§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to Workforce Development Confederations on staff training on the(a) recognition and (b) response to autism spectrum disorders. [127853]
§ Dr. LadymanWe have not issued specific advice on autism to national health service workforce confederations. However, the learning disability White Paper, "Valuing People", points out the need for local NHS workforce confederations to take account of workforce requirements in learning disability, which often occurs in association with autism.
"Valuing People" also requires learning disability partnership boards to develop local workforce and training plans. Local bodies with interests in staff training should be aware of the learning disability awards framework, which contains two vocational qualifications—a level 2 certificate and a level 3 certificate in working with people with learning 273W disabilities, both of which include a module about autism. These modules cover both recognising and responding to autistic spectrum disorders.