Working with our fantastic Oliver McGowan co-trainers | Our Blog

Oliver’s Training

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism was established following the tragic death of a young man named Oliver McGowan in hospital. Oliver was an autistic person with a learning disability. His death could have been avoided. In his memory Oliver’s parents campaigned to make it a requirement for all health and social care staff to undertake training to enable them to provide safe, compassionate and informed care to people with a learning disability and autistic people. Every part of Oliver’s Training is delivered in partnership with co-trainers, experts with lived experience of a learning disability or being an autistic person.

Why is Oliver McGowan training important?

“To help health and social care staff understand and listen to people with learning disabilities and autistic people” – Maggie (Expert by Experience)

“Learning disability and autism need to be more talked about, so people are aware and it is not hidden” – Roseanna (Expert by Experience)

The Estia Centre

Here at the Estia Centre we deliver all levels of Oliver McGowan training in partnership with our fantastic team of co-trainers who have lived experience of a learning disability. During Oliver’s training the co-trainers share their lived experience, bust common myths and provide their expertise on how to make health and care services more accessible. But that’s not all…our co-trainers do so much more! They also collaborate with us to design and develop the learning disability content of Oliver’s training (as part of our NHS England contract), deliver other training programmes and get involved with external initiatives and projects, such as producing the easy read version of the LeDeR report. We are always thinking about where else we can make use of their expertise!

What do you like about being a co-trainer?

“Learning about Oliver and doing something new” – Toyin (Expert by Experience)

“Building communication skills. Meeting new people. Learning more about autism. Having awareness for myself and my condition” – Ella (Expert by Experience)

Supporting our co-trainers

It is important that we provide the appropriate support to empower our co-trainers to perform their role brilliantly. This varies depending on the co-trainer but often includes spending time together preparing and practicing training content, reviewing written materials (e.g. training manuals, meeting agendas and minutes), attending meetings and planning travel. We provide administrative support where required and convert documents into easy read to make them more accessible. Additionally, we organise regular ‘co-trainer workshops’. In these workshops we practice key co-trainer skills, like confidence, professionalism and communication. The workshops also provide an opportunity for our co-trainers to network and learn from each other. This year workshops have focused on topics like managing nerves and anxiety, projecting your voice and being professional.

“I am getting more confident and less nervous delivering training. I have learnt strategies to help me stay relaxed and be myself. I get good support from my team” – Sunny (Expert by Experience)

Looking to the future

At our final workshop of 2024, we reflected on all the amazing work our co-trainers have done this year. Co-trainers discussed feeling more confident delivering training and travelling for work. Looking ahead to the future our co-trainers want to practice being assertive, producing easy read documents and learn more Makaton!

Thank you to our co-trainers for their essential work to improve care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. We look forward to seeing what 2025 will bring!

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