Unlocking the immense potential of neurodivergent minds at Covéa Insurance

London 14 August 2023 - The Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity are delighted to welcome Covéa Insurance which is the UK subsidiary of Covéa Group, a European leader in insurance and re-insurance.

Covéa Insurance are committed to creating an inclusive workplace by pro-actively taking action to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, irrespective of their neurodiversity, gender, race, sexuality or gender reassignment, age, physical or mental disability, religious beliefs, marital status or socio-economic background.

Ian Bubb, Speciality Lines & IT Director at Covéa Insurance shares, "I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured that our company has joined GAIN—an extraordinary group dedicated to neurodiversity in the financial sector. This partnership holds a personal significance for me, as it signifies a tremendous milestone in our collective commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive world. By joining forces with GAIN, we are not only championing diversity and inclusion, but also unlocking the immense potential that neurodivergent minds bring to the table. Together, we will redefine what success looks like, challenge stereotypes, and create a workplace that embraces and harnesses the unique strengths and perspectives of every individual. I am genuinely excited to embark on this journey with GAIN, as we work hand in hand to create a brighter, more inclusive future for all.”

Barbara Schonhofer, Co-Chair of GAIN shares, "We are excited to welcome Covéa to the GAIN insurance sector collaboration journey as they join our growing corporate membership across the UK and beyond. It is an honour to welcome Ian Bubb executive champion at Covéa and the team for the next stage of our development as the industry hub for neurodiversity".

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Notes for Editor

For follow-up questions, comments or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Liselle Appleby, Communications & Marketing Lead, GAIN

07866 718701 liselle@gaintogether.org

Neurodiversity at the heart of the FCA's Consumer Duty

by Johnny Timpson OBE, Supervisory Board Member of GAIN

GAIN welcomes the introduction of Consumer Duty and the FCA’s guidance and rules that will improve retail financial services customers understanding together with the value, service, support, and outcomes that they receive and experience. With more than one in seven consumers and colleagues in the UK neurodiverse; that is, they have conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Some, though not all, of our customers will have different needs when accessing financial services – which can make them susceptible to harm if firms are not acting with appropriate levels of awareness and care.

All retail financial services firms, including banks, investment houses, insurers, brokers and financial advisers, need to be considering neurodiverse customers in every decision they make. This encompassing communication, products, services, and customer interactions with the golden thread that links them being the lifetime customer journey that our clients experience. Whilst this might appear a daunting task, every journey starts with some first steps and a few follow...

Step one – Be neurodivergent aware and inclusive by design and this is where GAIN can assist.

It starts with us! There is no better way to understand the needs of our neurodiverse customers than empowering and enabling our neurodivergent colleagues and employees. Through our corporate membership GAIN is here to help you on your journey to becoming neuro-inclusive, by giving your the skills and support to enable neurodivergent employees to thrive in the workplace. As a membership hub we offer resources and partners to help you make the changes you need, not only will your business benefit from an increase in diversity of thought and creative problem solving but by reviewing how to support your employees, this will enable you to better understand how to serve your neurodivergent customers. Talk to one of the GAIN team about corporate membership at info@gaintogether.org and access our corporate member online hub at member.gaintogether.org.

Step two - Get to know your vulnerable customer.

‘Vulnerability’ encompasses a huge range of traits, needs, and considerations. The FCA describes a vulnerable customer as someone ‘especially susceptible to harm’ – and it specifically lists ‘characteristics of vulnerability’, including poor health, cognitive impairment, life events such as new caring responsibilities, low financial resilience, and poor literacy or numeracy skills.

Step three - Understand we’re all different, and that when you’ve meet one vulnerable or neurodivergent customer … You’ve met one vulnerable or neurodivergent customer.

This conversation goes well beyond regulation. People with different vulnerable conditions are likely to need different solutions. But people with the same conditions may well need different solutions too!

Step four – Don’t try and eat the elephant all at once.

Grappling with this issue can feel like trying to boil the ocean; there are so many different vulnerabilities and guidelines to follow. A realistic approach needs to focus on the feasible and impactful and there are lots of quick wins. Some relatively simple language and design solutions might include having an upfront view of the sign-up journey and questions that will be asked or product purchase process so people know how long it will take, better navigation and consistency so customers know their location in the journey, and building psychological safety, confidence and reducing anxiety by using language to normalise negative emotions; these are universal design changes which lead to better experiences for all customers. Bigger issues might need more user testing and complex design; this can come in time and working with the GAIN community to share and benefit from best practice can help.

Step five – Introducing ‘ drop kerb’ policies and practices can help everyone.

When it comes to neurodiversity and vulnerability, don’t think about this as solving a problem for a small minority. The latest FCA Financial Lives Survey (published 26/7/2023) puts it at around half ( 47%) of all UK consumers– but solutions introduced for one group often, as with drop kerbs, help everyone.

Increasing the amount of choice and clarity on offer, regardless of people’s vulnerabilities or lack thereof, will result in a happier, better served client. When organisations are lived experience informed, inclusive by design and cater for the breadth and diversity of their customers and colleagues by creating ecosystems where the can belong and thrive, they reap the rewards both commercially and culturally; with satisfied customers and colleagues underpinning successful businesses.

In closing and on behalf of the Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity, join us and let’s GAIN together.

Johnny Timpson OBE is a Supervisory Board Member and one of the original founders of GAIN. As a principal, business strategist, FRSA, NED with a portfolio of financial services, he has worked in academic and the 3rd sector within advisory/ambassadorial roles plus as a Financial Services Consumer Panel Member and Financial Inclusion Commissioner.

Some Questions and Answers about the GAIN Mentorship Pilots - The Reverse Mentorship Pilot

We've been seeing growing interest in our mentorship pilots which, as mentioned in another recent article, are currently open for registration by employees of of our corporate member companies.

We've received questions from a few of you interested in taking part, and wanted to share more information about the mentorship pilots currently available, starting with the Neurodivergent Reverse Mentorship Pilot

Q1: This is for GAIN corporate members. I'm not sure if my company is a member of GAIN, can I apply?

New companies are joining GAIN regularly, and there is often a short delay between membership being agreed and the public announcement being made, so it's worth registering your interest even if you aren't sure if your company qualifies yet - your company may be in the process of joining, or may join us in the future. Use your work email address to register as this will make it easy to verify your eligibility. If you aren't eligible for this round, we will keep your details on record and notify you once your company joins GAIN, or once we open up mentorship schemes to our wider individual membership.

Our current corporate members are:

• ABI

• Ageas

• Aviva

• Beazley

• Covea Insurance

• Guardian Financial Services

• Just Group

• Kennedys Law

• Liberty Specialty Markets

• Per Ardua

• Phoenix Group

• PIC

• QBE

• RSA

• Saga Group

• Simply Business

• Swiss Re

• UnderwriteMe

• Zurich

Q2: How long are registrations open for?

We've actually decided to extend the registration period for this pilot! You can register as either mentor or mentee until Friday 18th August.

Q3: Who can be a mentor?

Anyone who self-identifies as neurodivergent, and is employed at a GAIN member company, can register to be a mentor. We recognise the barriers that can make formal diagnosis inaccessible, and also recognise self-diagnosis or self-identification as valid. You will be speaking about your experiences as a neurodivergent person with your mentee, so you will need to be willing to talk and answer questions about neurodiversity.

Q4: Who can be a mentee?

People who are in more senior roles, whether this is a managerial position, a department head C-suite or otherwise, who are employed at a GAIN member company. You do not need to have experience engaging in neurodiversity projects, but we do ask about your prior experience in order to help us make the best possible match.

Q5: Why would I want to be a mentor?

Career advocacy opportunities, advancement and networking opportunities have often been thin on the ground or hard for neurodivergent people to access. Studies such as the VEQ show that neurodivergent people are disproportionately overlooked for promotions and other opportunities. We hope that by opening up mentoring relationships specifically to our neurodivergent members, this will help build bridges and create relationships with career advocates and allies. Reverse mentoring schemes of all kinds can be beneficial for a person's career.

Additionally, by getting to speak directly to people at more senior level about neurodiversity, you will be able to provide input and insight that will be included in the decisions your company makes about neuroinclusivity. It is vital that neurodivergent voices be included in those discussions.

Q6: Why would I want to be a mentee?

There is no greater insight you will get on the neurodivergent experience of your company than from the individuals actively working there. At GAIN, we use our knowledge of both neurodiversity and the industry to offer benchmarking and roadmap services to help you create a more neuroinclusive culture. But a richer and deeper understanding of your company culture, environment and needs is only possible through open and vulnerable dialogue.

Many companies survey diversity in their teams and a common concern raised is the lack of psychological safety leading to lower rates of disclosure. Opening yourself to a mentorship relationship communicates your genuine desire to learn and can help your employees feel safer to be open as they see the positive results of the relationships you build with them.

Q7: What is the process once I apply?

This is a pilot, which means we've not done anything like it before. As a result, we want to be methodical with our approach. We are not making any decisions about who does or doesn't qualify until the registration period closes.

Once the registrations close at the end of Friday 18th August we will review the list of applicants and begin making decisions. Our aim is to pair mentors and mentees from the same company with each other, but this is dependent on the rate of interest from each member company.

If you are successful in your application, we will contact you by email during the week commencing 21st August with a one-page-profile template to complete and return to us by 25th August.

We will then introduce you to the person you will be paired with by email, sharing those one-page-profile documents. You will each be provided a mentorship agreement form to sign, and copies of feedback forms that you can use to communicate with GAIN through the mentorship period.

We will help schedule an introductory meeting between you and your mentor/mentee, which should last approximately 30 minutes. From then, it will be your mutual responsibility to schedule regular meetings with each other and to maintain the relationship.

If you are not successful, we will contact you during the week commencing 21st August and explain our decision. It may be that you do not qualify at this time or we may not have a suitable person to pair you with. You will have the opportunity to reapply to be included in future mentorship pilots and in the wider release of these schemes once the pilot concludes, and we will be sure to inform you when future opportunities open up.

Q8: How long does the pilot last?

The pilot will formally begin on 1st September. Your mentoring relationship will begin from the date of your first introductory meeting with your partner, and will last for 6 months.

Q9: What commitment am I making by signing up?

You are committing to a set of minimum standards of participation as follows:

• Meeting with your partner (in person or virtually) either monthly or 6-weekly (as agreed in the introductory meeting)

• Providing feedback to GAIN at the start, mid-point and end using feedback forms GAIN will provide

• As mentor, providing open insights into your experience of neurodiversity both personally and in the workplace.

• As mentee, receiving feedback and insights with an open mindset and a desire to learn, not to judge or discount the information you receive.

• You will also commit to a set of mutual goals for the relationship, which you and your partner will discuss and mutually set in the introductory meeting.

Q10: I have further questions that haven't been answered here.

We are happy to help! Please email info@gaintogether.org and a member of the GAIN team will respond within a few days. (Please be patient, as we are a small team!)