Page 22 - SafeCert Approved First Aid for Mental Health at Work (Level 3) | Trainers Manual

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Teaching

Identifying learner needs
Teaching
Your responsibility regarding identifying learner needs
may differ depending upon your job role. An example job
role would be to ensure that initial assessments are
carried out, your responsibility would be to ensure they
are carried out at a suitable time and place and that the
results are used effectively.

There might be specialist staff available in your
organisation who you could liaise with. Some
organisations have specific departments to support learners, often known as ‘learner support’ and
‘learning support’.

Learner support is any type of help the learner may need e.g. general advice such as welfare, health
or finance.

Learning support relates to the subject being taken, or English, maths, and information and Administration
communication technology (ICT) skills.

The Institute for Learning (IfL) Code of Professional Practice (2008) behaviour code 3 states:

“Members shall take reasonable care to ensure the safety and welfare of learners and comply with
relevant statutory provisions to support their wellbeing and development”.

It is a voluntary process to join the IfL.

Identifying needs is usually the first part of the teaching and learning cycle. When learners apply to
take a course it’s a chance to ascertain information about them to help and support their learning
experience.
Identifying needs involves finding out your organisation’s, your own, and potential learners’ needs,
carrying out initial and diagnostic assessments and agreeing individual learning plans. Lesson Plans
Information, advice and guidance (IAG)

This might include:
• information regarding the organisation i.e. facilities and access
• advice regarding the course i.e. content, delivery and
assessment
• guidance regarding support available to help learners i.e. study
skills, finance etc

It is important to give learners appropriate information and to
answer all their questions regarding the course they wish to take,
along with other details of how the organisation can support their
learning experience. If a learner is given misleading advice, they might take a course which is not
suitable for them, and as a result may leave. All advice should be objective and impartial.

Handouts

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