Costs of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training rollout

This briefing note summarises the main costs associated with rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training (OMMT), and the suggested cost per person under Options 1 and 2, as outlined in the provided Department of Health and Social Care impact assessment “Mandatory training on learning disability and autism: code of practice consultation“.

Main costs associated with OMMT rollout

The main costs associated with the OMMT rollout are:

• Direct training costs: These include the costs of delivering training sessions, such as facilitator fees, venue hire, and travel costs.
• Opportunity costs: These represent the economic cost of staff undertaking the OMMT instead of other activities, such as providing care to patients. They are calculated based on the time needed to complete the training and the corresponding earnings staff would otherwise earn.
• Costs related to in-house delivery: For organisations choosing to become accredited providers and deliver the OMMT in-house, there are additional costs associated with recruiting and training trainers (including Experts by Experience (EbEs) and co-trainers) and supporting EbEs into employment.
• Central support team costs: Option 1 includes the cost of establishing a central support team to oversee the OMMT rollout, manage communications, and monitor progress.

Cost per person under options 1 and 2

The impact assessment explores two options for rolling out the OMMT:

Option 1: This option optimises the OMMT rollout through full funding for adult social care and public healthcare sectors, including a central support team. This option assumes a 3-year rollout period and that all staff will complete either the full Tier 1 or Tier 2 package as intended for their role.

Option 2: This option supports the rollout with some funding, but doesn’t cover full costs for the sectors or a central support team. This option assumes a 5-year rollout and acknowledges that some staff may complete a lower level of training than intended due to financial constraints.

Estimated costs per person for training sessions:

• Tier 1: £6.58 per person for in-house delivery; £7.83 per person for procured training (2022/23 prices).
• Tier 2: £25.95 per person for in-house delivery; £59.22 per person for procured training (2022/23 prices), including venue and travel costs.

These figures represent the direct costs of delivering training sessions per participant, based on factors like facilitator salaries and venue costs. However, they do not include the opportunity cost of staff taking the training.

It is important to note that the impact assessment acknowledges limitations in its cost estimations:

• The assessment does not include the cost of alternative training packages that organisations might choose instead of the OMMT.
• The opportunity cost estimations are based on the assumption that the OMMT will displace other work activities rather than being integrated into existing training allowances. This assumption could significantly influence the overall cost, and the assessment provides sensitivity analyses exploring different scenarios.

Conclusion

The OMMT rollout involves various costs, including direct training expenses, opportunity costs for staff time, and potential setup costs for in-house delivery. While the impact assessment provides detailed cost breakdowns per person for training sessions, it emphasises the need to consider the impact of opportunity costs and the potential for variations in implementation and funding.

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