Diploma of Community Services

The Diploma of Community Services at Thames International College prepares students to work in community services, case management and social support roles. Students learn to develop and manage programs, provide person-centred support, and lead teams in community settings. The course includes work placement in a regulated community service organisation.

The qualification is made up of 20 units — 12 core, 1 Group D elective, 5 Group E electives and 2 imported electives — covering assessing co-existing needs, developing and implementing service programs, recognising and responding to crisis situations, facilitating and reviewing case management, analysing the impact of sociological factors on clients, responding appropriately to domestic and family violence, working with diverse people, promoting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety, managing legal and ethical compliance, facilitating workplace debriefing and support processes, reflecting on and improving professional practice, work health and safety, evidence-based practice, self-advocacy, workplace communication strategies, social, emotional and physical wellbeing, leading the work team, developing networks and collaborative partnerships, working legally and ethically, and emotional intelligence.

The course runs for 104 weeks in total (80 study weeks plus 24 weeks of holidays) at the College's North Sydney campus, delivered through classroom lessons and supervised online learning. Classes combine theory and practical activities that help students apply their knowledge to real-world community service scenarios, and online sessions are supervised and interactive.

The course suits students who want to begin or advance a career in the community services sector, gain skills in case management, program coordination and leadership, or create pathways to higher-level qualifications such as the Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management.