Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework for Learning Disabilities and Autism

First Response Training are proud and excited to be one of the first training providers in the country to be able to offer essential training in line with the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework for Learning Disabilities and Autism.

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework for Learning Disabilities and Autism will help to revolutionise training for those who work with and support individuals with learning disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Following years of campaigning by Oliver McGowan's family, the framework has now been written into law with the Health and Care Act 2022.

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework is a standardised training package developed by Health Education England and Skills for Care. It has been designed, delivered and evaluated with the help of people with learning disabilities and autism. There are two different tiers of training available and it is the employer's responsibility to ensure their staff have the appropriate training for their roles. First Response Training can deliver both Tier 1 and Tier 2 training of the framework.

Tier 1 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework:

• Designed for people who require general awareness of the support people with learning disabilities or autism may need
• May be adequate for staff if people currently using the service are known and do not have a learning disability or autism
• May also apply to staff who do not have patient-facing roles or do not make decisions about people who use the service, like administrators, on-site facilities or finance assistants
• Part One: Learners must complete the free eLearning course on elfh. If you are NHS healthcare staff, you can access this via the ESR.
• Part Two: Learners must attend a 60-minute live online webinar
• Maximum learners per session = 30

Tier 2 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework:

• Designed for health and social care staff with responsibility for providing care and support for people with a learning disability or autism
• It is for anyone who provides, or who may be required to provide, a service to a person with a learning disability or autism, regardless of how often that may occur
• It includes anyone who may be required to make decisions about the people who use the service
• Part One: Learners must complete the free eLearning course on elfh. If you are NHS healthcare staff, you can access this via the ESR.
• Part Two: Learners must attend a 6-hour classroom-based training course
• Maximum learners per session = 30

Following initial trials, evaluations clearly showed the importance and benefit of including people with lived experience in the training. As such, both the 60 minute online webinar (Tier 1) and the 6-hour classroom course (Tier 2) will be delivered by a trio of trainers. An experienced subject matter trainer will lead delivery, supported by a person with autism and a person with a learning disability, known as Experts by Lived Experience.

First Response Training can also offer Train the Trainer training in delivery of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Framework. These courses will upskill in-house trainers to become Subject Matter Experts and deliver Tier 1 and/or Tier 2 training to other learners, alongside Experts by Lived Experience.

Oliver McGowan's Story - #OliversCampaign

As an infant, Oliver suffered meningitis and received diagnoses of mild hemiplegia, focal partial epilepsy, a mild learning disability and high functioning autism. In 2005 Oliver experienced seizures and was admitted to hospital, where he was given antidepressants. He was readmitted later that year when his seizures worsened. Despite having no diagnosis of psychosis or any other mental health disorder, Oliver was held against his will and given antipsychotic medication.

This had a hugely negative impact on his mood and doctors noted that Oliver was sensitive to antipsychotics. After the removal of the medication, both his mood and the seizures returned to normal. In April of the following year, Oliver was admitted again with partial seizures. Again, antipsychotics were administered and Oliver suffered a range of distressing side effects. It was believed that his symptoms were behavioural and Oliver was moved to a specialist adult hospital where staff restrained him, prescribed further antipsychotic medication and gave him no privacy. Oliver was then transferred to a Psychiatric Intensive Care unit where he received support from a specialist learning disability team who saw immediately that he did not need to be detained - they removed him from all antipsychotic medication.

That October, Oliver experienced a cluster of partial seizures and was admitted to a general hospital. Staff sedated Oliver and gave him antipsychotic medication. Oliver became very unwell and staff suspected a life-threatening reaction to the antipsychotic medication. After a week on life support, Oliver died on 11th November 2016. He was 18 years old.

Following his tragic death, Oliver's family campaigned for years to see meaningful improvements made in healthcare. Find out more about their campaign here.