This page contains information for anyone who wishes to become a trainer and gain access to the Tier 1 Trainer Training, which has been fully funded by NHSE for 2025.
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Training Structure
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is standardised and to complete it individuals must:
Complete the elearning package – everyone will need to do the elearning no matter where they work and what tier they need to complete.
- Tier 1 – the 1 hour online interactive session co-delivered by a person with a learning disability and an autistic person along with a facilitator or
- Tier 2 – the 1 day face to face training co-delivered a person with a learning disability and an autistic person and trainer
For the avoidance of doubt, staff needing Tier 2 training do not need to complete Tier 1 training first. Tier 2 training contains the Tier 1 material required.
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, marking a significant milestone in improving healthcare for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
The Code, which supports the statutory training requirements introduced by the Health and Care Act 2022, was laid in Parliament on 19 June 2025 and sets clear standards for CQC-registered providers.
Become a Tier 1 Trainer
You do not need to be based in Gloucestershire to access the Tier 1 Trainer Training. The T1 webinar is delivered by a trio.
To access this training, you need to be in a trio or group with at least one person in each of the following roles:
- A facilitating trainer who will organise and support the trio
- An expert co-trainer trainer with lived experience of a learning disability
- An expert co-trainer trainer with lived experience of autism
There are 2 courses which are 3-hours long with 2 breaks, and are held on Microsoft Teams.
- Delivering webinars – teaches new trios to run the 1-hour interactive webinar. At the end of the trinaing, trios get an approved trainer number, become an approved Tier 1 trainer on the NHSE database, and can run webinars.
- Teaching Others – is for approved Tier 1 trainers with experience of webinars, to learn to teach others how to do the same. At the end of the training, approved trios become LEAD trios, and therefore can train and recommend other new trainers to NHSE.
I am a new Tier 1 trainer, and want to learn how to run the 1-hour interactive webinars that form part 2 of the Tier 1 training.
You will need to attend the Delivering Webinars Tier 1 Trainer Training (course number 1 for new trainers)
You will learn how to run webinars yourself.
- At the end of this course you will be an approved Tier 1 Trainer.
- You will be able to run the 1-hour webinars in a trio
- To pass the course, you will record your trio running a webinar and send it to us so that we can give you advice about being a trainer.
How to apply
To apply for a place on the waiting list, please make sure that:
- You have recruited the correct people into the three different roles as per the job descriptions on the NHSE website
- You have all completed the part 1 90 mins eLearning package which can be accessed on eLearning for Healthcare (eLfH) HERE
- You have met with your trio to discuss any support needs, reasonable adjustments, and upskilling needed to attend and deliver training virtually.
- Your Facilitating Trainer is confident to build webinars and associated learning activities within MSTeams, and to deliver training virtually.
NHS England holds a list of approved training providers which can be found here:
I have already done the first Tier 1 course, (Delivering Webinars) and am an approved Tier 1 trainer.
I want to apply for the second Tier 1 course that teaches you how to train other people to become trios and run the webinars
This is called: Teaching Others Tier 1 Trainer Training
To access this training, you need to be in a trio or group with at least one person in each of the following roles:
- A facilitating trainer who will organise and support the trio
- An expert co-trainer trainer with lived experience of a learning disability
- An expert co-trainer trainer with lived experience of autism
You must be on the NHSE list as an approved Tier 1 Trainer to access this second course, as it is all about teaching others in a train-the-trainer model.
You must have experience of delivering the 1-hour webinars (at least 3).
Become a LEAD Tier 1 Trainer.
This course will help you to learn how to run both Tier 1 Trainer Training courses (Delivering Webinars Tier 1 Trainer Training AND Teaching Others Tier 1 Trainer Training) so that you can continue to build a team of new trainers, and cascade the training.
This course is for approved Tier 1 trainers only who have already completed the Delivering Webinars Tier 1 Trainer Training course as a trio, and have experience of running the 1-hour interactive webinar.
- At the end of this course you will be an approved LEAD Tier 1 Trainer.
- You will be able to run the 1-hour webinars in a trio
- You will be able to run the Delivering Webinars Tier 1 Trainer Training for new trios
- You will quality assurance your own delegates and recommend them to NHS England as approved Tier 1 trainers.
- You will be able to run the Teaching Others Tier 1 Trainer Training to other approved trios
- You will quality assurance your learners and recommend them as LEAD Tier 1 trainers to NHS England
To pass the course, you will watch a recorded webinar in your trio, and send structured feedback to us so that we can give you advice about being a reviewer and managing new learners.
How to apply
To apply for a place on the waiting list, please make sure that:
- You (and your trio members) have a trainer number for Tier 1 on the NHS England database found here
- You can attend in your trio
- You have experience of running the 1-hour webinars (at least 3)
- You have fully read the Facilitators Manual in the Star Pack and understood the delivery model & responsibilities.
NHS England holds a list of approved training providers which can be found here:
Become a T2 Trainer
There are 3 different courses for Tier 2 trainers.
LEAD trainer training ( 4 days)
To become a Lead T2 trainer Training (someone who can lead & deliver ALL the Tier 2 courses) you need to attend a 4-day course. Please contact nasommttraining@nas.org.uk.
Facilitating Trainer Training ( 2 days)
To become a Tier 2 Facilitating Trainer, you need to attend a 2-day course.
NHS England holds a list of approved training providers which can be found here:
Expert Trainer Training (3 days)
To become a Tier 2 expert co-trainer with lived experience of autism or a learning disability, you need to do a 3-day course.
NHS England holds a list of approved training providers which can be found here: