COMMUNITY SERVICES COORDINATION

> Qualifications & Pathways • Traineeships • VET In Schools • Peak Bodies & Key Stakeholders • Resources

NSW Context

Service co-ordination and management roles are found across all sectors of community services work in government, private and not for profit organisations in NSW. The entry level qualifications for these job roles at Diploma and Advanced Diploma also provide a career pathway for workers with industry specific Certificate III and IV qualifications.

NSW legislation relevant to the management of a community services organisation is provided in Information Sheet 11, Legalities of managing an incorporated community organisation, 2006, Management Support Unit, NCOSS click here

Changes to OH&S

The Commonwealth and each state and territory government have agreed to harmonise their work health and safety laws, including Regulations and Codes of Practice, so that they are similar in each jurisdiction.

The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for making and enforcing their own work health and safety laws. Although there are many similarities between the laws there are also some differences that can cause confusion. Australian workers should be entitled to the same work health and safety standards, regardless of the jurisdiction in which they operate.

This regulatory inconsistency is being addressed through an intergovernmental agreement(IGA) where, for the first time, governments from each state and territory and the Commonwealth have formally committed to harmonise work health and safety laws by developing and adopting a model Work Health and Safety Act supported by model Regulations and model Codes of Practice. The intention is to deliver the same work health and safety protections to all Australians. For more information click here

Qualifications and Pathways

CHC52208 Diploma of Community Services Coordination

Recognition

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is a significant pathway for candidates to attain a national training package qualification. There has been strong support from Commonwealth and NSW governments for RTOs to find innovative and accessible RPL strategies and approaches.

NSW Department of Education and Training is actively assisting this quest for improved RPL pathways and has worked in partnership across many industry sectors to pilot best practice models of recognition and develop supporting resources. Some of the innovation recognition pathways trialled included group, project and workplace based models.

Resources and further details are available at State Training Services

Traineeships

The Vocational Training Board establishes traineeships in NSW. Through a consultative process between peak industry groups, employers and unions, facilitated by the ITAB, qualifications are identified that meet industry requirements and have appropriate award arrangements. This information is submitted to the Board for the declaration of a vocational training order in accordance with NSW legislation.

As qualifications have a vocational training order established, they are posted on the NSW DET Commissioner’s Bulletin. Further advice is available from NSW DET www.training.nsw.gov.au

The Community Services Coordination qualification in the CHC08 Community Services Training Package has not been established as a traineeship in NSW.

VET in Schools

The Community Services Coordination qualification in the CHC08 Community Services Training Package has not been identified as suitable for VET in Schools pathways.

For more information about VET in Schools in NSW visit: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/vetinschools/

The NSW Board of Studies is responsible for the inclusion of training package qualifications in the HSC studies. Further information is available at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au .

Peak Bodies and Key Stakeholders

Council of Social Service of New South Wales (NCOSS): Management Support Unit (MSU)

Assists NGOs with best practice in management and goverance

Office of Fair Trading

The role of the NSW Office of Fair Trading within the Department of Commerce is to safeguard consumer rights and to advise business and traders on fair ethical practice.

Resources

NSW Community Services and Health ITAB and NSW DET resources include:

Policy@MyPlace

This free online short course is for those who need to develop or review policy. It will provide learning to develop the necessary skills to research and consult policy needs, draft policy content, test the draft policy, implement policy and review policy for quality assurance.

This learning is designed to assist in the development of policies for NGO workplaces. While it focuses on child protection policy development and incorporates objectives and requirements detailed in the NSW Keep Them Safe initiative the learning may be applied to any area of policy development in community services work.

There is no time limit to this resource so you are able to work through the learning at your own pace and select topics as many times as you like. The resource contains activities that you may complete as an e-portfolio for assessment by a registered training organisation to achieve the national unit of competency CHCPOL504B Develop and implement a policy.

Available now at www.workplaceskills.com.au

Recognition Model and Resources

For Diploma of Community Services Coordination is available from https://www.skillsonline.net.au/coagrpl_catalogue.htm

NSW Community Services and Health ITAB resources include:

Child Protection Vignettes

This DVD contains various scenarios that are used as triggers in the training to assist participants to identify the short and long term impact of child abuse and neglect.

Details and order form available at: www.csh-itab.com.au

Other resources include:

The Keep Them Safe website provides information for mandatory reporters in government agencies and non-government organisations about the new child protection system, including resources, training materials, and an email newsletter.

www.keepthemsafe.nsw.gov.au

Please contact NSW Community Services and Health ITAB regarding training and assessment resource needs for the qualifications or skills sets in this industry sector.

Other resources may be available from industry peaks, Registered Training Organisations and Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council.

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