Virtual Assistants
A Wired Differently Virtual Assistant is there to accompany you with your administrative tasks as a neurodivergent leader. Many of our clients pay privately but some pay using funding such as Access to Work grants.
We are dedicated to neurodivergent entrepreneurs, leaders and small business owners
Being a neurodivergent-owned and created company ourselves, we understand the importance of getting support. There is no shame in getting admin support, but many of our clients have not had an assistant before. So we are here to help you meet, train up and work sustainably with your chosen supporter. Please note that we are not an agency however and as with taking on any new team member, you will need to allow some time for your VA to get used to you and how you do things.
Our Services
About Our Virtual Assistant Service
Our VAs understand our community's challenges, come from an admin background and care about small businesses. Many but not all of us are ND. We are all based in the UK. We invoice monthly in arrears. Where ATW is used we wait 6-16 weeks for them to pay us without asking you to advance the payment. To support us in our own cashflow, we do respectfully ask that you and your VA process the required paperwork on the Portal and not by mail.
Our VA service is an 80/20 split of support
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80% = Business admin
20% = Life admin: that means you can free yourself up more for your paid work
We are self-starters, a mix of NDs and NTs and we adhere to industry best practice.
We are also well connected so can signpost you for all your business needs - mostly to neurodivergent suppliers and freelancers!
Please note : our service is 100% paperless and virtual. We can receive post via our registered office in London and forward to your VA if this has been agreed with them. There is a small charge for this to cover our costs.
What Can We Help With?
✅ Access to work and Benefits administration
✅ Emails & Diary management
✅ Reminder, accountability; helping you prioritise work
✅ Helping you organise your thoughts
✅ Making and/or taking calls for you
✅ Internet research
✅ Social media, blogs and newsletters
✅ Events organisation
✅ Sales admin and CRM
✅ Website updates
✅ Life admin to help you focus in your work
✅ Note taking in meetings
✅ Suggesting Assistive Tech solutions
Our Promise To You
This VA service exists so neurodivergent people can outsource their professional and personal admin, and receive support and guidance with their Access to Work and benefits claims... leaving you to enjoy using your own skillset and specialisms and to maximise your income.
You can download to us on WhatsApp 24/7 and we can help youorganise your thoughts*.
You can leave us task lists, brainstorm with us, share frustrations, and other strategies.
You can leave us voice notes at 3am full of ideas that need actioning... without worrying you're "being too much".
(Please note that time spent checking WhatsApp is chargeable).
Additional Information
Where people claim ATW, the purpose of the grant is for the recipient to be present with their assistant while they are supported in performing tasks that they might otherwise find hard owing to executive function and emotional regulation difficulties and challenges with communication. ATW expect around two thirds of the work to be done with your assistant and the rest are tasks the VA completes independently to lighten the load.
Please note we also have a GDPR expert on our team and so clients working for companies that are hesitant about providing shared access for company emails and calendars etc, can speak to them regarding how we work with data. Please ask our co-ordinator Julie for details on this.
If you are looking for a Support Worker but need a visual, take a look at our process chart:
Our Quotation Template is for those who need it for Access to Work or their Employer. We only have one hourly rate, regardless of how many hours are needed.
If there is anything that is unclear, please contact us.
Key Information
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Our hourly rate for the VA service is £32 + VAT as of January 2024
Wired Differently holds full Professional Indemnity Insurance with Policy Bee (Hiscox).
Clients must commit to a minimum of 4 hours of VA work a week. For the Support Service there is no minimum number of hours as long as you keep us updated in advance.
If you need to put things on pause then please give us a minimum of "14 days" notice by email or via our web form.
A few points to note based on our experience as a VA provider:
We support neurodivergent people with their admin tasks at admin assistant level.
The client is ultimately responsible for the correct spending of their Access to Work Grant and the payment of their invoices, although we do accept direct payment from the DWP.
We accept payment by bank transfer, Stripe/bank card, GoCardless Direct Debit mandate and PayPal.
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Some of our clients claim Access to Work grants or Social Services direct payments.
A Virtual Assistant is referred to by the DWP as a 'Specialist Support Worker (neurodiversity) - admin support across all business functions'.
If you would like a quote to put in with your Access to Work application then please download our free quotation template.
Once you have your grant we can set up a meet and greet. We will then arrange a second meeting to introduce you to the most appropriate VA/VAs for your needs.
Direct paying clients can claim our services back as a 'reasonable expense for a disability' through their Accountant. Please speak to them for details.
We are unable to claim more than the hours you have used on your grant each month. eg. If you award is for 10 hours a week but you have used 4, we can only claim for 4.
We are not able to process grants and to pay subcontractors on your behalf to maximise your grant spend.
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Grant recipients are legally responsible for the payment of their invoices. We do accept payment in arrears from the DWP.
Handover and induction time needs to be paid for as it would be for anyone in a paid professional role.
Overseas clients may be required to pay a month in advance. This is because the cost of chasing unpaid invoices when clients are based overseas is prohibitive but we do not want to deny support where we can provide it.
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We have had the odd instance where clients have harassed our team, shouted at us, sworn at us, withheld payment or acted inappropriately for the context of a professional relationship. We will never tolerate this.
Where we deem we are not a good fit for a client, or vice versa, we will take swift action to terminate the relationship.
RSD and emotional dysregulation affect all of us but this is not an excuse to treat our team without the respect they deserve.
Psychological safety is a priority in all we do.
What People Are Saying
“Professional, on it, warm, strong in his approach but discrete. Yes, I feel well supported by Larry thank you”
— LM, Devon
“I want to thank Theresa for all the help and follow up that she has put into my ATW grant this past 6 months. Without her there is no way I would have gotten any use out of my grant”
— YR, Scotland
“Noria is excellent with emotional support. She has been brilliant”
— AZ, Midlands
“I don't know how and your team do it but I am really impressed with what you've put together in terms of wrap around support. And it's even more special knowing you've done this all virtually!”
— WC, Suffolk