’ll be granted a specific set of hours at a fixed rate. I can talk you through how your allocated Access to Work coaching hours work during our discovery call.

  • The accommodations that Access to Work can grant you vary from person to person. For more information, check out the government website or read one of the four guides linked on this page.