On World Autism Awareness Day (April 2nd), we marked a truly special milestone at Bright Futures – delivering our very first Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Autism and Learning Disabilities, co-produced and co-delivered by two of the incredible people we support, now trained as Experts by Experience.
This training marks more than just a box ticked. It reflects a powerful shift in how we think about and deliver care. The Oliver McGowan Training was developed in response to the ‘Right to be Heard’ campaign, driven by the voices of people with autism and learning disabilities. It aims to ensure that everyone working in health and social care is equipped to provide safe, compassionate, and informed care.
As this training becomes mandatory across the sector, we’re proud that Bright Futures is not just participating – we’re setting the standard.
Co-produced and Co-delivered
What makes this milestone so meaningful is how we’ve embedded the voices of lived experience at the heart of our approach. We have trained Bright Futures colleagues to deliver the training – alongside the people we support, who have been empowered and employed as expert co-trainers. Together, they deliver a programme that’s authentic, honest, and deeply impactful.
This is about more than compliance. It’s about culture. At Bright Futures, we specialise in supporting individuals with autism, learning disabilities and associated complex needs – and we believe the most powerful training comes from those who’ve lived it.
Becoming Experts by Experience
We’ve trained and now employ four of the people we support as paid Experts by Experience. They undertook three full days of training – learning about Oliver’s story, building their confidence, and crafting their own presentations and input.
Their involvement brings a powerful, personal lens to the training – sharing perspectives on everything from reasonable adjustments to community inclusion, and what truly person-centred care looks like.
This isn’t just enhancing our training – it’s changing lives. Creating meaningful employment opportunities for the people we support is central to our vision. As paid experts, they have a professional pathway that extends beyond their time with Bright Futures.
What’s Next?
As a specialist provider of autism and learning disability care and education, we’ve made a clear commitment: every single Bright Futures employee will complete Tier 2 face-to-face Oliver McGowan training – regardless of their role.
While sector guidance doesn’t require this for non-frontline staff, we believe everyone has a part to play in creating inclusive, understanding, and safe environments. Whether their role is in residential care, education, recruitment, HR, or maintenance – to name just a few – this training matters to all of us. Because when it comes to delivering the best possible support, we all have a role in getting it right.
Kristal Johnson, Head of Training and Development at Bright Futures and Lead Trainer at our first ever session says “I feel so fortunate to have been able to become a Lead Trainer, the Oliver McGowan training has given me the opportunity to work alongside some of our incredible experts, and it was by far the most impactful training session I have ever been a part of. I’m incredibly proud of the whole team who have worked really hard to make this possible.”
