This page is currently being updated. For all enquiries about training bookings, please contact CoventryWarwickshireOMMTenquiries@covwarkpt.nhs.uk.
Book your Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism today with CWPT
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust is now offering the full range of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. We are committed to providing high-quality, inclusive training that enhances knowledge, skills, and best practices in health and social care. We look forward to supporting you in delivering the highest standards of care through this mandatory training program.
Did you know, that on 1st July 2022 it became a legal requirement for employers in health and social care to ensure that all their staff receive training on learning disability and autism at a level appropriate for their role?
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government's preferred and recommended training and has been developed to meet this need.
Join us in learning and working together to keep making healthcare more inclusive and equitable, reducing health inequalities.
Why is the training important?
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.
Here are our co-trainer's thoughts on why the training is important:
- "To stop people staring at my disability"
- To help with "myth busting and fighting misinformation"
- "To make sure everyone can access healthcare and to improve health inequalities"
- "For learning new skills"
- "Provides opportunities"
- "Changing staff mindsets"
- "Giving us a voice that we didn't have"
- "Something won't happen to me that happened to Oliver"
- "Change making"
Navigating your training
Everyone will need the e-learning regardless of where they work and the Tier of training they require.
Participants need to complete the e-learning before attending Tier 1 or Tier 2 sessions.
You can access the e-learning via ELFH (The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism - elearning for healthcare). Check with your organisation if you need to complete the e-learning via your organisation's learning platform instead.
Meet the Training Team
Our team is led by an Occupational Therapist with extensive experience of working within Learning Disability and Autism services and is supported by peer mentoring for our Experts with Lived Experience Co-trainers. All of our trainers are from Coventry and Warwickshire and have local knowledge of accessing health and social care within our local communities and links with local organisations.
Feedback has demonstrated our team provides quality training, and we believe the pastoral support and continued development we provide to our trainers is central to this. We are committed to reducing health and employment inequalities.
Experts with Lived Experience Co-Trainers Bios:
Our Progress
As of March 2025 we have delivered Tier 1 training to over 3,800 staff and Tier 2 training to over 8,500 staff.
Our Training Team has been highly commended at the National Learning Disability and Autism Awards (2024).
We have presented at the NHS Expo (2024) on our successful rollout of the training (on behalf of NHS England) particularly highlighting the role of pastoral support and recruitment processes.
In 2024 the Team won the CWPT Q Award for Reducing Health Inequalities.
Feedback
-
I thought the training was brilliant. It was so interesting and educational, and I will walk away from the training having learned a lot. I think everybody should attend this course as soon as they are able to do so.
-
The training was delivered in a professional but friendly manner, very easy to listen to and understand. Having people with life experience helped a lot.
-
Excellent subject material delivered in a professional way. Very easy to understand the trainers and the issues/concerns raised by attendees.
-
Learning straight from those with lived experience eliminates the possibility of incorrect information being given to staff. I rate the training highly and will recommend for all of my colleagues to attend.
-
It was super informative and as a parent of a son with autism it helped me on a personal level which was fantastic. The delivery of the course was outstanding and I really respect the individuals for being so open and honest about their diagnoses and how they feel when spoken to
-
This is the best, most eye-opening training I have attended. The training was relaxed and felt excepting of diversity. The fidget aids really helped me focus.
-
I loved that the training was delivered with values and principles at its heart and for me, it struck the right balance between presentations, reflection, and discussion.
-
Really excellent, inclusive, engaging session, even for someone with lots of experience in autism and learning disabilities.
Useful Resources
Follow the links below for more information:
- National Autistic Society
- Mencap
- Information and Advice for Neurodivergent People and their Families in Coventry and Warwickshire
- Information and Advice for Neurodivergent People and their Families e-booklet
- Coventry and Warwickshire Neurodiversity and Autism Stakeholder Newsletter
- Coventry and Warwickshire All-age Autism Strategy
- Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust learning disability resource repository
(includes a range of useful documents and resources including information about annual health checks, health passports and reasonable adjustments).
- Free guide on how to make information accessible for people with neurodivergent conditions, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia.
- NHS England - Making information and the words we use accessible
- Health/ Hospital Passports: Find links to hospital passports for George Eliot Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire
(Please see section 'Preparing for hospital appointments/admissions')
- NHS Coventry and Warwickshire - Learning Disability and Autism
- Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System - Neurodiversity and Autism
- Autistica
- Foundation for people with learning disabilities