"Inclusivity starts with the job advert"

Jenny Seward qualified in 2007 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2014, after feeling unwell for almost a year. At her worst, she struggled to walk far, became exhausted quickly, experienced severe fatigue, chronic pain and 'fibro-fog' - a term used to describe the concentration and cognitive difficulties often associated with the condition.  

Having learnt to manage her symptoms over the last 11 years, and with the initial support of medication, she is now clinical director of a busy 24/7 practice in South Wales, working almost a full-time week and managing to maintain a good work-life balance. 

Jenny is passionate about making people aware of the difficulties faced by those with chronic conditions, and the small things which can make them feel more included, as well as how to approach reasonable adjustments in a supportive and empathetic manner. Here, she shares her top tips for ensuring an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Clear guidance can make all the difference

Early in my journey, I had no idea what help and support was available to me. Provision of clear information to the practice team outlining the support available is really important, and could include awareness of reasonable adjustments, flexible working requests, occupational health and the Access to Work scheme. I didn’t really become aware of any of these things until I stepped into a management role, but a basic understanding would have helped me deal with problems in a previous position.

Inclusivity starts with the job advert

Ensuring inclusivity starts from the beginning - the advert for my current position stated 'full-time'. I knew I couldn’t work full-time, but was keen to apply, and after a fair bit of internal debate, emailed to ask whether part-time might be considered. The response was immediate and very positive, but having this stated on the advert would have made things so much simpler.

I’ve always been open with potential employers and my teams, preferring them to understand what support I might need if I’m having a bad day. 

In the same vein, instead of ending an advert with 'To apply, please email', consider using 'To discuss the role or to apply please email'. This simple change opens the door to anyone wondering whether they might be suited to the role. 

The Disability Confident scheme 

Our practice is now registered with the Disability Confident scheme. There are very few steps that need to be taken to join the scheme, and doing so lets you add the Disability Confident logo to your adverts, making it clear that you would consider adapting a role to suit someone’s needs. 

Whilst not everyone will be comfortable with sharing their adjustments with the team, try to ensure the team is supportive and positive about helping others. I’ve always been open with potential employers and my teams, preferring them to understand what support I might need if I’m having a bad day. 

What good support looks like 

Having worked at a variety of practices, I’ve seen many ways of supporting colleagues through chronic illnesses. My boss at the time I was diagnosed was fantastic. Whilst adjustments were informal, he had frequent conversations with me to see what I needed, and did his best to accommodate them, working with me to identify ways of working that would be beneficial both to me and the practice. He never once questioned the validity of my condition and made the conversations open and two-way.  

Whilst support doesn’t need to be formal, it’s important to document discussions and decisions so there is a record of what has been decided. Remember that the same condition will affect people differently - what’s right for one person may not work for the next, and different symptoms of the same illness may cause one person more problems than another. Don’t forget that, as in veterinary medicine, illness and disabilities don’t always read like the textbook! Don’t assume you know what’s right or best for someone else - listen to their concerns and worries, and work through how they can be better supported. 

Redefining what 'fit for work' means

Needing to work differently doesn’t mean you can’t work. I was once told by a line manager that if I needed to take a two-minute break from a busy consult morning to allow my symptoms to calm, then I wasn’t well enough to be in work and should go home. This only worsened my stress levels, which in turn exacerbated my symptoms further. It’s important to recognise the relationship between chronic pain and stress - they are tightly intertwined, and doing what we can to minimise stress is vital.

On reflection, I could have handled this situation better, but I wasn’t aware of the reasonable adjustments process, or of the legalities of a Flexible Working Request (it took over a year for me to be given a simple 'no' with no option for discussion). Needing adjustments doesn’t mean people can’t work, we just need to make allowances. For example, splitting a lunch hour into several small breaks through the day. 

Reasonable adjustments – an ever-evolving need 

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that reasonable adjustments will be perfect first time - what works for one person at one point in time may not work for someone else, or even that first person at a later point. Allow trial adjustments, and anticipate needing repeated conversations and check-ins.

For example: when my symptoms first developed, I couldn’t perform surgery as my hands would cramp with no notice. I couldn’t do on-call work as my medications caused issues with drowsiness. I needed a nurse in a consult room with me as I couldn’t draw vaccines up, and I needed to take frequent short breaks to decompress.

As things settled, I was able to resume surgery. I no longer needed a nurse in with me, and the breaks became less frequent. I never managed to go back to on-call work, as I identified undisturbed sleep was vital to managing my condition, but other than that I now work almost a full-time week, with my condition having very little impact on my day-to-day routine. 

Reasonable adjustments can mean many things. At our practice, they include noise-cancelling headphones, 'To do' lists on white boards, adjustable tables, saddle stools, changes to break protocols, and coaching sessions. 

I will forever be grateful for having such an understanding team. 

Most adjustments have been easy to implement and at relatively little cost to the practice - it’s well worth engaging with the process to help support the team and make the practice a more inclusive, happier place to work. If you’re struggling, do involve occupational health and Access to Work early in the process – several heads are better than one, and they have often been able to suggest solutions which hadn’t occurred to us, or the individual involved.  

I will forever be grateful for having such an understanding team around me in the early days - without them, it’s entirely possible I would have had to leave the profession. 

Further information

Access to Work - a UK government scheme that helps people with disabilities or health conditions by funding practical workplace adjustments. 

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