Diploma of Community Services

Offered by South West Institute of TAFE

By completing the Diploma of Community Services, you'll develop essential skills for a career in community services. You'll learn to assess and support clients with coexisting needs, apply trauma-informed care principles, and develop effective workplace communication strategies.

The course emphasises cultural competence, including promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety and maintaining work health and safety standards. You'll also gain expertise in legal and ethical compliance, professional practice improvement, and facilitating workplace debriefing and support processes.

Additionally, you'll learn to handle domestic and family violence situations, facilitate responsible behaviour, and manage crisis situations. The program covers developmental assessment, service program implementation, sociological impact analysis, case management, and trauma-informed care, equipping you with comprehensive counselling skills to support diverse client needs effectively.

Field Placement

You will need to complete 400 hours of practical placement during the course (150 hours in the first year and 250 hours in the second year), outside of your scheduled class times.