What’s the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 training?

Tier 1: For staff who need general awareness of learning disability and autism.Tier 2: For staff who provide direct care or support to individuals with learning disability and/or autism.

Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training

Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism

CareTutor has partnered with First Response Training for the delivery of Part 2 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism. They have successfully completed 1000 Tier 1 webinars and over 700 Tier 2 courses for organisations across the UK since March 2023.

We also offer eLearning-Part 1 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on our LMS.

Tier 1

For people who require only general awareness of the support people with learning disabilities or autistic people may need

· Part One: Learners must complete the eLearning course (Available on our LMS)

· Part Two: Learners must attend a 60-minute live, interactive online webinar

Upon successful completion of the course, delegates receive a certificate of attendance.

Price : Tier 1 (Part 2)
Delivery: Webinar
Duration: 1 hour
Price: £35+VAT per Delegate

Tier 2

For health and social care staff with responsibility for providing support for people with a learning disability or autistic people

· Part One: Learners must complete the free eLearning course (Available on our LMS)

· Part Two: Learners must attend a 6-hour face-to-face classroom training course

Upon successful completion of the course, delegates receive a certificate of attendance.

Price : Tier 2 (Part 2)
Delivery: Classroom
Duration: 1 day
Price: £95+VAT per Delegate

25+ years expertise

National Coverage

Fully Compliant Bespoke Solutions

70+ experts with lived experience

Upcoming Open Oliver McGowan Training Schedule

Tier 1/Tier2	Location	Date
2	Manchester	19th Feb 2026
2	London	18th March 2026
1	Online	18th March 2026
2	Birmingham	24th March 2026
2	Manchester	2nd April 2026
2	London	8th May 2026
2	Birmingham	14th May 2026
2	Manchester	20th May 2026

If you’re looking for training at a location convenient for you, reach out to us so we can arrange that for your organisation.

Funding Available for Oliver McGowan Training

CQC-registered adult social care providers in England can claim reimbursement for Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training through the NHSBSA Learning and Development Support Scheme, provided their ASC-WDS record is up to date.

Key Points:

Providers must apply through the LDSS.
Funding covers both in-house and procured training, with rates depending on the type of training. E-learning Part 1 is free, and in-house Tier 2 training can also claim travel costs.
Oliver McGowan claims are capped at £25,000 per legal entity for 2025–2026. This cap is not combined across group companies, so organisations with multiple legal entities can claim up to £25,000 for each.
Claims can be submitted until 20 March 2026 for training completed and paid within the same financial year.
Evidence required: completion certificates for in-house training; receipted invoices and certificates for procured training. Trainers must be on NHS England’s approved list.

This funding helps providers ensure staff are trained while supporting costs effectively.

Why do we need this training?

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government’s preferred and recommended training programme to meet this statutory requirement. It was co-developed by Skills for Care and Health Education England (now part of NHS England) alongside experts with lived experience of learning disabilities and autism. It is the only training that is guaranteed to meet the requirements laid out in the Oliver McGowan draft code of practice on statutory learning disability and autism training, and employers using this training can have confidence that the training is recognised by national bodies advising on standards for the sector.

Other Face-to-Face Training

If you are looking for face-to face training in other topics we have a full range of expert-led courses that you can opt from.

FAQs

It is the government-backed training program developed to ensure health and social care staff receive appropriate training in learning disability and autism. It became a legal requirement under the Health and Care Act 2022.

All health and social care staff who provide care or support to people with a learning disability or autism in regulated services in England are required to complete it.

Yes, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is mandatory for health and social care staff in England. It’s the government’s preferred and recommended training to help registered providers meet legal requirements.

Tier 1: For staff who need general awareness of learning disability and autism.
Tier 2: For staff who provide direct care or support to individuals with learning disability and/or autism.

The training is split into two tiers, and each tier has two parts:

Tier 1 (For general awareness)
Part 1 – eLearning module
Online, self-paced learning.

Part 2 – Live webinar
Online, delivered live by a facilitator and co-trainer with lived experience.

Tier 2 (For staff providing direct care or support)
Part 1 – eLearning module
Same online module as Tier 1 Part 1.

Part 2 – Face-to-face session
In-person training at your location or a venue, led by trained facilitators and co-trainers.

Yes, if you’re using Pathway Essentials or Pathway Pro, you can log and monitor Oliver McGowan training progress and completion alongside other training records.

Yes. After completing the appropriate tier and components, staff will receive a nationally recognised certificate for the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training.

Yes, face-to-face training can be arranged on-site across the UK.

Booking is easy. Simply submit an enquiry by clicking here, and you’ll be redirected to the First Response Training Website. A training advisor will then be in touch to gather any additional information and finalise your booking.