Health secretary Matt Hancock has announced plans to strengthen training for care workers supporting people with autism and learning disabilities.
Hancock says the Care Certificate covering autism and learning disabilities needs “specialist content”.
Matt Hancock, who has announced new training for carers working with people with autism
The Care Certificate lays out the standards, skills, knowledge and behaviour needed for those working in health and social care.
It already features a section on learning disabilities and mental health, but no specific element on autism.
Care workers seek ‘specialist training’
Hancock said social care staff have pressed to get “specialist training” for “increasingly complex needs”.
Hancock vowed “to help care workers get the skills and training they need” to work with people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health issues.
He made the announcement in a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Bournemouth.
Caroline Hopton is the mother of a 20-year-old man with autism and a severe learning disability.
She recently used a hidden camera to help convict care worker Raja Khan, 29. Khan was found guilty of mistreating and wilfully neglecting her son Ollie.
Hopton filmed Khan, 29, dragging Ollie out of bed, poking him repeatedly and throwing imitation punches at the vulnerable young man.
Root-and-branch reform
Hopton, 56, from Windsor, said the care system needs root-and-branch reform. Training was only part of the answer.
She said “questionable” recruitment practices are rife in care, which relies on “a lot of agency people”.
Hopton believes some working in the sector are not suited to looking after vulnerable people.
She said the sector needs people with proper training and qualifications and improving pay was of “massive importance”.
Hopton also wants a more robust regulatory regime for investigating care providers. She believes the current Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections are only “scratching the surface”.
Related:
Mum petitions for forced autism training
Published: 9 July 2019
