Trafford Labour’s Failure to Deliver Statutory Oliver McGowan Training

Trafford Council, under Labour leadership, has failed to deliver the statutory Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to its staff in full—nearly three years after it became a legal requirement under the Health and Care Act 2022.

At Full Council on 16 July 2025, the response to Cllr Lepori revealed that although 78 staff had completed the preliminary e-learning, no council staff have yet completed the full Tier 1 or Tier 2 training, which is mandatory for those working in Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated services. Just one officer has completed the lead trainer course, with another “due to complete”. Trafford Labour cite delays due to the draft nature of the code of practice and recent NHS England restructuring, but these excuses are insufficient given the training has been available since 2022 and delivered successfully in other councils.

The Employment Committee video from June 2025 further exposed Trafford Labour’s unpreparedness, offering no clear implementation plan, no timelines, and minimal accountability. Instead of acting swiftly to prevent further risk, the council is still "considering the best training solution" three years on—an unacceptable delay for a statutory obligation.

The training was introduced in response to the tragic death of Oliver McGowan, a teenager with autism, epilepsy, and a mild learning disability. In 2016, Oliver was given antipsychotic medication—against the explicit wishes of his family—which caused neuroleptic malignant syndrome and fatal brain swelling. His preventable death triggered national outcry and led to the development of this essential training.

Key aims of the training include:

• Improving healthcare and social care staff’s understanding of autism and learning disabilities.
• Preventing tragedies through safer, informed, compassionate care.
• Embedding co-produced knowledge from people with lived experience.
• Meeting the legal standard as set by the Health and Care Act 2022.

Despite these clear aims, Trafford Labour’s failure to act has put vulnerable residents at risk and left frontline staff unsupported. Their continued delay in rolling out this lifesaving, legally mandated training is not just a bureaucratic oversight—it is a failure of moral and statutory duty. Trafford’s residents deserve better.

https://www.olivermcgowan.org/

https://www.youtube.com/live/mwCtuqa94OI?si=aCoKRXKLE9RQhoAj - 44m 29s time mark start for relevant information