Meeting regulatory requirements while managing day to day service delivery is a constant balancing act for health and social care leaders. With the statutory Oliver McGowan Code of Practice in full effect under Section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022, CQC inspection teams are taking a closer look at how autism and learning disability training is applied in practice across all health and social care settings.  

Under Regulation 18, inspectors want to see that everyone delivering care possesses practical, role appropriate competency in supporting autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities.  

Four Key Elements for Care Providers 

Navigating mandatory standards under the governments preferred training framework comes down to four core considerations. 

1. Role Based Tiers: Tier 1 applies staff without direct care duties (such as administrative or maintenance teams) through online learning and an interactive session. Tier 2 is mandatory for anyone delivering direct care, support work or writing care plans, requiring a full day face-to-face workshop. 
2. Lived Experience: The Oliver McGowan Code of Practice sets clear standards requiring training to be co-produced and co-delivered alongside trainers who have lived experience of autism or a learning disability.  
3. Reclaiming Costs: CQC registered providers can draw on government funding support through the digital Learning and Development Support Scheme portal to assist with training fees and staff cover expenses. 
4. Practical Evidence: Inspectors review how learning translates into everyday support. They look for clear evidence like updated communication, individualised care plans and sensory adjustments across services.  

How Halo Staffing Supports Your Compliance Journey 

As mandatory requirements evolve, Halo Staffing is committed to helping care providers stay compliant while keeping rotas fully supported: 

• We actively direct healthcare candidates and providers toward the free NHS eLearning portal to complete their initial Oliver McGowan modules, ensuring foundation compliance is clear and straightforward.  

• To help providers meet full compliance, we are actively recruiting and developing certified Oliver McGowan trainers so we can directly deliver accredited Tier 2 in person sessions in the near future. 

• Releasing staff for full day Tier 2 training sessions requires careful rota management. We provide fully trained care staff ready to cover your shifts to ensure permanent team members can attend mandatory training without putting extra pressure on your service. 

Find out how we can support you and your team by clicking the button below!