Certificate III in Individual Support

The CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing & Disability) at Thames International College prepares students to provide person-centred support to people who may require assistance due to ageing, disability or other reasons. Students learn to work in community, home or residential care settings, support independence and wellbeing, communicate effectively in health and community services, and apply legal, ethical and safety practices.

The qualification is made up of 15 units — 9 core, 3 Group A (ageing) electives and 3 Group B (disability) electives — covering individualised support, facilitating the empowerment of people receiving support, supporting independence and wellbeing, recognising healthy body systems, communicating and working in health or community services, working with diverse people, working legally and ethically, infection prevention and control, safe work practices for direct client care, supporting people living with dementia, working effectively in aged care, palliative approaches to care, strengths-based skills development, community participation and social inclusion, and working effectively in disability support.

The course runs for 52 weeks in total (40 study weeks plus 12 weeks of holidays) at the College's North Sydney campus. It is delivered through classroom lessons, supervised online learning and workplace training — 14 hours of face-to-face classes and 6 hours of supervised online study each week, plus about 5 hours of self-study. Students complete a minimum of 120 hours of work placement in an approved aged care or disability support service.

The course suits students who want to begin or grow a career in aged care or disability support and gain practical, job-ready skills in both classroom and workplace settings.