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Paula McGowan OBE speaks about her son Oliver and the first part of The Oliver McGowan mandatory training going live this week.
3 November 2022
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism will be launched this week and the biggest feeling I have is relief. I launched a campaign over four years ago to make training about people with a learning disability and autistic people mandatory for all health and care staff. Now staff will be given skills in understanding and supporting people who have a learning disability and autistic people.
When Oliver died, it was obvious that health and care staff had little understanding of his neurodivergent needs. They did not understand the importance of making reasonable adjustments for him; they did not see him as a person first. Instead, they saw his diagnosis of mild learning disability and autism; because of this, unconscious bias took place and in turn, diagnostic overshadowing.
Unfortunately, Oliver is nothing more than a statistic, the learning disability mortality review has reported that people who have a learning disability die up to 26 years younger than the general population because of their healthcare needs not being met. This is unacceptable; not only for patients and their families but also for the health and care staff who have not been provided the appropriate training in understanding autism and learning disability.
When the government committed to develop and test a standardised training package on learning disability and autism, co-ordinated by Health Education England (HEE) and Skills for Care I started to see some hope that we would make this important change.
Over the last two years, The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism has been trialled in different ways and was delivered with a range of trial partners to more than 8,300 health and care staff across England.
So yes, the biggest feeling I have is relief that The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism will be rolled out nationally across England. That health and care staff will now be given skills in understanding and supporting people who have a learning disability and autistic people.
I have been humbled to observe all health and care colleagues working collaboratively to strive for this change. There is more work to be done, but the journey has now started, and I truly believe we are on the right trajectory to achieve better health and care outcomes for neurodivergent people.
To the best of my knowledge there is no other training like The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism in the world. It is unique because it has been co-designed, co-developed and is co-delivered alongside people with a learning disability and autistic people, their families, and carers.
This week the e-learning part of the training has been launched, this part can and should be done by everyone whatever their role. It includes Oliver’s story and staff will learn directly from people with a learning disability and autistic people.
The second part of the training will be co-delivered with people who have lived experience of a learning disability and autism over the next few months and into next year.
This offers real job opportunities and paid employment for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
This is the reason we have been fighting to get to where we are: to save lives.
I take comfort in knowing that Oliver’s death has resulted in a positive change as a direct consequence and that people with a learning disability and autistic people will receive the right care to suit their needs and that no family will have to go through the same tragedy as ours did.
Oliver’s name will live on as a beacon of hope for a future where people with neurodivergent needs are given the respect that they deserve, which is something which will resonate with many and is deeply meaningful to me.