Oliver McGowan Training

Dear all,

Following enquiries from several practices, Lincolnshire LDC Committee have

undertaken considerable research into Oliver McGowan training requirements (

Thank you Millie Coulby ) and are now able to provide an update.

We have had responses from Mark Blaney, Midlands CQC inspector, and

Robert Middlefell, CQC National Dental Advisor, which are attached below.

The Committee have investigated booking tier 2 courses. There are few

providers who have enough capacity and the courses are very expensive with a

significant time commitment from all clinical staff, not just dentists. Our local

CDS have undertaken level 2 and are currently sourcing organisations who may

be able to provide this level of training.

However, because of the lack of clarity regarding the requirements, the LDC

Committee felt that we should not organise Oliver McGowan Tier 2 courses until

there is clarity regarding the requirements.

The committee recommends that individuals and practices assess their own

requirements, including considering the frequency of treating patients with

learning disabilities and autism, in order to decide if Tier 2 training is necessary

for them.

We strongly recommend that all members of the team, including receptionists

and practice managers, undertake Tier 1 Oliver McGowan training, which is

available from many online providers, including e-learning for health (for free); 

https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Component/Details/786762

We will reconsider this issue and provide further guidance when this becomes

available.

Kind regards

Kenny Hume Lincolnshire LDC Chair

Response from Mark Blaney, Midlands CQC inspector;

I've had a reply from our leadership team, and it seems to broadly match what I

initially thought.

CQC would expect all staff to have completed some form of detailed learning

disability and autism awareness training that adheres to the code of practice

curriculum, but it does not, at this time, need to be the specific

Oliver McGowan (OM) training. Ideally all staff would have completed Tier 1 OM

training, but this is not yet a regulatory requirement.

I've include a link to the code of practice here, Oliver McGowan Code of

Practice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-

practice) which includes the guidance. This is the current CCQ position as

displayed on our public website CQC Autism training for staff

(https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/training-staff-support-autistic-

people-and-people-learning-disability)

I understand discussions are still ongoing around this training and as soon as I

have any update, I’ll let you know.

I hope this is of use, if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to

get in touch.

All the best

Mark

Mark Blaney (He/Him)

Inspector – Oral Health Midlands Team

Response from Robert Middlefell, CQC National Dental Advisor;

I would link people to the CQC web page on this and follow the link to the Code

of Practice.

Training staff to support autistic people and people with a learning disability -

Care Quality Commission (https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/training-

staff-support-autistic-people-and-people-learning-disability)

Highlighting that CQC expects providers to determine what the training

requirements are for of their team.

I would suggest that dentists and their teams have identified who needs to

undertake training and to what level. The code of practice is open to

interpretation, but my personal view is that Tiers 1 and 2 apply to all members

of the dental team. 

There is an expectation when CQC inspects dental practices that the team have

done some training- most people seem to have or are doing Tier 1.

We are not breaching people who haven’t done Tier 2, accepting that the full

day course takes time to organise and get places on whilst having an impact on

the running of a practice if everyone has to take a day out from seeing patients.

Of course, it’s always about then assuring that training is put into place.

It’s one of those areas that the profession may need to consider what best

practice for dentists looks like but that’s for wider conversation with other LDCs,

OCDO, etc and would need robust justification for any “accepted practice” to be

justified that seemed deviate from the code of practice. 

I’m this is one that will develop in time, and I will try and keep people informed

as part of my ongoing engagement with the LDCs, BDA etc.

Best Wishes

Rob

Robert Middlefell

National Dental Advisor

Care Quality Commission 

Primary Medical Services