Diploma of Community Services

400 hours of unpaid practical placement must be completed in a recognised and approved facility. Students do not go out to placement until term 4 and term 6 of the course. Work placement is usually coordinated as 2 days a week. The College will support students in securing a suitable work placement provider within 20 km of the campus.

Prior to commencing work placement, students must obtain a valid Police Clearance Certificate, either an Australian Federal Police (AFP) check or NSW Police Check, which must be no more than three years old. A Working with Children Check and relevant immunisation requirements are also mandatory. These checks must be completed in a timely manner prior to work placement allocation.

International students must meet one of the following English language requirements: IELTS 6.0 overall (no less than 5.5 in each band) or an equivalent test result, or General English / EAP at the Upper Intermediate level from an approved ELICOS provider. Any AQF qualification at the Certificate IV or above delivered and assessed in English will also be deemed as meeting the English language entry requirements.

After achieving the Diploma of Community Services, you have several pathway options. You can complete further study such as social work and counselling at university depending on your grades. This is on an individual application basis.

The CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services runs for 104 weeks and is based on 20 hours per week. Students attend College two days a week for classroom learning, practice and assessment (7.5 hours each day), and also study a structured program by unit in the online learning platform for 5 hours per week. Additional self-study is encouraged to embed learning and practical skills, with 400 hours of work placement required towards the end of the course.