COURSE GUIDE

Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) CHC33015

Introduction

Our nationally accredited CHC33015 Certificate III Individual Support (Disability) is designed to equip you with the practical recovery-centred skills to enable you to have a long and thriving career as a Support Worker. You’ll unlock a variety of job opportunities and step into an in-demand industry.

Course Breakdown

E1380

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

Course duration: Self-paced - maximum of 12 months

Recommended hours per week: 24h

Delivery method: Online with Work Placement

Qualification level: Certificate III

Awarded by: Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd (Provider number: 90197)

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Industry Overview

The past five years has seen strong growth in the aged and disability sector, with 221,400 workers currently employed.

Over the next five years, this number is expected to grow to 276,100 by 2025.

Source: Australian Government Job Outlook

Is this course for you?

This course is perfect for people with no experience in care work, but want to kick-start a career in disability support services.

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.

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply.

What you will learn

During the course, you will learn how to:

  • Recognise healthy body systems
  • Important skills to comply with infection control
  • Facilitate the empowerment of people with a disability
  • Follow established person-centred behaviour supports
  • Provide individualised support
  • Communicate and work in health or community services
  • Work legally and ethically
  • Follow safe work practices for direct client care
  • Support community participation and social inclusion
  • Contribute to ongoing skills development using a strengths-based approach
  • Work with diverse people
  • Support independence and wellbeing
  • Supporting clients with meeting personal support needs

Learning Material

Your learning materials are accessed through OpenSpace. These  learning materials include:

  • Learning content
  • Learning activities
  • Media
  • Additional resources
  • Self-checks

Your trainer

Michelle Hay Chapman
Michelle has over 16 years of experience of working within the healthcare industry working as an Enrolled Nurse and a personal care worker. She has worked with people that have a disability within different community programs and within aged care. Michelle’s specialised skills include infection control, dementia care, palliative care and person-centred care.
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Academic Information

Open Colleges may make changes to the course from time to time to reflect changes introduced to the relevant Training Package or other regulatory requirements.

Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

CHCCOM005
Communicate and work in health or community services
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  • Communicate effectively with people
  • Collaborate with colleagues
  • Address constraints to communication
  • Report problems to supervisor
  • Complete workplace correspondence and documentation
  • Contribute to continuous improvement
HLTWHS002
Follow safe work practices for direct client care
icon
  • Follow safe work practices for direct client care
  • Follow safe work practices for manual handling
  • Follow safe work practices for infection control
  • Contribute to safe work practices in the workplace
  • Reflect on own safe work practices
CHCCCS023
Support independence and wellbeing
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  • Recognise and support individual differences
  • Promote independence
  • Support physical wellbeing
  • Support social, emotional and psychological wellbeing
CHCDIV001
Work with diverse people
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  • Reflect on own perspectives
  • Appreciate diversity and inclusiveness, and their benefits
  • Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations
  • Promote understanding across diverse groups
CHCCCS011
Meet personal support needs
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  • Determine personal support requirements
  • Maximise participation
  • Provide personal support
  • Complete reporting and documentation
5/ modules
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Assessment Details

  • Multiple choice Quiz
  • Projects
  • Role plays
  • Video
  • Work Placement
  • Written assignments

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

We understand that you may already have many skills and areas of expertise that you have obtained in different ways and these are recognised through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Our Credit Transfer & Recognition of Prior Learning Policy, available in the Key Student Information section of our website, provides more information about our RPL process. Alternatively, you can contact an Enrolment Consultant to discuss your RPL options.

Course Duration

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.

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Work Placement

You are required to complete 160 hours of work placement. Work placement hours can be done part time or as a block, depending on the host organisation's requirements and availability. You will not achieve any units of competency unless you have completed your work placement hours.

What are the benefits?

  • 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.

How do I find a work placement?

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.

Cost of work placement

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 $0 - $100 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.

Host organisation

You will need to undertake your work placement in an organisation involved in professional disability services, such as residential facilities, group homes, respite care, and community day programs. The specific requirements of the workplace are outlined in the Workplace Assessment Guide.

Open Colleges will need to ascertain whether the workplace you have chosen is appropriate before you commence your work placement hours.

Immunisations

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.

Supervisor requirements

The workplace supervisor will need to have:

  • At least 3 years’ experience in the disability sector, and
  • 1 year in a supervisory or team leader role, and
  • Hold CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) or equivalent at a minimum.

Recommendation

Open Colleges recommends that you consider the work placement options in your local area prior to enrolling in this course.

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Study and pay, your way

Payment Options

Pay Upfront
Save 30%
$3,388.00 Save $1,452.00
was $4,840.00
Week to week
Pay as you go
Save 27%
Pay in 58 instalments over the length of your course.
$56.72 Weekly
Total course cost: $3,490.00
was $4,840.00
Full course breakdown
TBD

Studying online with Open Colleges

Flexibility - study at your own pace

When you study online with Open Colleges you’re in control.

You can choose to complete your course quickly, or keep to a steady pace. Learning is fully flexible so you can fit your everyday commitments around your studies.

Everything you need to study is online so you can study wherever you like – but that doesn’t mean you’re on your own.

OpenSpace is our online learning platform. It’s where you’ll go to access your learning materials, contact your expert trainers and assessors and upload your assessments.

What is OpenSpace?

It’s important to us that we deliver a superior, online learning platform that meets our students’ needs. That’s why we have upgraded to our brand new, custom-designed learning platform, OpenSpace.

OpenSpace provides you with a user-friendly interface, that is mobile responsive. This means that you can complete your coursework using your laptop, iPad, or mobile device. All coursework is automatically saved, providing you with the flexibility you need to complete your studies anywhere, anytime.

How to get support?

Learning Support

The learning support team will be with you every step of the way, from enrolment to graduation. They’re here to help you get the most out of your online course. They can assist by providing non-academic support - like helping you craft an achievable study plan so that you can graduate in a realistic timeframe. If you’re finding it tough to stay motivated throughout your course, they’ll be there to help keep you on track.

Student support

The Student Support team is your one-stop service centre for all student administrative issues – including enrolment, change of contact details, OpenSpace support, assessment results and certification.

You can access the Student Support team by email or phone