COMMUNITY SERVICES WORK AND ADVOCACY

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

NSW Context

The Community Services Training Package CHC08 identifies a broad range of qualifications in specialty areas such as Alcohol and Other Drugs, Youth Work etc. However within the Training Package, ‘community services work’ is a general term that describes the work undertaken within the community services industry as a whole. Qualifications with the designation community servicesrelate to work that is shared across many job roles and service types. They deliver frameworks for identifying foundational and essential knowledge and skills that characterise cross industry roles at a number of levels.

Various specialty qualifications have the designation ‘Community Services’ in the title but focus on specific areas such as Information, Advice and Referral, Mental Health, Alcohol and other drugs, Case Management and Financial Counselling. Advice for specific areas are found elsewhere in NavigatingNSW.

In NSW, employers would regard a Cert IV through to Advanced Diploma favourably where vocational qualifications are acceptable.

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

CHC40708 Certificate IV in Community Services Work

CHC50608 Diploma of Community Services Work

CHC41008 Certificate IV in Community Services Advocacy

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

Current community services work traineeships in NSW are:

CHC41008 Certificate IV in Community Services Advocacy

CHC40708 Certificate IV in Community Services Work

VET in Schools

The above Community Services Work qualifications have not been identified as suitable for VET in Schools pathway.

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

NCOSS

The Council of Social Service of New South Wales (NCOSS) is the peak body for the social and community services sector in New South Wales. Their members range from the smallest community-based services to the largest welfare organisations. They include refuges, charities, church groups, local councils, consumer organisations, hospitals, and aged, disability and child care services. They also include peak support and advocacy groups that represent services at a regional and statewide level.

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

CD Resource for Management Committees and Boards

Easy to understand and customised learning for the not for profit sector
Straightforward menu driven format on CD
Learning includes:

Joining A Board
Selection, Recruitment and Orientation
My Roles and Responsibilities
The Board’s Roles and Responsibilities

Optional activities to make up a portfolio of evidence for assessment against four nationally recognised units of competency
Optional assessment by a Registered Training Organisation to gain a Statement of Attainment for the four nationally recognised units of competency

Best Fit available from Skills On Line

Certificate IV in Community Services (Service Co-ordination)

self-paced workplace activities available from Skills On Line

Please contact NSW Community Services and Health ITAB regarding any 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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