Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training
Learning Disability & Autism Awareness
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is a nationally standardised training programme, co-produced with people with lived experience, designed to ensure that health and social care staff have the knowledge, skills and awareness to support autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
Why It Matters
- The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a requirement that all CQC-registered providers must ensure staff receive training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role.
- The Oliver McGowan programme is the preferred and recommended route to fulfilling this requirement.
- The training has been trialled with thousands of staff and independently evaluated for effectiveness.
Why Choose A to E
- Our instructors are NHSE approved to deliver The Oliver McGown Mandatory Training.
- Our directly employed team are expert trainers in autism and learning disabilities, all of whom have broader experience teaching other healthcare skills.
- All our trainers for Tier 2 courses will participate across the whole day.
- We can accommodate up to 36 students in our Tier 2 training programmes.
- Courses include T1, T2 and Train the Trainer to become an Oliver McGowan Lead Facilitator.
- A to E has 20 years of delivering high quality education to the healthcare sector using subject matter experts in their fields.
Training Structure: Tier 1 and Tier 2
Part 1: E-Learning (All Participants)
Both Tier 1 and Tier 2 begin with an e-learning module, typically taking about 90 minutes to complete.
The module covers core topics such as:
- Introduction & background
- Understanding learning disability
- Understanding autism
- Communication
- Reasonable adjustments
- Summary & reflection
Completion of this e-learning is a mandatory prerequisite before moving to Part 2.
Part 2: Tier-Specific Delivery
Tier 1 – Awareness & General Understanding
Tier 1 is intended for staff who require general awareness of how to support autistic people or people with learning disabilities.
Format & Duration
- A 1-hour live online interactive session (webinar) — co-delivered by a subject matter expert and “experts by experience” (people with lived experience)
- This session builds on the e-learning, enabling discussion, Q&A, real-life insight, reflection, and deeper understanding of how to apply learning in practice.
After both parts are completed, participants will have met the full requirements for Tier 1.
Tier 2 – Enhanced Learning for Care & Support Roles
Tier 2 is for those who may need to provide care or make more complex decisions in their role when working with autistic people or people with learning disabilities.
Note: Tier 2 training includes the Tier 1 content, so staff only need to complete Tier 2 (not both) if they require the higher level.
Format & Duration
- A full-day, face-to-face session, co-delivered by subject matter experts and experts by experience (one with lived experience of a learning disability, one autistic)
- The day is generally split into two halves:
- Morning – Learning Disability focused session
- Afternoon – Autism focused session
Learning outcomes include:
- In-depth understanding of the experiences, strengths, challenges and support needs of people with learning disabilities and autism
- Exploration of reasonable adjustments and adaptations in practice
- Reflecting on one’s own attitudes, biases, communication, and decision-making
- Understanding legislation, frameworks, and inclusive service design
Which Tier Should You Choose?
- If your role is non-clinical, non-patient facing, or you do not require direct involvement in care decisions, then Tier 1 is likely appropriate.
- If you are in a clinical, support, or decision-making role with direct involvement in care or planning for people with learning disabilities or autism, then Tier 2 is recommended.
- Because Tier 2 inherently includes Tier 1 content, you only need to complete one package (the highest one required).
Employers and workforce leads should assess the training needs of individual roles and plan accordingly.
How to Book / Contact Us
To arrange your Oliver McGowan training, you can:
We can help you determine which Tier is most appropriate for your team, schedule live webinars or face-to-face sessions, and support with group bookings and bespoke delivery.
