Learning Disability Awareness & Autism Awareness Training

This combined Learning Disability Awareness and Autism Awareness training course is designed to enhance learners understanding of both learning disabilities and autism. It provides valuable insight into these conditions and explores how to offer effective, person-centred support that promotes inclusion and meets individual needs.

This engaging and interactive course gives delegates the knowledge, understanding and confidence to support people with learning disabilities and autistic people in a safe, person-centred and inclusive way.

Our course is carefully aligned to the learning outcomes set out in the government’s preferred and recommended national framework for learning disability and autism training, and reflects the same principles, standards and expectations.

Learning Disability & Autism Awareness Contact Us to Enquire Understanding and Supporting People with Learning Disabilities and Autism

Overview

While the government’s preferred and recommended training model for learning disability and autism (commonly known as the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training) is well established, it is not the only option available for upskilling staff to their required levels. The Health and Care Act 2022 simply requires CQC-registered providers to ensure that staff receive training that is appropriate to their role – it does not mandate a specific programme or provider.

Health Education England | NHS England Workforce, Training and Education | Other Learning Disability and Autism Training

Can employers use a different learning disability and autism training package instead of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?

Link to HEE Website

We fully recognise and respect the value of this national programme and the positive impact it has had for people with learning disabilities and autistic people, as well as those who support them every day. We acknowledge the significant work, increased awareness and positive changes it has contributed to across the sector, and we continue to support its purpose and intentions.

However, we also understand that not all services are able to access the government’s preferred model in its current format. For organisations that require a more flexible, inclusive and cost-effective option, we provide an aligned alternative that meets the same learning outcomes, reflects the same principles and expectations, and supports staff to reach their required levels in a way that suits their operational needs and accessibility requirements.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for adult care providers supporting individuals with learning disabilities or autistic people. It is also available for children and young people’s services:

• Residential adult care services
• Supported living services
• Adult domiciliary and community care providers
• Adult mental health and specialist support services
• Health and social care professionals and support workers
• Frontline staff supporting adults with learning disabilities or autistic adults
• Managers, team leaders and those responsible for adult workforce development and training

“[This training will help me] Using what I have learned to ensure I can support people better within my service.” "[This training gave me] Useful tips for providing support to carers who have loved ones with autism." “[This training increased my] awareness - how best to adapt communication.” “[This training will help me to] try to use more easy-read literature where appropriate / be conscious of and alert to ‘masking’.” “[This training will ensure I will] Take more time with patients with learning difficulties.” “[This training will help me to] Apply some of what we learned into practice by applying it to examples of some of the clients we are working with.”

Delivery Options

Training is available nationwide via:

Face-to-face onsite classroom delivery, which includes a one-hour lived-experience session delivered in person with the trainer. In the unlikely but possible event that accessibility or reasonable adjustment needs arise, this session may be delivered via an interactive webinar.

Live, interactive webinar delivery, offering the same depth of learning, participation and lived-experience input.

Our delivery model ensures training is fully accessible, especially for staff who:

• Cannot travel due to disability or health conditions
• Work in rural, remote or dispersed locations
• Need minimal disruption to shifts and care delivery
• This flexible approach supports the legal duty of reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010, ensuring all learners can take part meaningfully and without disadvantage.

Course Alignment and Quality 

Our programme reflects the principles, expectations and learning outcomes set out in the government’s preferred and recommended training model for learning disability and autism. It includes:

• Tailored to Role – ✔ Designed for frontline staff across adult social care, health and education
• Lived Experience Input – ✔ Includes one hour of lived experience delivery
• Quality Assurance – ✔ Continuous evaluation, improvement and feedback built in

Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments

Our flexible delivery options provide:

• National accessibility
• Lower cost and reduced disruption to services
• Real lived-experience voices embedded throughout delivery
• Full support for reasonable adjustments for learners
• This makes our course particularly suitable for services with multiple sites, large teams, diverse shift patterns, or individuals who require adaptations.

Why Our Training Works

✔ Mapped to the key learning outcomes used within national LD & Autism training frameworks
✔ Includes one hour of lived experience delivery
✔ Delivered via live, interactive webinar or onsite classroom
✔ Inclusive, affordable and scalable for teams of all sizes

Learning Disability Awareness Course Objectives

• What do you know about learning disabilities?
• The effects a learning disability has on the individual and their families
• How to support those with learning disabilities
• The need for clear communication and ensuring there is a person-centred approach
• Avoiding diagnostic overshadowing by being aware of and acknowledging unconscious bias
• Awareness of STOMP and STAMP in relation to overmedication
• Lessons learnt from Learning from Lives and Deaths review (LeDeR)
• What are reasonable adjustments and how they can be made
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and The Equality Act 2010
• When and how to use Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR)
• How to improve communication with a person with learning disabilities and their family
• The role of hospital passports and annual health checks in the care and support of people with learning disabilities

Autism Awareness Course Objectives

• A better understanding of autism
• Best practice in health and social care
• How current legislation supports best practice
• Why autism is often referred to as the “invisible condition”
• Recognising differences, strengths, and challenges facing autistic people
• Identifying triggers
• Understanding the eight senses and their impact on autistic individuals
• Recognising reasonable adjustments and adapting practices
• Understanding the importance of routines
• Exploring strategies to support communication

Training Mapping

This table shows how Tidal Training’s learning disability and autism programme aligns with the learning outcomes set out in the government’s preferred and recommended national framework for LD & Autism training.