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Over 4,000 DWP healthcare professionals have completed part of training designed to transform how the government supports autistic people and those with learning disabilities, as Autism Awareness Month draws to a close.
The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young man with autism and a learning disability who died in 2016 after being given antipsychotic medication against his and his family’s wishes. It was established following a campaign by his family to ensure that staff working with autistic people and those with learning disabilities have the knowledge and skills to support them safely.
The accomplishment is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to putting disabled people at the heart of everything it does.
The training tackles “diagnostic overshadowing” – where symptoms are wrongly attributed to a person’s disability rather than investigated properly – ensuring people receive the right support at the right time.
It also gives staff practical tools to make meaningful reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities and autism as they navigate the benefits system. These include:
“This training is part of how we achieve that, equipping our staff to treat every autistic person and everyone with a learning disability as an individual, and to provide support that genuinely works for them.
“We’re determined to break down barriers for disabled people, and to put autistic people and those with learning disabilities at the very heart of our decisions and direction.
“I pay tribute to the hard and brave work of the McGowan family in Oliver’s memory.”
This milestone is part of the Government’s wider commitment to ensuring disabled people’s voices and lived experience shape policy.
The Independent Disability Advisory Panel – ten experts with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions – have been appointed to advise on the design and delivery of health and disability policy.
Clinical Author at DWP: “Hearing directly from people with lived experience made this training memorable and practical. It reinforced that autism and learning disability affect people in very different ways, and that taking time to listen- to the individual, and to those who know them best – makes a real difference.
“These principles are now reflected in the guidance I develop for health professionals carrying out assessments on behalf of across DWP.
“I believe this training helps support safer, more person-centred assessments and helps us get it right for autistic people and people with a learning disability.”
The training is one part of wider support the Department is investing into better support people with autism.
Earlier this year, DWP funded Acas to deliver free neurodivergence masterclasses for small and medium-sized employers – with more than 1,800 employer representatives attended, building the knowledge and confidence to recruit and support neurodivergent staff effectively.
Alongside this, the Government also legislated to give benefit claimants the legal right to try work without the immediate risk of losing their benefits – a significant and practical change for neurodivergent people navigating the employment system.
Separately, an expert academic panel has examined the specific barriers neurodivergent people face in the workplace, with its recommendations under active consideration.
Autism Awareness Month serves as an important moment to reflect on progress, and to reaffirm this Government’s determination to ensure autistic people and those with learning disabilities are supported, heard, and treated with the respect they deserve.
Jon Sparkes, OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability Mencap, said: “Increasing benefit assessors’ understanding of learning disability is an important step towards a more accessible and inclusive benefits system. The training they’ve received has the potential to make a real difference in helping them to communicate more clearly, recognise individual needs and make reasonable adjustments.
“People with a learning disability need to be properly understood and receive the level of support that’s right for them to navigate the benefits assessment process.
“This training is already making a difference in health and social care teams, and we hope it will now make another public service more accessible to people with a learning disability so that they can live their lives to the full.”
The Oliver McGowan Training is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death in 2016 was found to be potentially avoidable. His mother Paula McGowan OBE campaigned for it to become law under the Health and Care Act 2022.
Secure your vehicle overnight Help us keep your community safe.
Recently, we’ve recorded a rise in thefts from vehicles not locked overnight.
Before you leave, take a moment to lock your car, close windows and remove any valuables. Together, we can reduce crime.
STARTING TOMORROW at SPARTANS
Because of the bank holiday, people who are due a payment on Monday 4 May will usually receive it by the end of Friday 1 May.
Best Start Food payments are not affected.
All other payment dates will stay the same.
NORTH EDINBURGH YOUTH WORK COLLABORATIVE
Ever wanted to get into Youth Work? Aged 16-19? Well get applying for the North Edinburgh Youth Work Collaborative’s Traineeship Programme!
Granton Youth,
@spartans_community_foundation,
@muirhouseyouthdevelopmentgroup
@fetloryouthclub and
@piltonyouthchildren look forward to hearing from you!
GY x
A 48-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences in Edinburgh.
Police officers executed warrants at Salamander Street, Breadalbane Street and Western Harbour Way yesterday. Cannabis with an estimated street value of around £895,000 was discovered along with cash.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the man is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Wednesday, 29 April, 2026.
Detective Inspector Gavin Howat said: “This significant recovery demonstrates the ongoing efforts to combat serious and organised in Edinburgh.
“We remain committed to the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy.
“Information from the public is vital in helping us target those involved in the supply of drugs. Anyone with concerns about drugs in their area is encouraged to contact police on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Parents of 16-19-year-olds are reminded to extend their Child Benefit claim if their teenager is staying in certain types of education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s.
Child Benefit will automatically stop on 31 August on or after a child’s 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager’s plans. Around 1.5 million reminder letters will be sent from late April, with most landing on doorsteps in early May.
Parents don’t need to wait for their letter. HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) digital service for extending claims opened on 1 April, so those who already know their teenager’s plans can act today.
Claim extensions can be made on the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK. The letters also include a QR code linking directly to the digital service.
Child Benefit is worth £27.05 a week – or £1,406.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child. Last year, 874,000 parents extended their claim, with more than half doing so online or through the HMRC app.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Child Benefit is a real financial boost for families, so if your teenager already knows they’re staying in education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s, you don’t need to wait for our letter.
“You can extend your Child Benefit claim today in minutes via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK.”
Child Benefit can continue for teenagers studying full time in non-advanced education, or on unpaid approved training courses. Visit GOV.UK for the full list of eligible courses.
If a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner may be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). Use the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK for an estimate.
Parents can pay the charge through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment.
To mark Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, Kirsty Young presents a ninety minute special event honouring one of the most influential figures in broadcasting and natural history storytelling.
Broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in London, jointly staged and produced by BBC Studios Music Productions and Natural History Unit, and in partnership with The Open University, airs on his birthday, Friday 8 May at 8.30pm, on BBC One and iPlayer.
Kirsty Young said: “Sir David’s gift to the world has been a life spent exquisitely revealing Earth’s wonders to us all. The very least he deserves is a big 100th birthday bash at the Royal Albert Hall!
“I’m very happy indeed, as the host, to be able to invite everyone to the party.”
As it brings the nation together to celebrate and honour David’s groundbreaking career, David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth will take audiences on an extraordinary journey through a century of exploration and discovery in the natural world, seen through the prism of David’s remarkable life and work.
The evening combines some of the most memorable wildlife moments from the BBC’s natural history archive, with live music drawn from David’s most iconic television series, alongside reflections from public figures and leading voices in conservation and wildlife filmmaking.
As the celebrations unfold, Kirsty will be joined on stage by those who have worked with David and been inspired by his work over the years, including broadcasters Liz Bonnin, Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, and Michael Palin, who will reflect on the impact of David’s work, the legacy he continues to shape and his unique ability to bring the wonders of the natural world into people’s homes.
Accompanied throughout by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the programme will feature iconic music from landmark series including Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet.
The orchestra will perform scores associated with some of television’s most unforgettable sequences, including the dramatic snakes and iguanas chase from Planet Earth II and the powerful wave-washing orcas sequence from Frozen Planet II.
The evening will also feature special performances from music artists who have collaborated on these series. Dan Smith, frontman of Brit Award winning band Bastille, will join the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform the band’s famous track Pompeii, featured in Planet Earth III, while Icelandic band Sigur Rós will perform Hoppípolla. The track was used in the promotion of Planet Earth and Planet Earth II.
Other musical highlights include Sienna Spiro, one of the most exciting new voices in British music, and Paraguayan harpist Francisco Yglesias, who will play the traditional Pajaro Campana, a piece that featured in Zoo Quest.
Bringing together breathtaking wildlife imagery, live orchestral and contemporary music, and contributions from those who have worked alongside David throughout his career and those who feel passionately about the natural world, the programme celebrates not only a broadcasting legend, but a century long relationship between audiences and nature.
PICTURE: BBC NHU/Alex Board)
The Edinburgh International Book Festival has today announced The Front List: its series of headline events at McEwan Hall during this year’s Festival (15–30 August), bringing together some of the most significant writers, historians, journalists and cultural thinkers working today.
Taking place in the Festival’s largest venue, and presented in partnership with Underbelly, The Front List offers audiences rare opportunities to hear from internationally celebrated voices whose work helps shape how contemporary culture, politics, history and society are understood.
From Booker Prize‑winning novelists and globally bestselling storytellers to frontline correspondents, historians and public intellectuals, the series places big ideas and major conversations at the heart of the 2026 Festival.
The programme spans fiction, media, history, politics and performance. It opens with a timely examination of the future of the internet, as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow consider who now holds power online and whether the early days of altruism and optimism about the internet are gone for good.
Elsewhere, audiences can enjoy a rare appearance from Diana Gabaldon, marking thirty‑five years since the publication of Outlander, as she reflects on one of the most successful literary franchises of recent decades, credited – alongside its screen adaptations – with transforming both Scotland’s tourism and its film and television industry.
World-leading fiction sits at the heart of the series, with appearances from Colson Whitehead, the Pulitzer Prize‑winning novelist behind The Underground Railroad, who joins journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed; Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning writer of Shuggie Bain, in conversation with poet, novelist and former Makar Jackie Kay; Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai; Ann Patchett, the Pulitzer Prize‑winning and PEN/Faulkner‑winning novelist; and Elif Shafak, the internationally bestselling writer and global public intellectual. Together, these writers explore memory, migration, identity, belonging, race and the moral responsibilities of storytelling.
The Front List also places contemporary journalism at the centre of the programme. Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent reflects on decades reporting from conflict zones and geopolitical fault lines, while Edward Wong and Lewis Goodall examine how the US–UK “special relationship” is being tested and reshaped amid global instability and President Trump’s extraordinary tenure.
History and public memory are explored in depth, as ‘The Rest is History’ podcast’s Tom Holland examines the enduring fascination of the Roman emperors, and David Olusoga, appearing amid a new season of A House Through Time – and fresh from his role unpacking power, loyalty and betrayal on The Traitors – considers empire, memory and Britain’s contested past.
Scotland’s own history comes into focus as Val McDermid and Jo Sharp discuss their new work on the Darien scheme and the long shadow of Scotland’s early colonial ambitions, chaired by Allan Little.
Performance, warmth and joy also run through The Front List. Kae Tempest, the multi-award‑winning poet, novelist and musician reflects on language, identity and creativity across a body of work spanning poetry, fiction and performance.
Charlie Mackesy, creator of the global phenomenon The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – winner of the Waterstones Book of the Year and adapted into an Academy Award‑winning animated film – appears in a family‑friendly event centred on kindness, vulnerability and connection.
Mel Giedroyc, the writer, comedian and television presenter best known for co‑hosting the BAFTA‑winning The Great British Bake Off, is joined by Sue Perkins for a lively conversation bringing together fiction, comedy and reinvention.
At a moment when public debate can often feel polarised or diminished, The Front List reflects the Festival’s belief in the value of open, inspiring and nuanced conversation. Bringing together readers and audiences with some of the most compelling voices of our time, the series underscores the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s position as one of the world’s leading forums for literature, ideas and public exchange.
The 2026 Front List includes:
Monday 17 August – Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow chaired by Gabriel Gatehouse
(Supported by the University of Edinburgh)
A discussion examining how the internet has changed, who now holds power online, and whether it can be reclaimed as a force for public good.
Monday 17 August – Val McDermid & Jo Sharp: This Door of the Seas chaired by Allan Little
(Supported by the University of Edinburgh)
Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp discuss their fictional retelling of the Darien scheme, Scotland’s failed 17th‑century colonial project in Panama.
Tuesday 18 August – Kae Tempest chaired by Michael Pedersen
A conversation reflecting on language, identity and the emotional demands of creative work, and discussion of Tempest’s new novel.
Wednesday 19 August – Diana Gabaldon chaired by Alisha Fernandez Miranda
Marking thirty‑five years since Outlander began, its creator looks back on the series’ evolution and enduring global readership.
Thursday 20 August – Tom Holland chaired by Jenny Niven
(Supported by Royal Bank of Scotland)
The historian and podcaster explores the lives of the Roman emperors and why these figures continue to resonate.
Friday 21 August – Colson Whitehead chaired by Samira Ahmed
(Supported by Claire and Mark Urquhart)
The Pulitzer Prize‑winning writer discusses history, race and the moral responsibilities of storytelling, as well as his new title.
Saturday 22 August – Lewis Goodall and Edward Wong
(Supported by the AEB Charitable Trust)
Two leading journalists examine the current state of the US–UK “special relationship” and how journalists report on a rapidly shifting global order.
Sunday 23 August – Charlie Mackesy
The author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse reflects on kindness, vulnerability and storytelling in a family‑friendly event.
Monday 24 August – David Olusoga
(The Frederick Hood Memorial Lecture)
A major voice in public history examines empire, memory and Britain’s past, bringing overlooked stories into focus.
Tuesday 25 August – Kiran Desai
(Supported by the Hawthornden Foundation)
The Booker Prize‑winning novelist reflects on migration, solitude and writing at epic scale, marking her first work of fiction in two decades.
Wednesday 26 August – Mel Giedroy chaired by Sue Perkins
The comedian, presenter and bestselling author discusses her new novel The Comeback.
Thursday 27 August – Lyse Doucet chaired by Sally Hayden
(Sponsored by the National Library of Scotland)
The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent reflects on reporting conflict and crisis and the human stories behind global headlines.
Friday 28 August – Elif Shafak chaired by Rosie Goldsmith
The acclaimed novelist reflects on freedom of expression, identity and writing across borders.
Saturday 29 August – Ann Patchett chaired by Roxani Krystalli
A conversation about memory, belonging and a life devoted to reading and writing, including her latest release Whistler.
Sunday 30 August – Douglas Stuart chaired by Jackie Kay
(Supported by VisitScotland)
The Booker Prize‑winning author discusses family, faith and place in his forthcoming novel John of John.
Tickets on sale to Book Festival Members: 10:00, Wednesday 29 April
Tickets on sale to the public: 10:00, Tuesday 5 May
Full event details and booking links: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/
