In November 2019, the government published a document called "Right to be heard" in response to proposals for mandatory learning disability and autism training for health and social care staff. The training was named after Oliver McGowan, recognising his story and his family's efforts to improve training for staff in this area.
Since then, a training package has been developed, tested and evaluated. The training incorporates best practices and input from autistic individuals, people with learning disabilities, family caregivers, and subject matter experts.
In July 2022, the Health and Care Act introduced a requirement for regulated service providers to ensure that staff receive appropriate training on learning disability and autism. The government's recommended training for health and social care staff is called the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.
There are two tiers of training to be completed (the e-learning and the interactive online or face-to-face session). The e-learning is a vital first step to give staff knowledge and skills to help change culture and improve lives now.
All staff are encouraged to complete the mandatory e-learning module as soon as possible. There is one e-learning package for all staff, whether they are in Tier 1 or Tier 2. The training can be accessed via e-learning for healthcare, at https://
The ICB has a responsibility to ensure staff access to the training and will be coordinating the interactive online and face-to-face training. Therefore, we ask that staff completion of the e-learning is recorded by each practice/employer via Blue Stream or Clarity Team Net. As well as providing evidence for CQC, this will also help the ICB to measure demand for the interactive training.
You can find out more information on the Oliver McGowan Learning Disability & Autism Training page on the intranet.
