Back in 2019 the government committed to developing a standardised training package for HSC employees following the publication of ‘Right to be heard’; The government’s response to the consultation on learning disabilities and autism training for health and social care staff. This commitment finally came to fruition following the Health and Social Care Act 2022 which required that CQC registered care providers must ensure that each employee receives learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role. The specific training that will be required, will be the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. The training will also be supported by a new Code of Practice which will help providers understand how they can meet their new legal requirements and will include details about content, delivery, and monitoring
The Oliver McGowan training has been developed by Health Education England and Skills for Care, and is scheduled to be available at the end of October 2022. The training will be available at two levels, Tier 1 for non-frontline staff and Tier 2 for all frontline staff, and will include an initial e-learning session, followed by either a 1-hour online interactive session or a 1 day face-to-face session – with both sessions co-delivered by ‘experts by experience’ and a facilitator.
The Code of Practice is currently under consultation and will need to pass through Parliament before being implemented. At the moment, it’s unclear exactly when the Code of Practice will be available, however current guidance suggests Spring/Summer 2023 at the earliest.
From July 1st 2022, the Health and Social Care Act 2022 placed an obligation on care providers who are registered with CQC to provide training on learning disabilities and autism which is appropriate to their role. The CQC has provided statutory guidance on how providers can meet their legislative requirements while the Code of Practice is being developed.
Some of our clients have asked if the current Care Certificate training is sufficient to meet their new legal requirements, with the short answer being no. Obviously, if the Care Certificate was sufficient then there would be no need for the new requirement. It’s safe to assume that the induction content, level of detail, and learning outcomes are not accurately aligned and will therefore not be accepted. Plus, the new requirement applies to all staff, not just new employees.
Clearly, the combined effect of the Health and Social Care Act 2022, the introduction of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disabilities and Autism, the much anticipated Code of Practice, and the latest CQC guidance is a recipe for confusion. Pro-active employers who want to ensure compliance obviously need to take steps to ensure all of their employees are receiving appropriate training. Fortunately, EdgeWorks™ already offer access to a wide range of specialist training and accredited qualifications. We are already putting together bespoke packages to ensure our clients remain fully compliant.
Access to our fully-funded qualifications is subject to eligibility criteria and we will be happy to discuss this with any potential client.
If you’d like to discuss how your organisation can remain compliant until the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disabilities and Autism and Code of Practice are available, please do get in touch 0330 995 0840 or hello@edgeworks.co.uk.
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