Welcome to the Certificate IV in Community Services! As a community services worker, you have a unique chance to positively impact the lives of individuals facing various challenges.
Community service workers provide person-centred services to individuals and groups. You will offer support, advocacy, and interventions across various services where your work spans community service, case work, and case management contexts.
You will play a crucial role in supporting a person’s recovery journey by offering these essential services and interventions.
Watch
Take a look at this quick video about what it is like working in a community
- Study Periods - Your course is delivered in three (3) six-month study periods. Each study period will contain a number of modules that must be completed (see table below). At the end of each Study Period, you will be required to re-enrol in the next Study Period.
- Modules (Units) - This course is delivered in a modular format; each module will provide learning and skill development for a relevant subject area. The module is then broken down into topics and subtopics.
- Readings - Each module will contain learning content on a specific topic that has been developed by Swinburne Open Education and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. Each topic is also supported by required readings, which, for your benefit, have been included at the bottom of each Module. You will be guided in the learning content when and which reading to access.
- Assessments - Each module will contain assessments for you to complete. Once you have completed the learning, activities and readings you will complete each assessment. All assessments must be completed and deemed competent to successfully complete the module (Unit).
Trigger warning
This course may include content that deals with sensitive and emotionally challenging topics. Some of the topics covered in this course may include trauma, abuse, addiction, mental health issues, and relationship difficulties. These topics may evoke strong emotions, memories, or reactions in some learners. It is important to prioritise your own self-care and seek support as needed. If you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, please do not hesitate to reach out to your trainer, student services or a mental health professional for support.
For more information about this qualification, click here to be directed over to the Training Gov Australia (TGA) Website.
The units of competency you will be studying include:
| Unit Title | Unit Code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Use communication to build relationships | CHCCOM002 | This unit explores the skills and knowledge to apply specific communication techniques to establish, build and maintain relationships with clients, colleagues and other stakeholders based on respect and trust. |
| Develop and maintain networks and collaborative partnerships | CHCPRP001 | This unit explores the skills and knowledge required to identify networking and collaboration needs and develop formal and informal partnerships to enhance service delivery and improve professional practice. |
| Work with diverse people | CHCDIV001 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work respectfully with people from diverse social and cultural groups and situations, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. |
| Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety | CHCDIV002 | Explore the significance of understanding cultural safety issues in relation to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities within a workplace environment. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating cultural safety practices in one's own work and developing strategies to improve cultural safety. |
| Apply critical thinking to work practices | BSBCRT411 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use advanced-level critical thinking skills in a workplace context. This includes using methods of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. |
| Work legally and ethically | CHCLEG001 | This unit focuses on the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary to recognise and operate within the legal and ethical frameworks relevant to a specific job role. It is designed for community services and health workers who actively engage in identifying and fulfilling their legal and ethical obligations. |
| Facilitate the interest and rights of the clients | CHCADV001 | This unit explores the skills and knowledge required to assist clients to identify their rights, voice their needs and concerns and realise their interests, rights and needs. |
| Follow safe work practices for direct client care | HLTWHS002 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for a worker to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others in work environments that involve caring directly for clients. It has a focus on maintaining safety of the worker, the people being supported and other community members. |
| Provide brief interventions | CHCCCS014 | This unit explores the skills and knowledge required to assess intervention needs, and then to implement and monitor brief intervention strategies for people at various stages of the change process. |
| Work with people with mental health issues | CHCMHS001 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish relationships, clarify needs, and then work collaboratively with people who are living with mental health issues. |
| Assess co-existing needs | CHCCCS004 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the diverse and multi-faceted needs of people and determine both internal and external services required to meet those needs. |
| Recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence | CHCDFV001 | This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to identify and respond to the needs of clients who may be experiencing domestic and family violence, including responding to immediate intervention and support needs. |
| Facilitate workplace debriefing and support processes | CHCMGT005 | This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to monitor and support workers. This includes implementing support processes to manage stress and emotional wellbeing of self or colleagues working in varied health and community service contexts. It also involves facilitating structured debriefing sessions to colleagues following incidents with the potential to impact on health and wellbeing. |
| Reflect on and improve own professional practice | CHCPRP003 | This unit explores the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and enhance own practice through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development. |
| Provide first aid | HLTAID011 | This unit develops the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to a casualty in line with first aid guidelines determined by the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and other Australian national peak clinical bodies. This unit will require a CREDIT TRANSFER - meaning that you need to enrol and complete a HLTAID001 First Aid course and provide your certificate. |
Choosing to work in this industry will provide you the opportunity to work within several streams including but not limited to:
Career Pathways:
- Community Support Worker
- Community Education Worker
- Community Development Worker
- Intake, Information and Referral Officer
- Case Worker
- Family Support Worker
- Outreach Officer
What an exciting industry to be a part of!
Watch
Take a look at the following video to see potential careers in Community Work.
