Oliver McGowan

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training

on Learning Disability & Autism

Following the tragic death of Oliver McGowan in hospital, Oliver’s Campaign was born. The campaign is led by Oliver’s mother, Paula McGowan OBE, who believes that all health and social care staff need appropriate and meaningful training to help them to understand people who have a learning disability and autistic people.
The government has subsequently published ‘Right to be heard’, and has committed to developing a standardised training package which draws on existing best practice, and the expertise of people with a learning disability, autistic people, and subject matter experts.

Some of the course content includes sensitive and potentially distressing information and stories of Oliver’s tragic story.
If you are affected by any of the content, it is important to discuss this with your employer, and access the appropriate support.

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What is the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability & Autism?

Enabling the health and social care workforce to better support people with a learning disability and autistic people, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism has been co-produced, trialled, and independently evaluated, and will be co-delivered by trainers with lived experience of learning disabilities and autism.

The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a requirement that regulated service providers ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism which is appropriate to the person’s role.

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the standardised training that was developed for this purpose and is the government’s preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff to undertake.  It is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training. It is the only training with permission to include Paula McGowan OBE, telling Oliver’s story and explaining why the training is taking place.

Watch this powerful animation about The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism

Useful links:
Health Education Oliver McGowan Training Page | Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB | Oliver McGowan FAQs | Skills for Care statement | CQC guidance

Roll out

Each of the 42 Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) across England are co-ordinating the roll out within their locality.

Not part of the Hertfordshire & West Essex system? This useful map shows the coverage across England, and regional contact details of all systems can be found here

Hertfordshire Care Providers Association (HCPA) are supporting the Hertfordshire & West Essex Health and Care System roll out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory training. HCPA have an established training team with extensive experience working in care, and are bringing in experts with lived experience as co-trainers to support the roll out. HCPA are also offering Train the Trainer sessions to support trainers in the system to cascade the training.

Who are HCPA?
HCPAs vision is to create a county where all adults who receive care are given a service of true quality, which is both personalised and individually tailored to their needs. At HCPA everything is centred on helping Hertfordshire adult care providers to raise their standards of quality by offering low cost or fully funded: training, network events, study days, business services, advice, and tailored support.
HCPA has a training centre based in Welwyn Garden City and delivers training here and throughout the county. We have a team of trainers who have extensive experience working across a range of care settings, giving them knowledge and understanding to support care companies, as well as having advanced training skills.

What are the tiers of training?

There are two routes to completing the Oliver McGowan training, dependent on job role and responsibility.

Entry onto both involves completing an e-learning package. Please note the e-learning is managed on the national platform e-learning for healthcare and is not managed by HCPA. Participants will need to have an account or register for one. Guidance and support can be found here

Once the e-learning is completed, the next step is then either:
– a one-hour interactive live online session (Tier 1), or;
– a one-day face to face training session (Tier 2)

The following are examples to help employers understand which tier of training their staff may need. (Guidance source)

Example 1
In an acute hospital trust, all clinical and support staff may need to complete Tier 2 because they may need to provide care and support to autistic people or people with a learning disability. Administrators and scientists who do not have patient-facing roles, such as accountants or microbiologists, may only need to complete Tier 1.

Example 2
In a trust offering mental health and learning disability services, everyone who offers care and support to people should do Tier 2. Senior managers and board members who do not routinely meet the public but are involved in service decision making about services should do Tier 2. Others who do not make decisions about services or meet people who use the trust’s services should do Tier 1.

Example 3
In a wheelchair services team within a community trust, any member of the team who meets the public should do Tier 2. Those who do not meet the public, such as a person employed to maintain wheelchairs or the facilities and estates electricians, should do Tier 1.

Example 4
In a local authority, all adult and children’s social care staff who have contact with the public (such as those answering first contact calls and social workers) or who make service decisions about services for people with a learning disability and autistic people (commissioners and social workers) should do Tier 2 since they will need to make their service accessible and effective for people who are autistic or have a learning disability. Those who do not meet the public, such as a person working in finance, should do Tier 1.

Example 5
In a residential home for older people, where no residents have identified as being autistic or having a learning disability, the employer may decide that staff who have contact with residents can meet their current needs with Tier 1. If the home had frequent turnover the employer may decide that Tier 2 is more appropriate so that staff can make their service accessible to potential residents and visitors who are autistic or have a learning disability. If a person who has a learning disability or is autistic was going to use the service, then staff should do Tier 2. Staff who do not meet the public, such as a person employed to do laundry or maintain gardens, should do Tier 1. People responsible for making service decisions about the home should do Tier 2 since they will need to make their service accessible to residents and visitors who are autistic or have a learning disability.

Example 6
In a domiciliary care agency, which is frequently asked to provide support for people at short notice, all staff who have contact with the public should do Tier 2 so that they are ready to support autistic people and people who have a learning disability.

We are looking for Experts with Lived Experience to join our team as co-trainers

HCPA have been funded to support the roll out of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory training for Hertfordshire and West Essex for CQC Registered Health and Social Care providers. A key part of the training is to include Experts with Lived Experience to co-train with HCPA’s existing training team. Experts with Lived Experience must either have a learning disability and/or be autistic.

Full details, and how to apply, can be found here, and in Easy Read format here.

Any queries please email olivermcgowantraining@hcpa.co.uk