Mark Allan

Background

About Mark Allan

Status Employment, I am dedicated to empowering patients at the South London & Maudsley Hospital that are engaging with Lambeth Talking Therapy. With a robust background in recruitment and training, I specialise in developing personalised action plans that facilitate smooth transitions into the workforce, address workplace challenges and support job searches and I love every minute of it! My own journey took a transformative turn when I was diagnosed with ADHD in August 2021. This revelation helped me understand that my struggles were not failures, but rather symptoms of a complex neurological developmental disorder often misunderstood due to stigma. I believe in supporting individuals by focusing on their symptoms rather than the labels society attaches to them; education is key to this process. Two years after my diagnosis, I discovered Access to Work. After several hesitations, I finally applied for the programme, and five months later, my grant was approved. This initiative provided me with invaluable support, particularly ADHD coaching, which allowed me to engage in meaningful conversations with qualified professionals for the first time. What I learned was groundbreaking. I realised that my innovative teaching methods, often described by managers as “outside the box,” were actually ADHD-friendly strategies that not only helped my clients stand out in their job searches but also led them to success. I was able to create tools and use them with patients that were willing and saw fantastic results in creating aids that created a process of a strategy around things that ADHD brains will struggle with. I authored and self-published “The World’s First ADHD Job Seekers A-Z Guide.” This project tested me to my limits. ADHD symptoms made it impossible for me to do certain aspects so I did lean on people for support. My first book was released in July 2024, and I currently work at the South London & Maudsley Hospital four days a week. Beginning in October 2024, I am a weekend ADHD Coach for The ADHD Advocate, where I will pilot “The World’s First Ever ADHD Employment Training Programme.” My second book ‘The Diaries of ADHD’ is being penned and scheduled release December 2024 this book will tell the story of my pathway to ADHD diagnosis, which was described by an experienced ADHD specialist as “one of the most traumatic pathways to ADHD diagnosis he had ever heard in his whole career” I have learnt more about myself since August 2021 than I have all of my life, I hope to spend the rest of my career helping my own tribe.