The government has introduced a new legal requirement for Oliver McGowan Training. This is part of the Health and Care Act 2022. It affects CQC registered care providers who support people with learning disabilities or autism.
The Oliver McGowan campaign grew in awareness and brought the initiative to the forefront of the agenda. The requirement states that starting on 1st July 2022, organisations must provide training that fits the worker's role.
This is about making sure social care staff have the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate and informed care.
What is Oliver McGowan Training?
Oliver McGowan Training focuses on learning disabilities and autism. It helps health and social care staff to better support people with autism and learning disabilities.
They named this training in memory of Oliver McGowan. He was a young man whose tragic death showed serious gaps in care.
The goal of this training is to help staff gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need. This will allow them to provide safe, compassionate, and informed support to autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
Unlike conventional training, this programme focuses on transforming attitudes and practices to ensure dignified and appropriate care. Deeply rooted in real-life experiences, the content offers insights beyond academic learning.
Is Oliver McGowan training mandatory?
All regulated health providers have a statutory requirement to provide training on Learning Disability and Autism. The Oliver McGowan training is the governments preferred and recommended provider for health and social care staff.
Oliver McGowan Tiers
The delivery of the Oliver McGowan Training on Learning Disability and Autism divides into two tiers. It meets the different roles in the social care sector. This tiered approach makes sure that each professional gets the right training for their specific role. This improves the overall quality of care provided.
Tier 1
Tier 1 is the foundational level, focusing on general awareness about Learning Disability and Autism. This tier is important for the whole health and social care workforce. It includes people in administrative and support roles, not just those who give direct care.
The training covers the essential knowledge around Learning Disability and Autism including communication skills and reasonable adjustments including family and carers. It also addresses common misconceptions and promotes a positive, respectful approach to care.
Participants will learn about person-centred support. They will also understand the importance of promoting independence for autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
Completing this level helps social care staff learn how to support autistic people and those with learning disabilities. This creates a more inclusive care environment.
Tier 2
Tier 2 is more targeted for professionals in direct patient facing roles. This tier is essential for social care staff, nurses, care assistants and anyone who provides direct care to individuals with learning disability and autism.
Participants will gain in-depth insights into the lived experiences of individuals with a learning disability.
It helps participants understand the unique challenges and strengths of autistic people and those with learning disabilities. This leads to more effective and compassionate care.
What the Oliver McGowan Training means for care providers?
The new guidelines apply to all care staff, not just specialist services. This means that more staff will need training for their jobs. This includes administrative staff who may work with service users.
Health and social care providers must currently source the training themselves, as there is no official programme in place.
At Flourish, we have this covered through the various courses we offer. We will watch the Code of Practice that the government plans to discuss and publish, and ensure our courses follow it.
CQC guidance on Oliver McGowan Training
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have published guidance titled "Training staff to support autistic people and people with a learning disability". The guidance allows care providers to arrange their own autism and learning disability training. Care providers are compliant as long as it meets the standards set out in the Health and Care Act 2022 and Regulation 18.
CQC have also published another guidance called “Right support, right care, right culture”. It outlines how CQC regulates providers supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability. CQC checks if staff are delivering safe, person-centred care. If not, they will review the training and support those staff have received.
How the CQC will assess
Under the new requirement, the CQC will check whether staff have received training on autism and learning disabilities. Care development team must also assess their staff competencies after the training, which the CQC will review during inspection.
In line with current inspection procedures, CQC will not be looking at the types of learning involved.
When inspecting quality, CQC will look at whether staff are competent to care for all individuals using the service. This includes delivering care and treatment to autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
If a provider decides that a staff member doesn’t need the training, CQC will expect clear records explaining that decision.
How do you complete Oliver McGowan Training Online?
The training for Oliver McGowan is in two tiers. Both tiers consist of 2 parts:
The eLearning is part of both tiers. Everyone needs to do this regardless of what tier training they need to complete.
Part 2 of the training is either a 1-hour online interactive session (Tier 1) or a 1-day face to face training session (Tier 2).
The online training on Learning Disability and Autism is available through our online learning management system, Click Learning. This is in collaboration with NHS England - eLearning for Health. The online interactive session and face-to-face training is delivered by experts with experience.
The course is available free of charge as an additional resource for anyone with a Click Learning account. Users accessing the course agree to comply with the e-LfH Terms and Conditions.
Care managers should allocate the course to eligible colleagues through the eLearning for Health website.
How long does Oliver McGowan training take?
The Tier 1 training comprises a 90-minute e-learning module and a 1-hour online interactive session.
Meanwhile, Tier 2 training also includes a 90-minute e-learning module, followed by full day of face-to-face training.
The Oliver McGowan training is more than a regulatory requirement. Instead, it is a crucial step towards a more inclusive and understanding social care environment in the UK.
Specialist learning disability and autism courses
At Flourish, we support this initiative wholeheartedly, delivering training and resources that resonate with informed, empathetic care principles.
You can find the specialist courses that Flourish provide to support people working with learning disabilities and autism below. These are in line with the Oliver McGowan Training guidance.
- Autism awareness
- Down Syndrome
- Fragile X Syndrome
- Mental Health, Dementia and Learning Disabilities Essentials
Highly recommended LD relevant courses:
- Communication Skills
- Conflict Management
- Continence Management
- Diabetes Essentials
- Dysphagia and choking
- Eating and Drinking Support
- Epilepsy Awareness
- Positive Behaviour Support and Non-Restrictive Practice
You can browse our full course list here.
The Oliver McGowan mandatory training on learning disability and autism is the government's preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff in a CQC registered service.
We urge all social care professionals to embrace this training. This is not just as an obligation, but as an opportunity to change culture and reduce health inequalities.
Autism Awareness course
This Autism training helps social care workers to support someone on the autistic spectrum.
View course
