To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, please consider the essential skills and knowledge below. You must: 

• Want to work with diverse groups, including youth, older persons, individuals with disabilities, First Nations communities, those experiencing mental health issues, people needing support with alcohol and other drugs, social services, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
• Be open-minded and non-judgemental.
• Respect and value diversity, demonstrating good ethical behaviour.
• Be able to work independently and within a team.
• Be able to observe and identify changes in behaviour, abilities, and environment.
• Be able to handle the physical demands of manual tasks in community service work.
• Have strong time management skills.
• Have strong communication and listening skills to liaise and work with a variety of individuals.
• Be a problem-solver with the ability to respond to immediate safety risks.
• Be tolerant, patient, and willing to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures, as well as those living with cognitive impairment.
• Understand the importance of maintaining personal and professional boundaries.

This course contains material of a sensitive nature, including trauma, mental health challenges, alcohol and other substance abuse, homelessness, family and domestic violence, risk of suicide and/or other crises, which may be upsetting or triggering for some individuals. Please ensure you have sufficient support networks for the duration of your study. Support is also available through South Regional TAFE Student Services, who can direct you to our (including Counsellors, Aboriginal Services, Disability Services, and others.)

Time Commitment: You will need to allocate appropriate time to complete this course. This includes attending classes on-site and/or online as outlined in the study mode; undertake independent study outside of class hours, including private study, assessment preparation, and research to successfully complete this course; and complete the mandatory work placement as scheduled in your Work Placement Agreement.

You will need to complete:

• Work Placement: 200 hours of supervised activities in a suitable environment that provides the services in this selected area of study. South Regional TAFE will arrange this work placement within the industry for you.
• Work Placement hours will be in keeping with Community Service Industry requirements. This may be outside of your class hours.
• Working With Children Check (WWCC): this may be requested by the workplace prior to placement for the Disability stream. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• Vaccinations: may may be requested by the workplace prior to placement. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about immunization in the workplace click here.
• National Police Clearance: this may be requested by the workplace prior to placement. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Clearance: this may be requested by the workplace prior to placement. The NDIS clearance includes a National Police Clearance. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about the NDIS click here.
• Students are required to be 18 years of age prior to work placement.

Below are some of the important personal skills you will be required to develop and demonstrate during training. These skills are highly valued by industry:

• Respectful Communication and Empathy: connect with people from different backgrounds; share ideas effectively; build trust and strong relationships; converse with clients and staff in English; good interpersonal and counselling skills.
• Behaviour: good ethical behaviour; ability to stand and concentrate for long periods of time; fortitude to cope with the uncertainty of client care.
• Attributes: dexterity; sensory abilities (sight, sound, touch) that enable observation of another person.
• Teamwork: collaborate respectfully with community services professionals and clients; be receptive to feedback. Facilitate workplace debriefing and support processes.
• Problem Solving: find solutions; engage with challenges; ask questions; clarify and respond appropriately within your scope of practice.
• Initiative: motivation and proactivity; seek help when necessary.
• Leadership & Business Skills: Develop and manage community programs; manage service delivery; coordinate volunteers; develop policy and research; develop and maintain professional networks; respond to critical situations in a professional manner; manage legal and ethical compliance.
• Planning: good time management; prioritise and complete tasks efficiently and effectively.
• Self-Management: self-reflection and performance evaluation; acknowledge your successes and accept responsibility for any shortcomings.
• Learning: recognise your strengths; embrace new knowledge and experiences; personal and professional growth.
• Technology: adapt to new tools; access digital resources; integrate technology into your work.