Certificate IV in Youth Work CHC40421

This qualification reflects the role of workers who develop and facilitate programs for young people through a range of community-based programs designed to address the social, behavioural, health, wellbeing, developmental and protection needs of young people.

This work may be undertaken through employment in community, government and youth sector agencies and workers are responsible for implementing policies and guidelines of the employing organisation. They are largely self-directed with autonomous decision-making capacity under the indirect supervision of a manager.

Learners may choose to enrol in the CHC40421 Certificate IV in Youth Work as an entry point to working as a youth worker. Alternatively, they may undertake the qualification as a pathway to further study in:

• CHC50421 Diploma of Youth Work
• CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services
• CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health
• CHC43215 Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs

During this course, you'll learn how to:

• Work effectively with young people in the youth work context
• Engage respectfully with young people
• Work with diverse people
• Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
• Participate in workplace health and safety
• Provide first aid
• Work effectively with young people and their families
• Work legally and ethically
• Use communication to build relationships
• Work with people with mental health issues
• Provide services for young people appropriate to their needs and circumstances
• Assess co-existing needs
• Respond to critical situations
• Work with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
• Identify and respond to children and young people at risk
• Support young people create opportunities in their lives
• Work within a community development framework
• Plan and conduct group activities

The duration for the course is maximum 18 months. As a self-paced online course, the time it will take you to complete is flexible and dependent on ability and time available.

Entry Requirements

Must have clear criminal record and be able to complete a WWCC. If student is doubting whether this will be clear, they should apply for the WWCC check before enrolling.

There are no mandated training package entry requirements for this qualification.

There are no mandatory Open Colleges entry requirements.

It is recommended that students:

• Are 18 years old at the time of placement
• Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to:

o work independently and initiate and use support from a range of established resources,

o read a diagram and comment on how information supports or refutes a particular point of view,

o complete a range of formatted texts, e.g. completes an incident report form,

o reads and discusses data from simple charts or tables provided

o These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully work at an ACSF Level 3 or have previously completed a Certificate III level qualification.

• Have access to a modern computer with high-speed internet
• Have access to Microsoft office or equivalent
• Have basic computing skills including the ability to make a short video

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to work independently and use own familiar support resources, communicate effectively via email, and identify relevant information from a range of written texts. These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully complete:

o Year 12 or ACSF Level 3, or

o Certificate III level or higher

If students are concerned about whether they have the skills to complete the course, they will be referred to admissions as part of the enrolment process to complete a formal LLN assessment through BKSB. If the student does not achieve the recommended ACSF levels their application will be sent to the Education Manager to determine if Open Colleges has the required level of support services available to support the needs of the student. In some cases, the student may be referred to an external provider such as their local TAFE to complete additional foundation skills training before being enrolled into the course.

Physical Requirements

• Have the physical ability to kneel down on the floor and apply CPR (if First Aid is required by host organisation)
• Be able to restrain clients from any violent episodes or from self-harm, as directed
• Be able to conduct client assessments. This will require both a conversational assessment and potentially visual assessment in terms of potential signs of abuse.

While Open Colleges may be able to make reasonable adjustment to account for any physical disabilities there may be limitations as to the number of workplaces that will be able to accommodate these students. It is recommended that these students find a suitable workplace prior to enrolling.

Tools and Equipment

To successfully complete their studies, learners will need access to the following resources and equipment.

· computer with access to the internet.

· digital recording device to record simulated role-play tasks for submission.

· tripod to provide a stable and secure platform to mount the digital recording device.

· a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions for role-play with facilities and equipment including:

o home environment

o office environment

o tables and chairs

o outdoor activity areas

· up to 5 people to support you in the role-play. For some role-play scenarios, this may include:

o young people

o people from diverse backgrounds o people with disabilities (or pretending to have some form of disabilities)

It is the responsibility of the learner to find suitable role-play participants.

· communication equipment

· types of resources required for group activities, including:

o venues

o equipment

o information materials

o administrative support

o specialist expertise

· persons approved of by relevant local First Nation community elders.

Additional Work Placement Requirements

Students who are not currently employed at an appropriate workplace are required to find a host organisation to undertake work placement. Depending on the nature of the individual workplace, the student may need to undertake this at more than one workplace.

While undertaking their training and assessment in industry, the student must abide by the policies and procedures of the workplace. 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 
• NDIS Worker Screening 
• Working with Children Check 
• Occupational Assessment 
• Screening and vaccination against infectious disease, including COVID-19 
• Signing of Codes of Conduct and Confidentiality Agreements
•  First Aid Certificate 
• Psychological testing

Students are able to link their NDIS worker screening and blue card to Integrated Care and Management Training. Students are provided a link on how to do this in Open Space in the FAQs.

The cost of obtaining any of above is at the cost of the student and will vary based on the student’s location and their personal circumstances. The costs will range between $50 - $250 per requirement.

• 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.

You’ll need to find a work placement yourself and ensure it’s approved by Open Colleges. When looking for a suitable work placement host organisation, have a think about the following:

• Are you already working or volunteering in the industry your course is related to? You could potentially do your work placement at your current place of work or have contacts that could recommend a suitable work place. Ask around!
• If you’re entering a new industry, do some research and start thinking about organisations you could approach. We have plenty of resources available to help with approaching and finding a suitable work placement organisation.

All costs of work placement, including any placement fees charged by the host organisation (whether to the student or Open Colleges), cost of statutory checks and vaccinations, travel, accommodation, and uniforms are the responsibility of the student. These fees will vary and are dependent on your location within Australia.

• Costs for statutory checks will range between $50 - $250 dependent on the type of check you select and your state.
• Costs for vaccinations will very between practitioners, please refer to your GP for approximate costs.
• Placement fees will vary, please discuss this with your intended host organisation for approximate costs.

The Host Organisation needs to be able to provide the student with access to equipment and resources necessary to undertake Workplace Assessments. The host organisation must be operating in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.

Examples of suitable workplaces are:

· Wellbeing departments in Schools (Primary – grade 6 over 12+) or High School

· Residential Care – Out of Home Care

· Youth Justice Departments (must talk to trainer first)

· Youth Recreational Organisations (YCMA)

· Youth mentoring services such as camps

Students are required to complete a minimum of 160 hours of placement. This enables them sufficient time to practice the skills they have learnt and get familiar with their organisations ways of working before commencing their assessment tasks.

These 160 hours are split into two sections:

· 40 hours – attributed to workplace learning

· 120 hours – attributed to workplace assessment

For students that are already working in industry and completing placement with their current employer, this may be reduced to 100 hours. To be eligible for this reduction existing workers must be able to provide a job description that shows they are employed in a relevant job role and a recent payslip to show that their employment is current. These documents should be provided as part of the workplace approval process. The reason for this reduction is that existing workers can practice during their work time and are already familiar with the organisations policies and procedures.

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.

Workplace supervisors are required to have 3 years experience as a supervisor in the community services sector with at least 1 year experience in youth and/or any of the following qualifications:

· Certificate IV in Youth Work

· Diploma of Youth Work

· Diploma of Community Services

· Bachelor of Social Services

· Any other community services based degree or qualification

Open Colleges may need to obtain further evidence to show confirm that the supervisor has the skills and experience to sign off on the required tasks.