New mandatory Learning Disabilities and Autism training to be rolled out across BSW

In July 2022, the Health and Care Act introduced a requirement for health and social care employees to receive training on learning disabilities and autism at a level appropriate to their roles.    

As a result, a new ambitious and wide-reaching training initiative, called The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, is being rolled out across England this summer.

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death highlighted the need for health and social care staff to have better skills, knowledge and understanding of the needs for autistic people and those with a learning disability. 

To find out more about Oliver’s story, click here https://www.olivermcgowan.org/

The BSW Academy, working with BSW partners and national teams, has been developing the training model with a team of trainers and experts with lived experience of autism and learning disabilities, who will deliver the training across each of our localities.

It is anticipated the first training will be available in June 2023 and more information will be cascaded across BSW Together partner organisations over the coming weeks.

All staff working for healthcare organisations in BSW that are CQC regulated must undertake the training which consists of two tiers:

Tier one – for non-patient facing staff, consisting of:

• An eLearning Module
  • A 1 hour online interactive session

• Tier two – for patient facing staff, consisting of:
  • An eLearning Module
  • A face-to-face training day

The sessions will be co-delivered by a lead trainer and two experts with lived experience of autism and learning disability.  

Further information will be available over coming weeks across BSW. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact Sarah Morrissey, BSW Project Implementation Lead sarah.morrissey4@nhs.net or Vanessa Ongley, BSW Academy Learning Pillar Lead  v.ongley@nhs.net