Workforce update for 
 services that support people 
 with a learning disability 
 and/or autistic people 

Welcome to this workforce development update for adult social care services that support people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. It shares the latest news, resources, events and funding opportunities from Skills for Care and partners.

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 News from Skills for Care 

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism
The final evaluation for the trial of this training is expected very soon and key messages were presented at a free stakeholder forum on Wednesday 25 May 2022 (previously scheduled for Thursday 28 April).

This was a celebration of how far we have come and our evaluation partners NDTi gave an overview of the final evaluation report, which will help to shape the rollout of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism. A recording of the event, slides and extended videos of people involved will be available on the Health Education England (HEE) website in the next two weeks.



⇨ Find out more about the training on the HEE website
Commissioning for a meaningful life, not just a service
The ‘Principles of Commissioning for Wellbeing’ Level 5 qualification is based on personalised and outcome focused approaches to commissioning, aimed at supporting people to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

The qualification is suitable for social care and health staff involved in planning and arranging care, at both strategic and operational levels. Course content covers a range of knowledge and its application to commissioning practice. If you work in learning disability or autism, there is a version of the level 5 qualification contextualised to this area delivered by the same learning providers.

⇨ Find out more about the qualification and secure your place
NEW Digital wellbeing card
Our new card gives a snapshot of wellbeing support and has links to information, helplines and where to find support all in one handy place. The card can be viewed easily on a mobile phone, tablet or desktop or shared as a download ‘PDF’.

⇨ Access the cards
Tell us what works well for good wellbeing and supervision support
We know that an engaged, valued and supported workforce, working within a wellbeing focused organisational culture, has a positive impact on the quality of care. So, between now and the end of July, we are asking all social care employers about the following:
  • our Wellbeing resource finder - what you think about it and your views on what works well to support wellbeing in social care
  • our Effective supervision resources – what you think about them and what your experience is of delivering and/or receiving supervision, any challenges you face and what works well.

You can do this either by filling in the survey or by talking to one of our researchers. If you’d like to speak to a researcher, please email wellbeingresources@yorkconsulting.co.uk to arrange a 20-30 minute interview to suit you.

We will make improvements based on the feedback we receive, so we want to make sure that autistic workers and employers, and people with a learning disability and people employed to support these groups are represented in the feedback.
 Guidance from the Government, 
 NHS and key stakeholders 

New Health and Care Act requirements
The Health and Care Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday 28 April and is now the Health and Care Act 2022. An amendment was made to the Health and Care Bill which introduces a requirement that all health and social care providers who carry out CQC regulated activities must ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disabilities and autism. The amendment also creates a duty for the Secretary of State to publish a Code of Practice which will be named after Oliver McGowan.

The Code of Practice is a guidance document which will outline (among other things) how the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training should look in terms of content, delivery and ongoing evaluation. The Government will be running a consultation on the Code of Practice so there will be an opportunity to shape how it looks.
Local Government Association: Must know: ‘Is your council meeting the needs of autistic people?’
The Local Government Association have produced a guide to support councillors to understand their role and responsibilities to autistic people, their families and carers. The guide looks at ways councils can provide support and information to improve the lives of autistic people and their families and how they can work towards inclusive places for autistic people through collaborative work with partners and local autistic people. It highlights the issues that autistic people may face before and from the point of diagnosis and in the longer term. It also considers some of the impacts of COVID-19 on autistic people that councils may need to address.

⇨ Read the guide

NICE and SCIE quick guide: Promoting wellbeing and positive identity for a child or young person who is looked after
This new ‘quick guide’ from SCIE and NICE has been produced for children and young adults. Enabling a strong sense of identity, positive relationships and an understanding of their early experiences can significantly improve outcomes for children and young adults. The guide includes information on life story work and trauma and disadvantage.

⇨ View the guide

‘Right support, right care, right culture’
CQC have recently updated their guidance on how they regulate providers supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability. They expect all providers, existing and future, to understand their regulatory approach. They must be aware of how they embed human rights and the requirements for their service.

⇨ Read the guidance
 News from the sector  

SCIE Co-production Week 2022
National Co-production Week is back for a seventh year and takes place Monday 4 July to Saturday 9 July 2022. It celebrates the benefits of co-production, sharing of good practice and promotes the contribution of people who use services and carers in developing better public services.

⇨ Read more about events, activities and online resources
Supporting people with a learning disability to use technology and stay connected
Connecting with others is important for wellbeing. Jane Seale of the Open University conducted research examining how people with a learning disability were being supported to use technologies to keep connected during the pandemic. She shares her insights in a guest blog.

⇨ Read the blog
Social Care: Sector Pulse Check
Hft is a national charity providing services for people with a learning disability. They produce an annual Sector Pulse Check report providing a yearly snapshot of the financial health of the learning disability social care sector.

This year’s survey found that:
  • 71% of providers reporting they are either in deficit, with costs exceeding funding, or that their surplus has decreased
  • 80% of providers said that local authority fees will not cover the increased wage bill
  • 43% of providers had to close some parts of the organisation or hand back contracts to their local authorities.
⇨ Read the full report

ConnectingU Device Programme
AbilityNet has launched a ConnectingU Device Programme supported by Lenovo. The project will give 300 free digital devices and support to anyone over 50 and anyone over 18 with a disability who is struggling to access any digital service.

⇨ Find out more
 Events 

Leading strengths-based practice - New insights and learning
SCIE is holding a free webinar aimed at leaders in adult social care on strengths-based practice on Wednesday 15 June at 11:30.

⇨ Find out more and book

Co-production: Giving the power back
The BILD International Positive Behavioural Support Conference 2022 will be taking place on 21 and 22 June in Bristol. The theme for this year’s conference will be Co-production: Giving the power back, and attendees will have the option to attend either in-person, or online.

⇨ Find the full programme and book your place
 Get involved 



Consultation open about childhood screening for autism
This consultation is being run by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which is the independent scientific committee which makes screening recommendations to UK ministers and the NHS.

There is currently no screening for autism and people are only assessed to see if they are autistic, or if they, their family or doctor already think they might be autistic.

The UK NSC review all their recommendations over time so they are checking now after ten years to see if they should change their recommendation.

⇨ Get involved with the consultation by Monday 4 July 2022

Consultation on changes to the MCA Code of Practice and implementation of the LPS
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are jointly consulting on a number of documents that are part of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Code of Practice, including guidance on the new Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS).

⇨ Find the related documents and respond to the consultation

The deadline for responding is Thursday 7 July 2022.

National Disability Strategy parliamentary inquiry
The Women and Equalities Committee is scrutinising the implementation and further development of the Government's National Disability Strategy, which was published in July 2021. They have launched a call for evidence which can be responded to in multiple formats.

⇨ Find out more information about the inquiry and to respond to the call for evidence

The deadline for submitting evidence is Sunday 24 July 2022.

Study into the impact on learning from the COVID-19 pandemic
This study aims to explore the knowledge and understanding that people with a learning disability and autistic people have gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will focus on their understanding of media, health-related communications and network information (e.g. from family/carers/friends/social care agencies).

Dr Alison Wilde, who is leading the study, is looking to hear from people with a learning disability and autistic people as part of this work.

⇨ Find out more and get involved with the study
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