From the 'other side of the hill'. I taught one of the OU history courses about ten years ago. Being a slightly touchier-feelier organisation than some universities were at the time, the OU took particular care in supporting new tutors with tips and SOPs regarding the way in which we should deal with certain cases.
The rule of thumb for my region, which I believe was meant to be the standard approach, was that while service personnel shouldn't be given special treatment over and above extensions, etc, granted when compared to other students, we should be aware (I was, but that's by the by) that the demands of their employment were particularly onerous, and that we should be as flexible as possible in accommodating extensions and be prepared to provide additional advice which might be required to help guide people through.
This was in the days before the OU was able to exploit on-line materials in the way it can now (how did we ever manage??), but I believe that the basic philosophy remains the same.