A Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care) is a great way to get started in a career in community services. Whether you want to work with people with a disability, elderly people or people who are recovering from an illness or injury, this course will give you the skills you need. You’ll be prepared to work in a range of settings, from clients’ own homes to residential care facilities. You may also take clients out into the community to complete errands, attend appointments or enjoy recreational activities.
The Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care) covers a range of topics to prepare you to work with clients with various needs. You’ll learn to provide individualised support and encourage your clients’ independence and wellbeing. You’ll explore what it means to work ethically and legally and learn how to communicate effectively in health and community services industries. This course explains how to follow safe work practices and provides opportunities to complete a work placement as part of your studies.
Providing support to clients in need can be a very rewarding career. It’s a great pathway for anyone who enjoys helping other people and seeing them reach their goals. Individual support workers should have strong interpersonal skills and be able to communicate with people with a wide range of needs. You’ll need to be patient and able to understand individual circumstances. Individual support workers must be reliable and willing to be involved in a range of activities with their client.
A Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care) is a great qualification for the following careers:
Disability Support Worker
A Disability Support Worker assists clients with a disability. You might work with clients in their own home with everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning or gardening. Disability Support Workers also attend community activities with their clients such as employment, appointments or social activities. You may also help with self-care activities such as showering, dressing or feeding.
Aged Care Worker
An Aged Care Worker provides a range of assistance to elderly clients. You might help clients to remain independent in their own home or assist clients who are living in an aged care facility. Aged Care Workers might help with daily living tasks like cleaning or cooking or provide assistance with bathing and dressing. You might take clients to appointments or accompany them on recreational activities.
Residential Care Worker
A Residential Care Worker performs a range of duties at a residential care facility. You might work with elderly people, people with a disability or other clients living in a supported accommodation facility. Residential Care Workers might help with tasks such as dressing or feeding or you might organise social and recreational activities for residents. You may liaise with health care providers and family members to ensure clients are properly supported.
Higher education pathways
A Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care) is an excellent way to start a career in individual support services. You could specialise your skills with a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or a Certificate IV in Disability. You might also consider a Certificate IV in Community Services which will give you the skills to work in a range of community service roles.
If you decide to take you studies further, you could enrol in a university degree specialising in this industry. A qualification such as a Bachelor of Community Health or Bachelor of Social Science (Ageing and Disability) will expand your knowledge and allow you to be employed in a wider range of positions. You may be able to use a Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care) as a pathway to these qualifications.
Getting started
If you’re interested in enrolling in a Certificate III in Individual Support (Home and Community Care), make sure you gather information from a range of course providers so you can find the course that best meets your needs. There are usually some differences in the way courses are delivered, so request information about course costs, duration, prerequisite subjects and the topics the course will cover. Once you have all the details you can compare courses and find the one that suits your needs.