Full-Day Face-to-Face Training at PLAB Guide Training Centre
Develop the knowledge, understanding and practical skills needed to provide safer, more person-centred care for autistic people and people with a learning disability.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism – Tier 2 is the government’s preferred and recommended training package for health and social care staff whose roles involve direct treatment, care or support, or who work with a higher degree of professional autonomy. GOV.UK
Tier 2 combines mandatory online learning with a full-day, face-to-face training session. The programme goes beyond general awareness and helps participants apply learning to real health and social care situations, including communication, reasonable adjustments, diagnostic overshadowing, decision-making and person-centred support. GOV.UK
PLAB Guide Training Centre provides Tier 2 training in a supportive, interactive environment with meaningful involvement from Experts with Lived Experience, ensuring that the perspectives of autistic people and people with a learning disability remain central to the training.
Why Is Oliver McGowan Training Important?
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that CQC-registered health and social care providers in England ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism that is appropriate to their role. This requirement has applied since 1 July 2022. GOV.UK
The final Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, which came into force in September 2025, sets standards for the content and delivery of this training. It identifies the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training as the government’s preferred and recommended package for helping registered providers meet these requirements. GOV.UK
The training was developed following the death of Oliver McGowan, whose experience highlighted the potentially serious consequences when health and social care professionals do not adequately understand learning disability, autism, communication needs and reasonable adjustments.
Who Should Complete Tier 2?
Tier 2 is intended for staff who provide direct treatment, care or support to autistic people or people with a learning disability, as well as professionals who exercise a higher degree of autonomy within health and social care services. GOV.UK
This may include:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Allied healthcare professionals
- Paramedics
- Healthcare assistants
- Support workers
- Care assistants
- Registered managers
- Team leaders
- Students and trainees
- Social care professionals
- Educators working within relevant health and care settings
- Staff carrying out capacity or best-interest assessments
- Professionals involved in Mental Health Act assessments
- Staff responsible for planning or coordinating care
- Other professionals who make decisions affecting people with learning disabilities or autistic people
The appropriate tier should always reflect the individual’s role and responsibilities.
Tier 1 or Tier 2 – Which Do I Need?
Tier 1 is intended primarily for staff who require general awareness of learning disability and autism.
Tier 2 is intended for staff who:
- Provide direct treatment, care or support
- Make decisions affecting patient or service-user care
- Need to make reasonable adjustments
- Exercise professional autonomy
- Assess capacity or best interests
- Manage or supervise care
- Work directly with autistic people or people with a learning disability
Government guidance states that Tier 2 is suitable for staff with direct care responsibilities and other professionals working with a higher degree of autonomy. GOV.UK
Course Structure
The complete Tier 2 package has two components.
Part 1 – Mandatory E-Learning
Before attending the face-to-face training, learners must complete the official Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training e-learning module through NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare platform.
This online component provides the foundation knowledge required before progressing to the Tier 2 classroom session.
The current Code of Practice specifies a compulsory e-learning component before the live training. GOV.UK
Part 2 – Full-Day Face-to-Face Tier 2 Training
After completing the e-learning, learners attend a one-day, in-person Tier 2 workshop.
The face-to-face component is interactive and focuses on applying knowledge to real practice rather than simply completing theoretical learning.
The Code of Practice specifies a minimum of one day of in-person training for staff with direct care responsibilities or higher levels of autonomy. GOV.UK
Experts with Lived Experience
A defining feature of Oliver McGowan training is that it is co-produced and co-delivered with people who have lived experience.
The Tier 2 face-to-face programme involves:
- A suitably trained facilitating trainer
- An Expert with Lived Experience of learning disability
- An Expert with Lived Experience of autism
This approach allows learners to hear directly from people whose experiences of health and social care services inform the training.
The Code of Practice specifically requires meaningful involvement of autistic people and people with a learning disability in live and interactive training. GOV.UK
What You Will Learn
During the Tier 2 course, learners develop a deeper understanding of:
- Learning disability
- Autism
- The differences between learning disability and autism
- Person-centred care
- Communication needs
- Reasonable adjustments
- Sensory differences
- Diagnostic overshadowing
- Health inequalities
- Accessible information
- Capacity and decision-making
- Best-interest decision-making
- Professional attitudes and assumptions
- Supporting autonomy and choice
- The impact of healthcare environments
- Appropriate escalation and advocacy
- How to apply learning within your own professional role
Understanding Learning Disability
Learners explore what learning disability means and how it may affect:
- Communication
- Understanding information
- Decision-making
- Access to healthcare
- Independence
- Daily living
- Experiences of health and care services
The course encourages professionals to recognise the individual rather than making assumptions based on a diagnosis.
Understanding Autism
The programme develops awareness of autism and the wide variation in how autistic people experience the world.
Topics include:
- Communication differences
- Sensory processing
- Anxiety
- Predictability and routine
- Different ways of expressing distress
- Environmental barriers
- Individual preferences
- The importance of avoiding stereotypes
The focus is on adapting care to the individual rather than expecting the individual to adapt to the service.
Reasonable Adjustments
Reasonable adjustments are a major part of delivering safe and equitable care.
Learners consider adjustments such as:
- Allowing additional consultation time
- Reducing unnecessary noise or sensory stimulation
- Providing accessible information
- Adjusting communication styles
- Allowing support from familiar carers where appropriate
- Preparing people in advance for procedures
- Making appointments more predictable
- Using visual communication aids
- Taking account of individual sensory needs
Participants are encouraged to consider what adjustments they can make within their own workplace.
Communication
The course explores how communication may need to be adapted for different individuals.
This may include:
- Using clear and direct language
- Allowing additional processing time
- Avoiding unnecessary jargon
- Checking understanding
- Using pictures or visual aids
- Working appropriately with family members and carers
- Recognising non-verbal communication
- Respecting an individual's preferred method of communication
Diagnostic Overshadowing
One of the important concepts covered within Tier 2 is diagnostic overshadowing.
This occurs when symptoms or behavioural changes are incorrectly attributed to a person’s learning disability or autism rather than investigating a possible physical or mental health problem.
Learners consider how diagnostic overshadowing can contribute to:
- Delayed diagnosis
- Missed deterioration
- Inappropriate treatment
- Poorer health outcomes
- Avoidable harm
The course encourages staff to approach new symptoms with appropriate clinical curiosity and avoid assumptions.
Health Inequalities
People with learning disabilities and autistic people can experience substantial barriers when accessing healthcare.
The programme encourages learners to consider:
- Communication barriers
- Difficulties accessing services
- Assumptions about quality of life
- Failure to provide reasonable adjustments
- Delayed recognition of illness
- Diagnostic overshadowing
- Fragmented care
- The importance of advocacy
The overall aim is to improve the safety, experience and quality of care provided.
Mental Capacity and Best Interests
For staff whose roles involve decision-making, the programme considers important principles around:
- Presumption of capacity
- Supporting individuals to make decisions
- Decision-specific capacity
- Accessible communication
- Best-interest decision-making
- Involving the person as fully as possible
- Appropriate involvement of family members, carers and professionals
Participants should continue to follow the Mental Capacity Act, professional guidance and their organisation’s local policies.
Hospital Passports and Accessible Information
Learners consider the value of tools such as:
- Hospital passports
- Communication passports
- Health action plans
- Easy-read information
- Individual care plans
- Reasonable-adjustment records
These resources can help staff understand how an individual communicates, what causes distress and what support they may require.
Applying Learning to Your Own Role
Tier 2 is not intended to be passive awareness training.
The current Code of Practice emphasises that staff should be able to explore how their learning applies to their own setting, responsibilities and day-to-day practice. GOV.UK
Throughout the day, learners are encouraged to consider:
- What would I do differently?
- Which barriers exist within my service?
- What reasonable adjustments could I make?
- How could my communication improve?
- Are assumptions influencing care?
- How can I involve the person more effectively?
- What changes can my team make after this training?
Completion Requirements
To complete the Tier 2 training package, learners must:
- Complete the mandatory Oliver McGowan e-learning before attendance
- Attend the full face-to-face Tier 2 training day
- Participate appropriately in the interactive learning activities
- Complete any required pre- and post-course evaluation or documentation
Learners who have not completed the required e-learning may not be eligible to participate in or complete the Tier 2 programme.
How Long Is the Training?
Online component: Mandatory e-learning completed before attendance
Face-to-face component: One full day
The face-to-face Tier 2 session is substantially more detailed than the shorter Tier 1 interactive session and is specifically designed for staff with direct care or higher-autonomy responsibilities. GOV.UK
Training Validity
Current NHS arrangements recognise Oliver McGowan learning disability and autism training on a three-year cycle within the statutory and mandatory training portability framework. Individual employers may nevertheless specify their own refresher or update requirements. NHS England
Why Complete Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training?
This course can help healthcare and social care professionals:
- Meet relevant learning disability and autism training requirements
- Deliver more person-centred care
- Recognise and reduce diagnostic overshadowing
- Make appropriate reasonable adjustments
- Communicate more effectively
- Understand lived experience
- Challenge assumptions and stereotypes
- Reduce barriers to healthcare
- Improve patient and service-user experience
- Support safer clinical and care decisions
Why Train With PLAB Guide Training Centre?
PLAB Guide Training Centre is an approved provider of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, delivering Tier 2 training in Manchester for health and social care professionals and organisations.
Learners benefit from:
- Full-day face-to-face Tier 2 delivery
- Trained facilitating faculty
- Co-delivery with Experts with Lived Experience
- Interactive discussion and practical application
- A respectful and inclusive learning environment
- Training relevant to NHS, independent healthcare and social care
- Individual booking options
- Group and organisational bookings
- On-site training arrangements for employers
- A convenient Manchester training location
- Free dedicated and nearby on-road parking
Our aim is to ensure that learners leave not simply with greater awareness, but with practical ideas they can apply to improve the experience and safety of autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
Training for NHS, Healthcare and Social Care Organisations
We can provide Tier 2 training for organisations including:
- NHS organisations
- Independent healthcare providers
- GP and primary care organisations
- Care homes
- Domiciliary care providers
- Supported-living services
- Mental health services
- Community healthcare organisations
- Charities
- Social care providers
- Education and specialist-support services
Group and on-site training can be arranged according to organisational requirements and trainer availability.
Book Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training in Manchester
Complete the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism – Tier 2 with PLAB Guide Training Centre.
Format: Mandatory e-learning + full-day face-to-face training
Suitable for: Health and social care staff providing direct treatment, care or support, and professionals with higher levels of autonomy
Location: Manchester
Delivery: Interactive, face-to-face and co-delivered with Experts with Lived Experience
Please complete the required Oliver McGowan e-learning before attending your Tier 2 face-to-face session.
The Health and Care Act requires CQC-registered providers to ensure staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role; the Oliver McGowan programme is the government’s preferred and recommended training package for supporting providers to meet that requirement. GOV.UK
