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National Autism Trainer Programme - Children and Young People Inpatient Four-day Training

The four-day training programme trains staff to Trainer level and supports them to train staff in their own settings.

About this course

This training is co-produced and co-delivered by autistic people. You will have access to our unique curriculum, Community of Practice support sessions and webinars and we will support you to deliver the training in your setting with an autistic co-Trainer. The four-day programme trains staff to Trainer level and supports them to train staff in their own settings.

Four-day training courses taking place from January 2024 can be booked now, on a first come, first served basis. You can select your preferred course dates by clicking ‘Book this course’ above, ensuring that you book training that corresponds to your work setting.

Further training dates for 2024 will be released soon. If you would like to discuss training dates or book further in advance please email training@annafreud.org

If the current dates are not suitable for your schedule, please subscribe to our National Autism Trainer Programme newsletter, to be kept informed of future course dates. 

Learning outcomes

During this training, you will:

  • gain an understanding of autistic mental health and barriers experienced by autistic children and young people, which are typically exacerbated in inpatient settings

  • learn about potential difficulties faced by autistic children and young people during admission and transitions between settings, and of the risks of institutionalisation for autistic individuals

  • hear of and discuss examples of existing good practice and innovative approaches of working with, rather than on or for, autistic individuals, including how to reduce restrictive practice

  • practise how to facilitate delivery of slides and animations in your service with the support of an autistic Expert by Experience co-Trainer

  • be supported continuously with the practicalities of arranging the delivery of training and growing your skills as a Trainer.

To find out more about the programme, download the course summary flyer.

Who can take part?

The full training is available for delegates who have not completed the pilot training. Each training course runs over four days and is delivered completely online. Training cohorts have a maximum of 18 delegates to optimise each delegate’s experience and learning.

The training is suitable for all NHS England mental health professionals working in children and young people inpatient mental health hospitals. No specialist or high-level skills are required to attend this course. This includes, but is not limited to:

nurse practitioners, consultant psychiatrists, neuropsychiatrists, counsellors, doctors, family therapists, mental health practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, key workers, admission officers, team managers, support staff and therapists.

Terms of booking

Upon booking, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and accept our Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Notice. Please read these documents before booking by clicking on these links: Terms and Conditions, Privacy Notice

Training roadmap

We have created a useful training roadmap graphic explaining the training process and the steps to becoming a NATP Trainer and then training colleagues.

You can also view our training roadmap video below: