If you work in health or social care, chances are your manager has already mentioned Oliver McGowan training this year. Maybe you got an email about a deadline. Maybe a colleague asked if you had “done your Tier 2 yet.” And if you are still trying to figure out where to book it or which course actually counts, you are not the only one.
This training is not just another box to tick. It came about because of a real tragedy, and it is now a legal requirement for a large chunk of the health and social care workforce in England. Let’s look at what Tier 2 actually involves, who needs it, and how to find a course that fits around your job.
What Is Oliver McGowan Training, Really?
The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young man with autism and a mild learning disability who died in 2016 after being given medication against his and his family’s wishes. His death exposed a gap in how healthcare staff understood autism and learning disabilities, and how that gap can lead to serious harm.
In response, the government made this training mandatory for all health and social care staff. It is delivered in two tiers. Tier 1 is for staff who have general contact with autistic people or people with a learning disability. Tier 2 is for those who work more directly in assessing, planning, or delivering care, meaning they need a deeper, more practical understanding.
Who Actually Needs Tier 2?
This is where people often get confused. Tier 2 is aimed at staff who have a more clinical or direct caregiving role. Think nurses, doctors, care managers, social workers, allied health professionals, and anyone who makes decisions about a person’s care or treatment.
If your day-to-day work involves assessing needs, adjusting care plans, or providing hands-on clinical support to autistic people or people with learning disabilities, Tier 2 is almost certainly the one your employer expects you to complete. Tier 1 tends to suit more general or administrative roles where contact is less direct.
A real example helps here. A support worker in a residential home who occasionally interacts with residents during meals or activities would usually sit at Tier 1. A senior carer who writes and reviews care plans, manages medication schedules, and liaises with GPs would need Tier 2, because their decisions have a more direct impact on someone’s care.
Why Employers in London Are Pushing This Now
London has one of the highest concentrations of health and social care providers in the country, from NHS trusts to private care homes to domiciliary care agencies. With so many staff needing to complete this training within set timeframes, demand for Oliver McGowan Tier 2 London courses has grown steadily.
CQC inspections now check for this training as part of their assessment of a provider’s compliance. If your organisation cannot show staff have completed the right tier, it can affect their rating. That is a big reason managers are chasing this up with real urgency, not just as a formality.
Finding a Course That Actually Fits Your Shift Pattern
One of the most common frustrations staff mention is timing. Care work does not stop for training days, and finding a slot that does not clash with shifts can be a genuine headache. This is why searches for Oliver McGowan Tier 2 near me have gone up, people want something local and flexible, not a course three boroughs away with only one date a month.
A good provider will offer a mix of formats, including in-person sessions and options that combine e-learning with a live, trainer-led component (which is how Tier 2 is structured under the national framework). It genuinely helps to have autistic people and people with lived experience of learning disabilities co-deliver parts of the training, since this is part of what makes the national standard different from a generic online course.
What Good Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Looks Like
Not every course labelled as compliant is delivered the same way. The national framework sets clear expectations, and one of them is that people with lived experience should be involved in delivering the training, not just contributing a video clip at the start.
When you are looking at Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in London providers, it is worth asking whether their trainers include autistic people or people with learning disabilities as co-trainers. This is not a small detail. It is the difference between staff learning facts from a slide and staff actually hearing, in someone’s own words, what good and bad care experiences have felt like.
Alongside mandatory training like this, many care staff are also expected to keep other core certifications current, such as Basic Life Support training, which covers CPR and choking response. Providers who offer both under one roof tend to make life easier for busy care teams juggling several renewal dates.
Shreeji Training works with health and social care providers across London to deliver mandatory training that actually meets current standards, rather than just ticking a compliance box. Their sessions are built around real shift patterns and delivered by trainers who understand the pressures of frontline care work.
FAQs
1. Is Oliver McGowan Tier 2 training a legal requirement?
Yes, for staff in relevant health and social care roles across England, it is part of mandatory training expectations tied to CQC compliance.
2. How long does Tier 2 training take to complete?
It usually involves an e-learning component plus a live, trainer-led session, often totalling around a full day when combined, though this can vary by provider.
3. Do I need to redo the training if I already completed Tier 1?
Yes, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cover different depths of content. Completing Tier 1 does not exempt you from Tier 2 if your role requires it.
4. Can Tier 2 training be done fully online?
Part of it can be, but the national framework requires a live, interactive session as well, since role-play and discussion are central to how the training works.
5. How often does the training need to be renewed?
There is currently no fixed national renewal cycle, but many employers ask staff to refresh every few years or when guidance updates. Check with your employer for their specific policy.
6. What happens if my staff haven’t completed the required tier?
It can affect your CQC rating and, more importantly, leaves gaps in how confidently your team supports autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
Get in Touch
If you need to get your team booked onto Oliver McGowan Tier 2 training without the usual scheduling headache, we are happy to help you find dates that actually work around your shifts.
Shreeji Training
Website: https://shreejitraining.com
Email: info@shreejitraining.com
Phone: +44 (0) 208 596 5047
