PGPA has organised the rollout of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism across Calderdale, making funded training available not only to PGPA staff, but to staff working across all Calderdale GP practices.
The programme has been funded through a one-off pot of national funding via West Yorkshire ICB, which needed to be used to support Oliver McGowan training across primary care. PGPA offered to coordinate the rollout on behalf of Calderdale general practice, taking on the organisation, administration and communications involved in delivering the programme across the whole of primary care.
The training is being delivered by First Response through a combination of online and face-to-face sessions, depending on staff roles. Patient-facing staff are required to complete the face-to-face training, while non-patient-facing staff can complete the online version. This means practices can ensure their teams receive the appropriate level of training while making the best use of the funding available.
Delivering the programme at this scale has involved significant PGPA time and resource, including coordinating sessions, managing bookings and administration, communicating with practices and staff, and working closely with the training provider to deliver the programme. PGPA has used the full ICB funding allocation to provide funded places across Calderdale primary care, with no additional paid incentive for PGPA to coordinate the programme.
The Oliver McGowan training is important because it helps healthcare staff develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to provide safe, effective and person-centred care for autistic people and people with a learning disability. It supports staff to understand different communication and support needs, recognise when reasonable adjustments may be needed, and help people access healthcare fairly and safely.
With Oliver McGowan training now forming part of CQC requirements, ensuring staff have access to the appropriate training is also an important part of practices meeting their responsibilities.
Thank you to everyone who has already taken part in the online training. The next round of face-to-face sessions will begin in October, providing further opportunities for patient-facing staff across Calderdale practices to complete the required training.
PGPA is pleased to have been able to use this one-off funding to coordinate the programme for the wider Calderdale primary care community, and we’re grateful to West Yorkshire ICB for trusting us to deliver it on behalf of general practice.