With Australia’s ageing and disability population on the rise, CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) is a demanding course in Australia. It helps to be skilled in caring for both ageing and disability clients, opening a window to both care sectors in Australia. This course is also an entry-level qualification, that makes you equipped with the skills and knowledge to provide support and care to both elderly and disabled clients to ensure their daily needs are met.

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements for this course; however, it is recommended that students:

  • are at least 18 years old
  • have proficient computer skills with internet access and have a valid USI.

Additionally, you need to attend and achieve a satisfactory result on the language, literacy, and numeracy (LLN) test. The LLN test will be conducted either face to face in a hard copy or via eLearning: Moodle. The LLN test will determine whether the student needs additional support to achieve the following ACSF Levels-

Learning – Level 3,
Reading – Level 3,
Writing – Level 3,
Oral Communication – Level 3
Numeracy – Level 3

For this course, students will be required to obtain Australian National Criminal History Check, Working with Children Check (WWCC), and NDIS Workers Screening checks at their own cost. Failing to get these clearances may result in the discontinuation of the course.

Course Fee and Payment Options

Price for Sydney-based students
Course fee – $1600.00

Price for Distances students
Course fee – $1900.00

Course fees can be paid by either option: debit/credit card and bank transfer. You can also pay in cash if you are attending face-to-face for enrolment. At least 50 percent amount of the total course fee should be paid during the enrolment. The rest 50 percent amount should be paid before starting the work placement or within two months of the enrolment, whichever is earlier.

For the duration of the course, no additional charges apply. However, students must obtain necessary background checks such as criminal history checks, worker screening check, working with children check and receive the necessary vaccinations, at their own costs.

Course Duration

The course duration is up to one year. Since it is a competency-based course, the actual time students complete the course however depends upon the delivery mode and individual experiences. The duration is the maximum time they should finish the course. To achieve the qualification, students are required to complete the specified hours of the volume of learning as per the training package. Students must have completed at least 120 hours of work placement as detailed in the assessment’s requirement of the units of competency. For the distance students, they must complete additional 40 hours in the work placement.

Course Outcome

After successful completion of the course, you can apply for jobs such as:

• Assistant in Nursing
• Personal Care Assistant
• Care service employees
• In-home respite giver
• Community care worker
• Community support worker
• Disability support worker
• Transport support worker

Work Area

• Residential Aged Care Facilities
• Home and Community Care
• Disability Group Homes / Disability Centres

Course Packaging Rules

The packaging rule is based on the endorsed training package or accredited course that contributes to a valid, industry-relevant, or supported the vocational outcome. The course package is as follows:

Total Number of Units – 15 Units
Core – 7 Units
Elective – 8 Units

The core and elective units are listed below.

CORE

• CHCCCS015 Provide individualized support
• CHCCCS023 Support independence and well-being
• CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services
• CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
• CHCLEG001 Work legally and ethically
• HLTAAP001 Recognize healthy body systems
• HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care

ELECTIVES

• CHCAGE001 Facilitate the empowerment of older people
• CHCAGE005 Provide support to people living with dementia
• CHCCCS011 Meet personal support needs
• HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control.
• CHCDIS001 Contribute to ongoing skills development using a strengths-based approach
• CHCDIS002 Follow established person-centred behaviour supports
• CHCDIS003 Support community participation and social inclusion
• CHCDIS007 Facilitate the empowerment of people with disability

Note: Elective units may be different for a single qualification at different delivery institutions.
For more information on this course please see https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CHC33015

Study Modes

We offer the course in two different categories: blended and distance modes.

Blended mode is a combination of face-to-face and distance delivery. This mode is for those regular students who can attend the practical classes to our Burwood campus, and the work placement facility is accessible to our Sydney-based trainers/assessors.

Students complete all the theory-based tasks at their own pace at-home learning. The students should need to attend the classes for first aid, manual handling, simulation, and role-plays. They also need to attend college for placement orientation, assessment submission, and any personal support requirements. All the classes/appointments are booking based with a first come first serve basis, based on the availability.

Distance mode is delivery without face-to-face interaction with college. All the training and support are provided in a distance form with different communication means and technologies. Those who cannot attend our face-to-face classes at Burwood campus and our trainers/assessors cannot oversee face to face during their work placement are considered as ‘distance’.

Thus, distance students need to learn the practical components at the placement facility during the first 40 hours of their work placement. Thus, the placement hours for distance study mode are additional 40 hours than those of blended study mode. Trainers/assessors will be observing students from the distance, using online technologies.

Assessment Tasks

Students need to satisfactorily complete all the assessment tasks of each unit of competency. The assessment tasks are broadly categorized into two: i) Theory Tasks and ii) Practical Tasks. Students get two different booklets to complete these two different task categories.

Theory tasks are conceptual and cover knowledge evidence for the students. Students get questions and space in the booklet to answer those questions. Theory-based tasks are completed online via Moodle. Students can also request the printed booklets if they wish to hand-write the answers, for an additional charge.

Practical tasks are of two components.

The first one is the classroom based where learners show skills in the simulated environment. Trainers/assessors will translate their knowledge in the skills through demonstration, interaction, role-play and simulation.

The second component is completing tasks during their work placement. Some tasks such as direct workplace observations are completed during the assessor’s visit at the work placement while workplace projects or reports can be completed on students’ own time. Some tasks also need to be approved by the workplace supervisors.

Work Placement

The 120 hours of voluntary work placement is mandatory for completing this course as mentioned earlier. Students translate the skills they learned in the classroom-based environment into the actual workplace through workplace tasks. Distance students will have to have an additional 40 hours on top of the 120 hours placement.

The placement should be done in the facility where both aged care and NDIS-funded disability clients reside. For the blended study mode, Advance College is fully responsible for arranging the placement for the Sydney-based students. For the distance study mode, the college will try its best to find the placement but does not provide a guarantee. Click here for the details about the work placement.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of prior learning is an assessment process that involves assessment of an individual’s relevant prior learning (including formal, informal, and non-formal learning), skills, knowledge, and experiences to determine to meet the requirement of qualification or to get credit outcomes of an individual application for credit.

Credit Transfer

Advance College has an obligation to recognise prior Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications and Statements of Attainment (SoA) issued by other registered training organisations. You need to supply us with the evidence of prior qualifications and SoAs. You may also request you to authorise us at the USI to verify your prior qualification.

Further Study

If you want to study further after successfully completing this course, you can study the different courses, including: