Member

The noble Baroness, Lady Barker, raised a specific point about specialist training, asking where the development of training was up to and who is responsible for ensuring its content. Providers are responsible for ensuring that staff receive sufficient training that is appropriate to their role, and that may well mean additional training beyond the Oliver McGowan mandatory training on learning disability and autism. As we know, additional training may come from a diverse range of sources, including, for example, training on child intellectual disability psychiatry or overmedication. NHS England is rolling out a national autism trainer programme in mental health services, and it commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to deliver the national autism training programme for psychiatrists. That will reduce diagnostic overshadowing and it is intended it will play a significant role in preventing unnecessary admissions for autistic people to mental health hospitals and improve appropriate care for those with autism—I share concern about this important matter.