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The Health and Care Act 2022 requires all CQC‑regulated health and adult social care providers to ensure their staff receive renewable training on learning disability and autism.
All registered providers must make sure that staff complete training that is appropriate to their role and that meets the standards set out in the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, which the CQC will take into account when assessing compliance.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government’s recommended and preferred training package for meeting this legal requirement.
The Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training became final on 6 September 2025.
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What staff need to complete
All staff must complete the Part 1 eLearning. Depending on your role, you will then need to complete either a 1-hour online webinar or a 6-hour face-to-face training session to complete the training.
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Training eligibility
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board coordinates the delivery of the interactive training on behalf of the local system.
Training is available to:
- NHS providers in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
- All General Practice staff located in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
The training is free to access until 31 March 2027.
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Training requirements
Part 1 – eLearning
Compulsory for all staff
All health and adult social care staff must complete the one-hour Part 1 eLearning module.
The module is available through e-Learning for Healthcare or your organisation’s learning management system.
Access part 1 training on e-learning for healthcarePart 2 – Interactive training
Choose Tier 1 or Tier 2.
Once you have completed Part 1, you can book the appropriate interactive training for your role:
- Tier 1 – Non-patient-facing staff: a 1-hour live online webinar
- Tier 2 – Patient-facing staff: a 6-hour face-to-face training session
You only need to complete one tier. Completion of the Part 1 eLearning is required before you can book Part 2.
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How the training is delivered
The interactive sessions are delivered by a team that includes:
- A trained facilitator
- An autistic co-trainer
- A co-trainer with a learning disability
This ensures that training is shaped and informed by people with lived experience.
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How to book
If your organisation meets the eligibility criteria above and you would like to book a place on the interactive training, please contact bnssg.olivermcgowantraining@nhs.net
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Further information
For more information about the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, visit the NHS England website.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism - NHS EnglandSection titled module-9
BNSSG Good News covered Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in episode 10.
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Feedback from Paula McGowan on Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in BNSSG
Linda Ruse, Shane Devlin and Ros Shepherd met with Paula McGowan in April 2026 to share what BNSSG are doing with our Oliver McGowan training. Following the meeting we were delighted to see this post on LinkedIn from Paula (below):
