Mandatory Learning Disability and Autism Training for Health and Care Staff

Mandatory learning disability and autism training for health and care staff - trials 2020

In November 2019, the Government announced the introduction of mandatory training in learning disability and autism for all health and social care staff, relevant to their role. This was in response to a consultation on the proposal of mandatory training. The consultation was held following the second annual report of the Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme, which recommended that mandatory learning disability training should be provided to all staff, delivered in conjunction with people with learning disabilities and their families.

There will now be a series of trials to design and test a new training package, ahead of a wider roll-out.

You can read the full consultation response here . The training will be based on the capabilities frameworks for supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people .

Health Education England and Skills for Care are now working with the Department of Health and Social Care to find partners for these trials. We will be appointing a number of training partners/partnerships who will develop and test training methods and materials. An evaluation provider will also be appointed.

We are currently developing specifications for the trials and evaluation and intend to publish an invitation to tender soon.

Work is expected to run from April 2020 and report by March 2021.

We anticipate awarding contracts to a number of different training partners/partnerships and a single evaluation partner.

Training and evaluation partners may strengthen their applications by forming a collaboration of one or more organisations. Within the partnerships we expect co-production, in the design and delivery of training and evaluation, with autistic people, people who have a learning disability, and carers; for which they will be appropriately remunerated. Partnerships should test out how the training can best be delivered to staff in lots of different services and settings.

While this may be an opportunity for collaboration between evaluation/academic organisations and interest or advocacy groups, to ensure an independent evaluation, no contractor or organisation within a coalition will be eligible to be part of both a trial and the evaluation.

Express your interest

If you are interested in participating, please submit your expressions of interest via the Supplying to the NHS Portal www.supplying2nhs.org no later than Friday 14th February 2020 at 1800 hours. It is not essential to register an interest, but it ensures you will be notified when the tender is published.