Overview
- The DWP disclosed Wednesday that thousands of healthcare and assessment staff have completed the Oliver McGowan training programme.
- The training asks staff to make practical adjustments, such as allowing more time in assessments so people can speak without pressure.
- Jobcentres will switch to clearer, easier-to-read letters and guidance so claimants who find complex language hard can follow each step.
- Over 4,000 DWP healthcare professionals have finished a core module that tackles diagnostic overshadowing, which is when new symptoms are written off as part of a disability.
- The programme was developed after Oliver McGowan died in 2016 following antipsychotic medication given against his and his family’s wishes, and it now moves from health and social care into benefits assessments.