Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Mandatory Training
For CQC-registered health and social care providers | Delivered in Hampshire and across the South (UK-wide on request)
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government’s preferred and recommended training package to support CQC-registered providers to meet the statutory training requirement introduced by the Health and Care Act 2022.
Why this training matters (and why it’s mandatory)
Since 1 July 2022, CQC-registered providers have been required to ensure staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role.
The Oliver McGowan Code of Practice provides the standards providers are expected to meet (and came into effect in September 2025).
This training supports you to:
Demonstrate compliance with statutory requirements and the Code of Practice
Social care (residential care, supported living, community services)
Strengthen inspection readiness by evidencing role-appropriate learning and implementation
Improve outcomes and experiences through better understanding, communication, and reasonable adjustments
What is Tier 2 Oliver McGowan Training?
Tier 2 is for people who need more detailed learning because they provide care and support for autistic people or people with a learning disability.
Tier 2 includes:
- Core eLearning (completed by everyone)
- Interactive face-to-face session / seminar co-delivered by a training trio including people with lived experience
How Training in Partnership delivers Tier 2
We keep delivery human, practical, and reflective, grounded in real scenarios from health and social care.
You can choose:
- On-site delivery for your organisation (recommended for team consistency)
- Open course places (ideal if you’re releasing staff in smaller numbers)
- Co-delivery with lived experience is central to the approach, helping learners connect training to real-life impact.
What the training covers (Tier 2 topics)
Your team will explore key Tier 2 learning outcomes, including:
- Co-occurring conditions (co-morbidities) and how these can affect care
- Relevant legislation and duties, including:
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Equality Act 2010
- Autism Act 2009
- Accessible Information Standard
- Reasonable adjustments and practical tools (e.g., hospital passports)
- Professional culture, bias, and impact on behaviour and decision-making
- Accessible communication techniques that reduce distress and improve understanding
- “Ask, Listen, Do” approaches to feedback and complaints
- Medication safety initiatives (STOMP/STAMP) and why they matter
- Learning from LeDeR reviews to improve safety and quality
- DNACPR decisions and the importance of lawful, person-centred practice
Who should attend Tier 2?
Tier 2 is suitable for staff working in:
- Care homes, domiciliary care, supported living
- Community services and mental health services
- NHS and independent healthcare settings (clinical and non-clinical roles where support/care is delivered)
Additional Oliver McGowan Training Options
Building confident, compliant training teams
Alongside delivering Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Mandatory Training, Training in Partnership also offers additional specialist pathways for organisations and individuals who want to support, co-deliver, or facilitate Tier 2 training in line with national expectations.
These options are ideal for providers developing internal capacity, succession planning, or strengthening lived-experience involvement in training delivery.
Tier 2 Facilitator Training
For professionals supporting the delivery of Oliver McGowan Tier 2
This option is designed for experienced professionals who will be facilitating or supporting Tier 2 delivery, alongside the required co-trainer(s).
Facilitator training focuses on:
- Understanding the structure and expectations of Tier 2 delivery
- Supporting safe, inclusive, and reflective group discussions
- Managing sensitive topics, challenge, and emotional responses appropriately
- Ensuring learning outcomes are met while maintaining fidelity to the Oliver McGowan programme
- Understanding the distinct roles within the Tier 2 training trio
This role does not replace lived-experience co-trainers but plays a key part in holding the space, supporting learning, and maintaining quality and consistency.
Suitable for:
Senior support staff, trainers, educators, practice educators, learning & development leads, and clinical educators.
Learning Disability Expert with Experience – Co-Trainer Training
For people with lived experience of a learning disability
This specialist pathway supports individuals with a learning disability and lived experience to become co-trainers within Oliver McGowan Tier 2 delivery.
The training supports co-trainers to:
- Share lived experience safely and confidently
- Understand their role within Tier 2 delivery
- Communicate messages clearly and accessibly
- Participate in group discussions and reflective learning
- Work alongside facilitators in a supported and empowering way
This role is central to the authenticity and impact of Tier 2 training, helping learners understand the real-world consequences of care, communication, and decision-making.
This training prioritises:
- Choice, control, and consent
- Accessible learning approaches
- Emotional wellbeing and appropriate support
Autistic Expert with Experience – Co-Trainer Training
For autistic people with lived experience
This pathway supports autistic individuals to take on a co-trainer role within Tier 2 training delivery.
Training includes support around:
- Sharing autistic lived experience in a safe and structured way
- Understanding sensory, communication, and processing differences within training environments
- Exploring reasonable adjustments within training delivery
- Supporting professionals to better understand autistic perspectives
- Working collaboratively with facilitators and other co-trainers
This role plays a vital part in challenging assumptions, improving understanding, and supporting neuro-affirming practice across health and social care.
Why these roles matter
Oliver McGowan Tier 2 training is designed to be co-delivered, recognising that learning is strongest when professional knowledge and lived experience come together.
By offering these additional pathways, Training in Partnership supports:
High-quality, compliant delivery
Meaningful lived-experience involvement
Sustainable internal training models
Confidence, safety, and consistency for everyone involved
Talk to us about your training pathway
Whether you are:
Developing an internal Tier 2 delivery model
Supporting individuals into co-trainer roles
Strengthening lived-experience involvement
Or planning future compliance and workforce development
We’ll work with you to build the right combination of training and support.