Certificate III in Community Services CHC32015

This course is perfect for people with no experience in care work, but who would like to kick start a career in the Community Services Industry. 

You will build your knowledge from the ground up, equipping you with a solid set of entry level skills that you can use to launch your career when you graduate. 

During the course, you will learn how to: 

• Work within a community development framework 
• Provide individualised support 
• Support independence and wellbeing 
• Communicate and work in health or community services 
• Follow safe work practices for direct client care 
• Organise workplace information 
• Manage personal stressors in the work environment 
• Provide first point of contact 
• Work with diverse people 
• Respond to client needs 
• Facilitate the interests and rights of clients 
• Reflect on and improve own professional practice 

• Activities
• Multiple choice questions
• Workplace assessments
• Written assessments

The duration for the course is self paced - maximum of 12 months. As a self-paced online course, the time it will take you to complete is flexible and dependent on ability and time available.

Recommended Local Entry Requirements

Students will need to be at least 18 years old. Students under 18 will need a parent or guardian to complete the parent or guardian declaration on the Enrolment Form.

Students residing in WA/NT under the age of 18, who are not currently studying for their year 12 certificate cannot be enrolled.

Students are recommended to have the language, literacy, and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to read and comprehend technical terms and communicate effectively through email.

These skills are equivalent to:

• Successful completion of Year 10 OR
• ACSF Level 2

Tools, equipment, and skills required:

• Tripod to provide a stable and secure platform to mount the digital recording device
• Basic computing skills
• Access to a modern computer with high-speed internet
• Access to Microsoft Office

Additional Requirements:

• Students need to have a reasonable level of fitness, as the role may involve a variety of physical tasks, such as providing personal care, assisting clients with mobility and transfers, and considerable time standing and walking. Additionally, where first aid is a requirement of the host organisation, students are required to have the requisite level of fitness that enables them to complete 2 minutes of uninterrupted CPR on an adult manikin placed on the floor. It is the responsibility of the student to notify OC of their physical requirements after enrolment.
• Students are required to wear closed-toed rubber-soled shoes and have their hair tied back. Workplaces may specify a uniform they would like the student to wear. Students are responsible for any costs associated with meeting the host organisation's uniform requirements.
  

• By undertaking a work placement you’ll get a chance to put the knowledge you’ve learned on your course into practice.
• You’ll also develop practical, on-the-job skills and could make contacts that could help you find a job once you graduate.
• Work placement is often the most rewarding part of a student’s course. Working face-to-face with clients and colleagues in your chosen field makes a huge difference to your career confidence.

Focus on your studies while we handle your work placement. Through our partnership with SkilTrak, our Guaranteed Work Placement ensures you gain hands-on experience in your dream career—right in your local area. Learn more

• Meet with SkilTrak – Their team will discuss your skills, goals, location, and travel preferences to arrange the best placement for you.
• Get the details – Have a quick chat with us to go over what to expect from your work placement experience.
• Once you’ve completed your coursework, we’ll take care of finding the right placement for you.
• Start your placement – Gain real-world experience while we check in along the way to ensure everything is running smoothly.
• Complete your course – Once your placement is done, upload your workbooks, finish your final assessment, and receive your certificate.

The Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) will require a minimum of 160 hours in the workplace.

The Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) is completed at the end of the course. Students should start looking for placement facilities once they have commenced their studies. Once they have completed 75% of their course, they can submit their workplace approval form.

There will also be specific assessment tasks including a logbook and portfolios to be completed at the workplace.

Workplaces suitable to undertake SWL include:

• Group homes
• Respite care services
• Daycare centres
• Home care environments
• Community support settings, such as: aged day services or aged day care programs, day care for seniors, multicultural aged day care programs, independent living facilities, neighbourhood centres, over 55 villages, group homes

For students to be able to undertake the practical component of the course, approved workplaces must be able to provide students with the required equipment, environments, policies & procedures, documentation, appropriate supervisor, and clients. If host organisations are unable to provide the necessary equipment, resources, and access to clients the student may be required to undertake SWL within 2 (or more) organisations.

The workplace may require the student to meet workplace-specific requirements. These will vary by state and by organisation. Some of the statutory checks and requirements the student may need to provide to commence work placement are:

• Police Check
• Working with Children Check 
• Screening and vaccination against infectious diseases, including COVID-19 
• Signing of Codes of Conduct and Confidentiality Agreements 
• First Aid Certificate 

Please note that your host organisation may require you to provide an up to date immunisation history prior to the commencement of your work placement. Open Colleges has no control over this requirement so if you are unable to provide this, you will need to discuss it with your intended Host Organisation.

It should also be noted that some immunisations, such as Hepatitis B and COVID-19, need multiple injections to be administered over a specific time period before you are deemed immune. It is important that you consult with your GP as soon as possible to avoid delays in starting your work placement.

The workplace supervisor will need to:

• Have a minimum of 1 year experience in the Community Services sector in a supervisory or team leader role
• Hold a minimum qualification of CHC32015 Certificate III in Community Services or equivalent
• Be currently employed in delivering care services in a relevant workplace