I’m Sharon, the autism lead at Aspire and part of the National Autistic Society Appeals and Beacon Panel. I’m also a qualified Oliver McGowen trainer.
At Aspire, we provide Autism training to all of our staff members to ensure they have the best training, understanding and skill set to put into practice to provide extraordinary support.
We offer three types of autism training:
- A full-day awareness course
- A half-day refresher session
- The online Oliver McGowen training, which is mandatory for all health and social care staff.
Our full-day training covers:
- What autism is and isn’t
- The history and prevalence of autism
- Differences autistic people face
- How autism can affect the senses
- Ageing with autism
- Strategies to offer support
We include interactive activities that explore these differences and our senses. We also share stories from people with autism, including our colleague Laura, who shares her personal experience of living with autism.
We also talk about the LeDeR report, which reviews the care given when someone with a learning disability and/or autism dies. The research shows how important it is for people with learning disabilities or autism to have annual health checks and screenings.
Half-Day Refresher
The refresher is a shorter session for people who’ve already had autism training.
We start with a quick quiz to help staff remember what they’ve learned and reflect on how they’re putting it into practice. We also provide any updates or new information.
Oliver McGowen Training
This training is named after Oliver McGowen, a young man whose death showed the urgent need for better training for health and social care staff.
The Health and Care Act 2022 now requires all regulated service providers to make sure their staff have the right training based on their role. The Oliver McGowen training is a legal requirement for anyone working in health and social care.
