Where the duty comes from
Section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022 added the training requirement to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to regulation 18 (staffing) of the 2014 Regulations. The same Act requires the Secretary of State to issue a code of practice. That code was laid before Parliament on 19 June 2025 and became final on 6 September 2025, after its 40-day period.
The code applies to all CQC-registered providers of health and adult social care in England: care homes, nursing homes, home care, supported living, and NHS and independent healthcare.
The four standards
The code sets four standards that training must meet:
- Curriculum: staff are trained in at least a minimum set of capabilities drawn from the core capabilities frameworks for learning disability and autism.
- Application: training helps staff apply what they learn to their own role and setting.
- Live, co-delivered training: alongside at least 90 minutes of e-learning, tier 1 staff need at least an hour of live interactive training, and tier 2 staff at least a day of in-person training. People with a learning disability and autistic people must co-produce and co-deliver it.
- Quality assurance: training is evidence-based, independently accredited and evaluated, with people with lived experience meaningfully involved.
On co-delivery, the code expects at least one person with a learning disability and one autistic person to be involved.
Who needs which tier
- Tier 1 is general awareness, for staff who may have little or no direct contact with the people you support.
- Tier 2 is for staff responsible for providing care and support, who would seek help from others for complex management or complex decisions. The code's examples include registered managers, team leaders, care assistants and support workers.
- Tier 3 is for staff with a high degree of autonomy who provide care in complex situations and may lead services. The Oliver McGowan package comes in tier 1 and tier 2 versions only, so providers must source tier 3 training separately where a role needs it.
Annex A of the code maps roles to tiers by sector. Training should be repeated at least every three years, or sooner if a role changes or a learning need is identified.
How CQC uses the code
CQC must take the code into account when it assesses whether a provider meets its registration requirements. Providers can use training other than the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, but if they depart from the code they must give CQC good reasons and show the alternative is equally effective. Where legal duties are not met, CQC can use its enforcement powers.
The government names the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism as its "preferred and recommended training package".
Cost and funding
DHSC's guide to the Learning and Development Support Scheme, updated on 1 September 2026, confirms that LDSS and Oliver's Training funding will both continue in 2026 to 2027. The two funds are ring-fenced separately, a cap applies, and once a fund runs out no further claims are paid. Funding is for the recommended package and is open to employers registered with CQC for adult social care. Claims for training courses must be made within three months of completion.
The guide does not publish the 2026 to 2027 Oliver's Training budget or cap; it points to the grant determination letter.
Care England, which represents independent providers, published its own impact assessment in June 2026. It estimated the cost of tier 2 at about £166 per person once staff time is included, and argued that funding falls well short of the cost of training the whole workforce. Those are Care England's estimates, not government figures.
Questions people ask
Is Oliver McGowan training mandatory?
Since 1 July 2022, CQC-registered health and social care providers in England have had a legal duty to make sure staff receive learning disability and autism training suited to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government's preferred package; other training must meet the code's four standards.
Who needs tier 2 Oliver McGowan training?
Staff responsible for providing care and support who would seek help from others for complex management or complex decisions. The code's examples include registered managers, team leaders, care assistants and support workers.
How often does Oliver McGowan training need refreshing?
At least every three years, or sooner if a role changes or a learning need is identified.
What this means for your service
- Map every role to a tier using Annex A of the code, and record your reasoning. Most hands-on care roles are tier 2.
- Keep evidence CQC can see: who has completed which tier, when, through which provider, and when each person is due a refresher.
- If you use a different package, be ready to show how it meets all four standards, including co-delivery by a person with a learning disability and an autistic person.
- Claim funding promptly. Make sure your ASC-WDS account is up to date, claim within three months of completion, and do it early, because ring-fenced funds can run out.
- Don't treat it as a box to tick. CQC is looking for training that changes practice in your setting, so link it to supervision and care planning.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- DHSC, The Oliver McGowan code of practice (publication page, first published 19 Jun 2025, updated 18 Sep 2025): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice (checked 27 Oct 2026)
- DHSC, The Oliver McGowan code of practice on statutory learning disability and autism training (HTML): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice/the-oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice-on-statutory-learning-disability-and-autism-training (checked 27 Oct 2026)
- DHSC, Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce: a guide for employers (updated 1 Sep 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-learning-and-development-support-scheme/learning-and-development-support-scheme-for-the-adult-social-care-workforce-a-guide-for-employers (checked 27 Oct 2026)
- DHSC, Explanatory memorandum on the Oliver McGowan code of practice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-memorandum-on-the-oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice (checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Care England, The Oliver McGowan Code of Practice Impact Assessment (June 2026, PDF): https://www.careengland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Oliver-McGowan-Code-of-Practice-Impact-Assessment.pdf (checked 27 Oct 2026; second source)
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