zThe Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to assist health and care staff caring and supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people has been launched.
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a requirement that regulated CQC registered service providers must ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism that is appropriate to their role.
Now, the first part of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is now ready to be accessed following a two-year trial which involved 8,300 health and care staff across England.
Who is Oliver MCGowan?
The training is named after Oliver McGowan, who died in 2016 after being given antipsychotic medication, despite warning that they were unsuitable for him, highlighting a lack of understanding of the needs of people with a learning disability or autistic people. Oliver’s mother Paula successfully launched a campaign to make training on caring for people with a learning disability and autistic people mandatory for all health and care staff.
This innovative training has been developed from the beginning with expertise from people with a learning disability and autistic people as well as their families and carers.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training will provide staff with the right information to make reasonable adjustments as well as challenging their preconceptions of autism and learning disabilities.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, which has been developed in partnership with Health Education England, Department for Health and Social Care, Skills for Care and NHS England, is ready for staff across the health and care sector to access now.
Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training comes in two tiers and is designed so staff receive the right level of mandatory training.
The first part, the elearning package, is required for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training and is now live.
Tier 1 has been designed for staff who need general awareness of the support autistic people or people with a learning disability may need.
Tier 2 is for people who may need to provide care and support for autistic people or people with a learning disability.
All staff will complete the one hour and 30-minute elearning package, which includes learning from autistic people and people with a learning disability, their carers, family members and subject matter experts.
Those completing Tier 1 will then be required to take part in a 60-minute online interactive session, while those completing Tier 2 will be required to attend a one-day face-to-face training session co-delivered by trainers who have a lived experience with learning disability and autism.
These sessions are expected to be available from early 2023 and have been designed to offer people with a learning disability and autistic people employment opportunities as part of the delivery team.
Paula McGowan OBE said: ‘I take comfort in knowing that the death of my teenage son Oliver has resulted in a positive change as a direct consequence, something which will resonate with many and is deeply meaningful to me.
‘I have been humbled to observe all health and care colleagues working collaboratively to strive for this change. There is more work to be done, but the journey has now started, and I truly believe we are on the right trajectory to achieve better health and care outcomes for neurodivergent people.’
Tom Cahill, NHS director of learning disability and autism, said: ‘The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training provides a real opportunity to ensure staff working across the NHS have a greater understanding of the needs of autistic people and people with a learning disability and are able to make the necessary reasonable adjustments that support patients and ensure they receive the best care possible.’
Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive of Skills for Care, added: ‘The launch of the elearning package for the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is an important development in helping people access essential training and help reduce inequalities for people with learning disability and autistic people. ‘
Further Information
Learn more about the training programme
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism
Oliver’s Campaign will transform Autism and Learning disabilities training in social care
