NHS England Approved Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training
- Train Direct
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
In recent years, the landscape of health and social care training in England has seen a major shift — one rooted in compassion, safety, and meaningful understanding. At the centre of this change is the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, a national programme now fully supported and recognised by NHS England.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism Tier 2 - From £89.00 per person | £1499.00 for a group of up to 30 - click here for more info
Why This Training Matters
The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young man who tragically died following repeated misdiagnoses and inappropriate care — a situation that highlighted the critical need for better awareness and understanding in health and care settings. His story sparked a long-running campaign by his family and supporters for a consistent, evidence-based training standard for all staff working with people who are autistic or have a learning disability.
Under the Health and Care Act 2022, all Care Quality Commission (CQC)-regulated providers in England are legally required to ensure that their workforce receives appropriate training on learning disability and autism. The Oliver McGowan programme is the government’s preferred and recommended route to meet this requirement, and NHS England has endorsed it as part of the national training framework.
What the Training Involves
The programme is structured into two tiers:
Tier 1: For staff with occasional contact or general awareness needs. This includes completing an online e-learning package and attending a one-hour interactive session.
Tier 2: For those with regular contact or responsibility for care delivery, involving the same e-learning plus a one-day face-to-face session.
Both parts have to be completed to be compliant, and content is designed and delivered in partnership with experts by lived experience — autistic people and people with learning disabilities — alongside subject matter experts.
Official Recognition and Provider Approval
Importantly, only approved training providers and trainers can describe their courses as “Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training”. Completion of official “Train the Trainer” programmes is required before trainers can appear on the NHS England approved trainer list. Organisations offering this training now need to be listed to ensure their courses legitimately meet the standards set out in the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.
What this means is that courses delivered by recognised bodies — whether internal NHS training teams or external providers — are accountable to the national framework and can confidently be recorded as meeting statutory training requirements. This standardisation supports staff mobility, improves quality assurance and strengthens professional development pathways across the workforce.
Train Direct has achieved NHS England approval, it signifies that they have met the rigorous criteria established by NHS England and Skills for Care to deliver Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. This adds confidence for employers and individuals booking training: it’s not just compliance-focused, but quality-assured at the highest national level.
Why It’s a Big Deal for Health and Care
Better care outcomes: Staff with improved understanding of autism and learning disability are better equipped to provide safe, respectful and person-centred support.
Consistency across services: Training delivered to a national standard reduces unwarranted variation in care approaches and improves equity.
Legal compliance simplified: With NHS England’s endorsement, providers can be sure that completing this training meets statutory training requirements set by law.
Looking Ahead
As the national rollout continues, the emphasis remains on expanding access to the training, developing more approved trainers and embedding the learning into organisational cultures.
For employers, choosing approved Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training — whether delivered by national partners, NHS learning hubs or now newly recognised providers — is not just about ticking a compliance box, it’s about transforming how health and care professionals understand and interact with some of the most vulnerable people in our services.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism Tier 2 - From £89.00 per person | £1499.00 for a group of up to 30 - click here for more info
If you would like tailored advice or want to book health and social care training for your organisation, then get in touch with Train Direct.
tel. 0330 223 5586,
email. info@traindirect.co.uk
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