Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training: 2026/27 Funding and CQC Requirements

Reviewed and updated: 28 September 2026. This guide covers England. It has been corrected to distinguish the training requirement from eligibility for funding.

Funding for Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training continues in 2026/27 for eligible adult social care employers in England. It is a capped reimbursement scheme, not a guarantee that every course or provider will be funded. Check eligibility and claim deadlines before booking.

What training is legally required?

Since 1 July 2022, CQC-registered health and social care providers in England must ensure staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan package is the government's preferred and recommended training, but the law does not require every provider to use that named package. Providers must be able to explain how their chosen training meets the relevant requirements.

The DHSC code of practice, final from 6 September 2025, sets out training standards. It expects training at least every three years, or sooner when staff roles or learning needs require it. Assess needs across the workforce, including relevant ancillary roles, rather than assuming only clinical staff need training.

Tier 1 and Tier 2: what each includes

• Tier 1: approximately 90 minutes of e-learning plus a one-hour live online interactive session. This is for staff who need general awareness.
• Tier 2: the same e-learning plus a one-day face-to-face session. This is for staff who may need to provide care and support to autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Staff take the tier appropriate to their role; they do not all need both live sessions. The live elements involve trainers with lived experience. E-learning alone does not complete either package. NHS England describes the formats and routes for arranging training in its training access guidance.

Who can claim 2026/27 funding?

Training duties cover more services than this funding scheme. For Oliver's Training reimbursement, an employer must provide adult social care, directly employ care staff in England, keep its Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) account up to date, and be CQC-registered for adult social care. CQC registration alone is not enough.

Learners need a UK National Insurance number and lawful employment in England. Oliver's Training can cover both regulated and non-regulated care staff employed by an eligible provider, including eligible agency staff and managers. Check each claim against the DHSC employer guidance; a training obligation does not itself establish funding eligibility.

Dates, reimbursement limits and in-house training

The 2026/27 grant determination applies to eligible training paid for from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Claims for completed training must be submitted within three months of completion. Oliver's Training has a separate annual reimbursement cap of £25,000 per eligible recipient.

The official course list includes both tiers and both delivery routes. Current maximum reimbursement amounts per learner are:

Delivery route	Tier 1	Tier 2
In-house	£12.50	£50
Externally procured	£25	£90

These are caps, not promised payments. Eligible in-house delivery is possible; an employer's own trainer must meet the applicable programme requirements. The grant rules require a completion certificate for in-house claims, while procured training also needs payment evidence. Do not assume any informal internal session qualifies.

Oliver's Training has a limited, ring-fenced fund, and reimbursement is not guaranteed. The former 2025/26 arrangement had a standard claim deadline of 11:59pm on 20 March 2026, with later claims considered exceptionally. It should not be described simply as a window that closed on 31 March. Check the current employer guidance for the rules applying to your training dates.

How employers submit a claim

1. Check eligibility and delivery. Confirm the employer, learner and course qualify, and check the current NHS England trainer requirements before booking.
2. Complete NHSBSA onboarding. Follow the onboarding link in the DHSC employer guidance to access the online claims service.
3. Keep evidence and claim promptly. Retain the completion certificate and the payment evidence applicable to the delivery route. Submit through the digital claims service within the relevant deadline.

Employers claim through NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), rather than asking a training provider to submit to Skills for Care. NHSBSA explains its process in how to make an adult social care training claim. Funding applications do not replace the duty to provide appropriate training.

What CQC says about training and registration

In its 14 September 2026 update, CQC says registration teams address the training requirement when assessing applications. That update does not establish that absence of an Oliver McGowan certificate automatically causes registration refusal or an Inadequate rating.

CQC's inspection guidance describes checking training needs assessments, training plans, booked sessions and completed training, with staff interviews where needed. It usually considers this under safe and effective staffing, and governance, management and sustainability. Any regulatory or enforcement response depends on the evidence and circumstances.

Keep a role-based training plan, evidence of completed learning and arrangements for new starters and refreshers. Review older training against the code. A plan is evidence of action; it is not a guarantee of registration, a particular rating or immunity from enforcement.

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ComplianceAlert does not deliver or accredit Oliver McGowan training, process funding claims or guarantee reimbursement or a CQC outcome. Use the official guidance linked above when arranging training or making a claim.