Has any one any experience of co-ordinating / providing first aid cover in Colleges. I am fairly happy with the employer / employee relationship under the 1981 regulations and even, the more recent Skills Funding Agency safe learner guidelines and standards (June 2011).

The College where I work has a number of learners with significant learning difficulties. The new SFA guidelines are suggesting a thorough initial assessment to include health, safety and welfare considerations which could be developed into the individual learning plans.

This is all very well but those providing first aid cover, may well need additional information, has anyone come up with a means of dealing with this situation, particularly, twilight and evening sessions.

Someone has suggested 'care plans', but is this more than first aid and are we placing an unrealistic expectation on first aid trained personnel?

(Please forgive me if this is not the right sort of question, but new to the forum and educational group).

Firstly, students with learning difficulties presents many related health and safety issues including first aid provision. I would agree specific care for different type of students is outside the remit basic first aid provision and the need to be aware of individuals with specific health issues is necessary. Having been made aware of the potential risk to specific individuals then it is a matter of ensuring the necessary control measures are in place to respond to / deal with situations as they arise. Tutors in particular would need advice as to what actions to take in the event a student under their control needing medical assistance.