Course Catalogue: Certificate IV in Community Services Work

This qualification covers workers who provide a range of services and interventions to clients, and/or who implement community education and interventions. Work may take place in a range of contexts such as community based organisations, residential rehabilitation services and outreach services and workers may have supervisory responsibilities.
The qualification:
Defines knowledge and skills required by support workers and case workers who work autonomously under the broad guidance of others
Refers to specific knowledge of a client group and appropriate intervention processes applied in residential and community settings.
On completion of this qualification the worker will be able to design and deliver programs that aim to enhance the well being of individuals and groups.
Occupational titles may include:
 
  Case worker
  Health education officer (with our without specializations such as Smoking Cessation; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Child and Maternal Health.
  Community services worker
  Outreach officer
  Community support worker
  Support worker
  Domestic violence worker
  Welfare support worker
  Early intervention homelessness worker
  Welfare worker
  Family support worker

Enrolment within this course will focus on recruiting students from the following in order:
New and existing workers working in an Aboriginal community setting with Aboriginal clients and communities without prior qualifications and needing to gain at least an entry level qualification.
Aboriginal Workers seeking a career transition with appropriate workplace access and life experience.
Community members seeking to enter the workforce especially if sponsored by a member service

Compulsory units

Listed below are the nine core units that are required for this qualification, plus the mandatory electives as per the Packaging Rules for this qualification:

• CHCCD412A Work within a community development framework 50
• CHCCHILD401A Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 30
• CHCORG405C Maintain an effective work environment 40
• HLTHIR403B Work effectively with culturally diverse clients and co-workers 40
• CHCCS411A Work effectively in the community sector 50
• CHCCS412D Deliver and develop client services 20
• CHCCS422A Respond holistically to client issues and refer appropriately 60
• CHCCOM403A Use targeted communication skills to build relationships 45
• CHCCS400A Work within a relevant legal and ethical framework 50

Plus the mandatory Elective from Group A either:

• HLTOHS300A Contribute to OHS processes
  OR
• HLTOHS400A Maintain OHS processes

• HLTHIR404C Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 40

Elective units

Several electives: are offered within the block program to ensure compliance with the qualification structure and meet community and workforce demand. The Aboriginal Health College offers a range of electives designed to meet the specific workforce development requirements of individual staff and agencies through the combination of the above core units within specific competency clusters.

In addition this qualification is designed as a generic qualification for those workers not eligible or not undertaking Aboriginal Health Work as a qualification  or seeking to joint ly qualify in a dual stream pathway approach.

Therefore the elective block chosen will largely be determined by the student’s area of work and workforce and community demands and will be packaged with core units around community development strategies and working with communities.

Electives may for instance relate to: Smoking Cessation programs; Sexual and Reproductive Health work; Child and Maternal Health work; Community Education etcetera.

For Aboriginal students the electives may also be chosen from the HLTAHW suite of units in the Health Training Package relating to Aboriginal Health Work provided that they are relevant and not a duplication of other core units.

Where there is equivalence between core units in the Aboriginal Health Work and Community Services work qualifications this will be duly recognized. In other cases course content and assessment will allow for crossover in the awarding of competence against the relevant unit.

Nominal course hours: 750 Hours