Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism

Learning Disability and Autism Training – Update June 2025 

The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that CQC registered providers must ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role. The full guidance is provided in the following link: 

Training staff to support autistic people and people with a learning disability – Care Quality Commission 

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the standardised training that has been developed for this purpose and meets the requirements for health and social care staff.   

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism | NHS England | Workforce, training and education 

About the training | Health Education England (hee.nhs.uk)

FAQs – The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB have commissioned a specialist Training Network to deliver training that meets these requirements on behalf of the system this year and have allocated General practice staff priority booking access to 30 places each month.  The Training Hub is taking bookings for these places for GP staff, with a cap per practice to help with the logistics of this limited supply.  

Step 1

If you work in other health and social care providers in Cambridgeshire and have not completed the online module, you can complete online via your organisation’s virtual learning environment, or via e-Learning for Healthcare

Step 2

After completing the e-Learning, all staff need to attend a session delivered by trainers arranged by the ICB. These will be advertised through the Training Hub.

Anyone who does not have appointments with patients (i.e. Admin, Clerical and Operational staff) need to attend a 1-hour Tier 1 virtual session. The aim is to have these once a month.

Or

Anyone who has appointments with patients (i.e. Clinicians, AHPs, HCAs, Phlebotomists, Assistant Practitioners and Personalised Care Teams ) need to attend a full day Tier 2 face to face session .  The aim is to have these once a month.

https://cptraininghub.nhs.uk/events/?keyword=oliver-macgowan

Please note this training is delivered by those with lived experience, is mandatory and is certificated and as such we need all delegates to book directly through the website.

In the interests of fair distribution of funding, there is a maximum of 3 places per practice per session. There are limited numbers of places on the training, we will be operating waiting lists and ask that if you cannot attend for any reason you must let us know as there are a large number of people to be trained!

This process needs to be completed every 3 years!

 

FAQs

Answers to the great questions we’ve been asked so far! 

Unfortunately, not at present with this system wide training offer. (And we are still awaiting PLT dates from September 2025 onwards from the ICB) 

No.  The Tier 2 Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training must be delivered face to face by a network of voluntary organisations who have developed training including people with lived experience. This cannot be delivered online, or in large groups. 

Not yet. This first year of the ICB Oliver McGowan training is being hosted at central venues. In the future we hope that there may be more availability and more flexibility of the offer.  

Not that we’re aware of . While the training itself is currently being paid for by the ICB, we regret that there are no central funds made available to support with the venue costs. We have raised this with the LMC.  

Possibly! There are a limited number of providers of Oliver McGowan Training, OFFICIAL – providers delivering The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (website upload)_15.pdf

If you do source additional training directly from a provider we do not know of any funding to help you pay for this.

Theoretically yes, but in practice it is complex as it must be delivered in line with the delivery model and the conditions of training. and this is difficult to achieve.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice/oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice-on-statutory-learning-disability-and-autism-training

https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/resources/learning-disability-and-autism-frameworks-2019/ 

No. There is a national programme to develop suitable training and it is anticipated that the roll out of this training will take 3 to 5 years, You need to be working towards having all staff appropriately trained.  

No. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism requires both parts of the training to be completed (the elearning and the interactive online or face to face session).

Why is primary care training doing this training, we are not aware of other organisations being required to do it?

The Health and Care Act 2022 legal requirement applies to all CQC-regulated services. The requirement states that CQC regulated service providers must ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism which is appropriate to the person’s role. We cannot comment on other employers and how they are meeting this requirement.