Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) CHC33015

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.

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

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.

• 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 $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.

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.

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.

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.