Online Short Course · Community Services

Begin Your Journey Into Community Services

If you like the idea of supporting people close to home, this is a short way in. You cover diverse communities, homelessness, family violence and safe communication. Study online with no set class times, made for a busy week.

From $28per week, interest-free
12 Weeksself-paced online
8 Unitsnationally recognised
180 Hourstotal learning
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Duration12 weeks, around 15 hours a week
CostFrom $28 a week, interest-free
DeliveryFully online, with pre-recorded sessions
PlacementNot required for this course
RecognitionStatement of Attainment for 8 units
Learning hours135 hours study, 45 hours tasks
Comes with
  • Interest-free payment plans
  • No exams
  • No campus days
  • Job search help while you study
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

See If the Work Is for You

Community work is people work, and it is not for everyone. Twelve weeks gives you an honest look before you spend a year on a course.

Add Weight to a Support Role

If you already support people at work, these units name the skills. You get language for homelessness, family violence and cultural safety.

Start Without Upending Your Week

There are no class times, no campus days and no placement to fit in. You study when you get a clear hour.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

Support work runs across housing, disability, youth and mental health services. The work is easy to picture: sitting with someone, sorting out what they need, and linking them to it.

Community Support Worker

Day to day support for people in their own homes and neighbourhoods.

Disability Support Worker

Helping people live the way they choose, with the support they need.

Residential Support Worker

Support inside a house or unit where people live together.

Youth Support Worker

Steady adults in the corner of young people who need one.

Mental Health Support Worker

Support for people managing their mental health day to day.

Accommodation Support Worker

Helping people find and keep a safe place to live.

Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role and service is different, and some ask for more study or experience.

The Course

What You Learn

Eight units cover people, culture, safety and the law.

01
Working With People
How to listen, build trust, and work well with anyone.
CHCDIV001 Work with Diverse People
CHCCOM002 Use Communication to Build Relationships
CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety
02
People in Tough Spots
What to do when someone is unsafe, unwell, or has nowhere to go.
CHCDFV001 Recognise and Respond Appropriately to Domestic and Family Violence
CHCSOH013 Work with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
CHCMHS001 Work with people with mental health issues
03
Working Safely and Together
The rules of the job, and how services work with each other.
CHCLEG001 Work Legally and Ethically
CHCPRP001 Develop and maintain networks and collaborative partnerships
Included

What You’ll Get

Learning

  • Pre-recorded teaching, watch any time, no set class
  • Self-paced study, around 15 hours a week
  • Practical activities, case studies and scenarios
  • No exams, written tasks and quizzes instead

Support

  • Trainer support, for questions as they come up
  • Learner support officer, yours for the whole course
  • Job-Ready help, resumes, cover letters, job search
  • Prior learning, apply for credit against units
Why This One

What Makes It Different

Three things make this a sensible first step: units that count toward the full course, a low weekly cost, and study that waits for you.

01
Units That Count Later

The eight units come from the Community Services Training Package. They can be credit transferred toward further study, including the CHC42021 Certificate IV in Community Services.

02
An Introduction, Not a Long Haul

Twelve weeks of foundation skills for people exploring the sector. The Certificate IV takes twelve months and goes wider, with practical assessment.

03
People You Can Call

Your trainer answers questions, and a learner support officer stays with you through the course.

The Credentials

What You Walk Away With

Nationally Recognised Units

Statement of Attainment

Eight units from the Community Services Training Package

A Recognised Result

A Statement of Attainment naming the units you finish, issued by a registered training organisation.

A Head Start on Further Study

The units can be credit transferred as a pathway into the CHC42021 Certificate IV in Community Services or the Diploma of Community Services.

Job Search Backing

Resume polishing, cover letters, and help working out which roles to go for.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Enquire

Ask for the course guide. It takes a minute and costs nothing.

Step two

Talk It Through

A pre-training review by phone checks the course suits you.

Step three

Enrol and Start

Accept your place, log in, and start the first unit online.

Step four

Finish and Choose

Complete the units, then decide whether to carry them into the Certificate IV.

The Investment

How to Get Started

$28 / week
Pay weekly or fortnightly interest-free, or pay upfront.
Interest-free weekly payments
Interest-free fortnightly payments
Upfront payment option
Full refund within 3 days of acceptance
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need experience to start?

You do not need any. You need to be 18 or over, with the right to work and study in Australia. Your reading, writing and numeracy is checked at level 3 before you enrol. You also need sound computer skills, including intermediate Microsoft Word, and a laptop or desktop with reliable internet.

How long does it take?

12 weeks, at around 15 hours a week. The total is 180 hours: 135 hours of study and activities, plus 45 hours of assessment tasks.

What does it cost?

From $28 a week, interest-free. You can pay weekly, pay fortnightly, or pay upfront.

Is there a work placement?

Everything is online, and no placement is required, so nothing has to be arranged around your job. You learn through pre-recorded sessions, case studies and practical activities. Placement hours sit in the Certificate IV, which these units feed into.

How is the course assessed?

Written tasks and assessments, case studies, reflective and practical activities completed online, and multiple choice questionnaires. There are no exams.

Can I get government funding?

This course is not eligible for government funding or VET Student Loans. What you get instead is a low weekly cost, interest-free plans, and a start date that does not wait on a funding round.

Can I get credit for what I already know?

Yes. You can apply for recognition of prior learning against the units in this course. Raise it when you enquire and the college will talk you through it.

What do I get at the end?

A Statement of Attainment naming the units you complete, issued by a registered training organisation, RTO 45162. Those units can be credit transferred into further study, including the CHC42021 Certificate IV in Community Services. This short course is not a full qualification, and finishing it does not promise a job or a place in one. What it does give you is recognised units, a feel for the work, and a shorter road if you go on.

What if I change my mind?

Cancel before, or within 3 days of, being accepted and you get a full refund. After that point there is no refund, and you stay liable for the full course fee if you withdraw.

Delivered By

About the College

Hader Institute of Education is a registered training organisation in Armadale, Victoria. It teaches community services, mental health and counselling. Students rate the college 4.9 out of 5 across more than 850 Google reviews.

RTO 45162Armadale, VIC4.9 from 850+ Google reviewsJob-Ready help
One Step Left

Enquire Today

Picture the day you sit with someone, and you know how to help.

Enquire Now