Who Needs Oliver McGowan Training
The right level of Oliver McGowan Training depends on a person’s role, responsibilities and level of contact with autistic people and people with a learning disability. Tier 1 is designed for staff who need a general awareness. Tier 2 is for people whose work involves direct care, support, assessment or treatment.
Book Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training
Contact ACI Training & Consultancy to discuss your organisation's requirements or a private course.
Why Role-Appropriate Training Matters
The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement for Care Quality Commission registered health and social care providers in England to ensure that staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government’s preferred and recommended training package for health and social care staff.
This means employers should not automatically give every employee the same training. The appropriate route should reflect what the member of staff does, who they work with and the decisions they make.
Who Is Tier 1 For?
Tier 1 is generally suitable for people who need an understanding of learning disability and autism but do not provide direct care, support, assessment or treatment. The training pathway includes e-learning followed by a live interactive session.
- Administrative and office-based staff with limited direct contact
- Reception, facilities or support staff whose role requires general awareness
- Managers or corporate staff who do not deliver direct support
- Other employees identified through the organisation’s role assessment
Who Is Tier 2 For?
Tier 2 provides deeper, applied learning for people who are patient-facing, client-facing or directly involved in care, support, treatment or assessment. It is delivered as a full-day, face-to-face session following the required e-learning.
- Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals
- Healthcare assistants and clinical support worke
- Care workers, senior carers and support workers
- Care home, nursing home and domiciliary care teams
- Supported living, complex care and community support teams
- Mental health practitioners and community health teams
- GP, dental and private healthcare staff with direct patient-facing responsibilities
- Children’s health and care teams
- Staff in specialist education or SEND settings where direct care or support responsibilities are part of the role
How Employers Can Decide
Question
Why it matters
Sectors That May Need the Training
The core statutory audience is Care Quality Commission registered health and social care providers in England. Relevant organisations include NHS and independent healthcare, GP practices, dental providers, private hospitals and clinics, care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care, supported living, mental health, complex care and community support services.
Education, SEND, early years, charities and community organisations may also consider the training where staff provide direct care, personal care or specialist support. These organisations should assess relevance carefully and should not assume that the same statutory requirement applies to every setting.
Common Questions
Does every health and social care employee need Tier 2?
No. Staff should receive training appropriate to their role. Tier 2 is intended for people who provide direct care, support, assessment or treatment, while Tier 1 provides general awareness.
Do non-clinical staff need Oliver McGowan Training?
They may need Tier 1 if general awareness is appropriate to their role. Employers should assess responsibilities and contact with patients or service users.
Can ACI help us choose the right tier?
ACI can discuss your workforce, delivery needs and role groups to help you plan an appropriate training route. The employer remains responsible for its final training decisions.
Talk to ACI About Oliver McGowan Training
ACI provides both the initial e-learning route and approved Tier 2 delivery. We can support individual bookings, private team sessions and phased delivery across several sites.
- Find out more about Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training
- Book an individual place on a scheduled open course.
Click here to view upcoming open courses. - Arrange private Tier 2 training for your organisation.
Contact us to enquire and book. - Discuss a phased rollout for several teams or locations.
Contact us to enquire and book. - Ask for guidance on the most appropriate training route for your workforce.
Contact our Training team to discuss your needs.
Related Oliver McGowan Resources
Oliver McGowan Tier 1 vs Tier 2
Understand the key differences between the two training pathways and which is appropriate for different roles.
Is Oliver McGowan Training Mandatory?
- Learn more about current requirements, employer responsibilities and role-appropriate training.
Employer Responsibilities
- Guidance for managers, compliance leads and training coordinators planning workforce rollout.
Training for Care Providers
- Specific guidance for care homes, supported living, domiciliary care and community care services.
Training for GP, Dental and Private Healthcare Teams
- Information tailored to patient-facing healthcare settings.
Training for Education and SEND Settings
- Guidance for specialist education environments supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability.
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Related Oliver McGowan Resources
- Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training
- Who Needs Oliver McGowan Training?
- Oliver McGowan Tier 1 vs Tier 2
- Is Oliver McGowan Training Mandatory?
- Employer Responsibilities
- Training for Care Providers
- Training for GP, Dental and Private Healthcare Teams
- Training for Education and SEND Settings
- Book on an Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Course
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Frequently Asked Questions About Oliver McGowan Tier 2 Training
What is The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Tier 2 and who is it for?
Tier 2 is the face-to-face, one‑day part of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training designed for staff who provide direct care or support to autistic people or people with a learning disability; ACI Training & Consultancy delivers this training with experts by lived experience alongside subject specialists to make the learning practical and impactful.
Do I still need the e‑learning if I’m booking Tier 2 with ACI?
Yes - everyone must complete the official e‑learning (part 1) before attending the Tier 2 face‑to‑face session; ACI supports you to plan cohorts and delivery so staff complete the required sequence and you can evidence compliance.
How does ACI deliver Tier 2 training across different sites or teams?
We can deliver in person at your location anywhere in the UK, or place individuals onto scheduled open courses, minimising service disruption while keeping the standardised Tier 2 format.
How does this training help with CQC and the Oliver McGowan code of practice?
The government’s code of practice confirms CQC‑registered providers must ensure staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to role; ACI gives you attendance records, learning outcomes and feedback summaries to evidence compliance and inspection readiness.
What makes ACI’s Tier 2 sessions effective for frontline staff?
They’re co‑delivered with trainers who have lived experience of both learning disability and autism, bringing real stories, communication strategies and reasonable‑adjustment examples that build confidence for everyday practice.
Can ACI help me decide who needs Tier 1 vs Tier 2?
Yes - Tier 1 is awareness for staff who need general understanding, while Tier 2 is for roles providing direct care; we’ll map roles, plan cohorts and schedule delivery so each person completes the right tier in the correct order.
What Our Customers Are Saying
ACI delivered our mandatory training on-site, and the team loved the hands-on approach. Everything was tailored to our policies, and the trainer was fantastic.
The face-to-face sessions were practical and engaging. Our staff left feeling confident and fully compliant. Highly recommend ACI for in-person training.
Booking was easy, and the training was delivered exactly when we needed it. Certificates were issued promptly, which helped with our CQC audit.
We needed paediatric first aid for our Early Years team, and ACI made it stress-free. The trainer was knowledgeable and approachable—great experience!
Our dental practice team really valued the medical emergencies training. It was clear, practical, and CPD-accredited. We’ll definitely book again.
