From 1 July 2022, all health and social care providers registered with CQC must ensure that their staff receive training on learning disabilities and autism appropriate to their role.
The training is named after Oliver McGowan. Oliver was a young man whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better skills, knowledge and understanding of the needs for autistic people and people with a learning disability. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government’s preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff.
Tier 1 – (GP Receptionists and Administrators etc). This is for people who require a general understanding of autism, and the support autistic people may need.
This is relevant to those in working in any sector who may occasionally interact with autistic people, but who do not have responsibility for providing direct care or making decisions about autism-specific care or support. For example, this may include those working in public services, commercial or charitable organisations providing health, social care, education, policing, custodial care, housing, transport, careers, employment or benefit services. It would include front-of-house and reception staff.
Complete the e-learning package, available now and link below AND a 1 hour online interactive session (the interactive session should be available from 2023).
Tier 2 – (Clinical roles) For people with responsibility for providing care and support for an autistic person or people, but who could seek support from others for complex management or complex decision-making for example, Tier 2 will be relevant to health and social care workers, including frontline care staff who are not autism specialists and those in other roles such as education and housing services that are providing care and support for autistic people.
Complete the e-learning package, available now and link below AND attend a 1-day face to face training session (the face to face session should be available from 2023).
For those needing to do Tier 2 they do not need to first complete Tier 1.
The e-learning is now live. The online interactive sessions and face to face training are planned to commence in 2023. Updates can be found on the HEE webpage – https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/learning-disability/current-projects/oliver-mcgowan-mandatory-training-learning-disability-autism .
Tier 3 – For Health, social care and other professionals with a high degree of autonomy, able to provide care and support in complex situations and/or may also lead services for autistic people. This is relevant to staff working intensively with autistic people, including those who take a lead in decision making, practice management, commissioning and developing or disseminating good practice. Some indicative roles may include specialist healthcare professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs with special interest, learning disability nurses, counsellors, psychotherapists, allied health professionals, social workers, educators etc. This will include LD Care Co-ordinators and all clinicians who undertake the annual health check for people with learning disabilities.
Tier 3 training is yet to be made available