Visit the Oliver McGowan Training FAQ webpage
Updated: June 2025
Aiming to save lives by ensuring the health and social care workforce have the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training. 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 Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the standardised training that was developed for this purpose and is the preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff.
Oliver's Training also supports the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan ambition by upskilling the wider health and care workforce to provide appropriately adjusted care for people with a learning disability and autistic people to reduce health inequality.
Together we can prevent the many avoidable deaths like Oliver’s from happening again. The animation below aims to help staff and employers across health and social care to understand Oliver's Training and why it is so vitally important.
CQC guide to mandatory training requirements
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About Oliver's Training video
Watch this short animation to find out about Oliver's Training and why it is so important.
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Employer resources
A range of resources to help health and care employers and integrated care systems roll out The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.
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Training providers and approved trainers
Employers can find details of training providers offering the standardised The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training and check the approved Oliver McGowan Trainers list.
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Communications Packs
You can use the The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism communication packs to help share the information with your networks, colleagues, staff and members of the local community.
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Background
In 2016, Oliver’s Campaign was born, following his tragic death in an NHS hospital. 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.
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About the training and next steps
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is co-delivered by trainers with lived experience of learning disability and autism who are paid for their time.
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Expressions of Interest
If you would like to get involved in Oliver's Training as an expert by experience, an employer or an education provider, please click on the contact page for your area in the linked page
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Easy read information
NHS England Workforce, Training and Education are continuing to develop easy read information for people who want to find out more about The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.
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News, updates and events
Here you can find good news and project updates about The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is an ongoing project for NHS England Workforce, Training and Education.
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Oliver McGowan Code of practice
Sets out standards for training on learning disability and autism for Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered health and social care providers and their staff.
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Law and Regulation
Law and regulation FAQs to facilitate knowledge about legal responsibilities for Oliver's Training
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