Last Updated on May 6, 2026
Thousands of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) healthcare professionals have completed Oliver McGowan training. This comes as Autism Awareness Month draws to a close.
The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young man with autism and a learning disability who died in 2016 after being given antipsychotic medication against his and his family's wishes. It was established following a campaign by his family to ensure that staff working with autistic people and those with learning disabilities have the knowledge and skills to support them safely.
The training tackles 'diagnostic overshadowing' - where symptoms are wrongly attributed to a person's disability rather than investigated properly - ensuring people receive the right support at the right time. It also gives staff practical tools to make meaningful reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities and autism as they navigate the benefits system.
These include:
- More time in assessments, reducing anxiety and allowing people to communicate clearly and confidently.
- Simpler, clearer communications from Jobcentres, making information accessible to people who may find complex language difficult to process.
- Sensory-aware Jobcentre environments, ensuring spaces feel safe and manageable for people who may find busy or loud environments overwhelming.
According to Government, this milestone is part of its wider commitment to ensuring disabled people's voices and lived experience shape policy. The Independent Disability Advisory Panel - ten experts with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions - has been appointed to advise on the design and delivery of health and disability policy.
The training is one part of wider support the Department is investing into better support people with autism. Earlier this year, DWP funded Acas to deliver free neurodivergence masterclasses for small and medium-sized employers - with more than 1,800 employer representatives attended, building the knowledge and confidence to recruit and support neurodivergent staff effectively.
Alongside this, Government also legislated to give benefit claimants the legal right to try work without the immediate risk of losing their benefits. Separately, an expert academic panel has examined the specific barriers neurodivergent people face in the workplace, with its recommendations under active consideration.
Commenting on the training update, Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms, said, 'Oliver McGowan's story is a powerful reminder of why services must understand the people they serve. This training is part of how we achieve that, equipping our staff to treat every autistic person and everyone with a learning disability as an individual, and to provide support that genuinely works for them.
'We're determined to break down barriers for disabled people, and to put autistic people and those with learning disabilities at the very heart of our decisions and direction. I pay tribute to the hard and brave work of the McGowan family in Oliver's memory.'
Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive at Mencap, said, 'Increasing benefit assessors' understanding of learning disability is an important step towards a more accessible and inclusive benefits system. The training they've received has the potential to make a real difference in helping them to communicate more clearly, recognise individual needs and make reasonable adjustments.
'People with a learning disability need to be properly understood and receive the level of support that's right for them to navigate the benefits assessment process. This training is already making a difference in health and social care teams, and we hope it will now make another public service more accessible to people with a learning disability so that they can live their lives to the full.'
For the latest updates, visit the DWP website.
In other news, a new campaign titled 'Care About Care' has been launched by Providers Unite, with funding from the National Care Association.