Occupation description
A Disabilities Services Officer is a professional who works with people living with disability in a variety of settings including clients’ own homes, adult service units, group housing and disability services agencies. The DSO’s primary role is to assess a client’s needs and assist them in planning and accessing educational, training, employment or additional health or welfare supports.
A Disabilities Services Officer works in a range of service units which provide education and community access to people with intellectual, physical, social and emotional disabilities.
Common occupational titles
Disability Care Coordinator, Disability Local Area Coordinator, Disability Support Coordinator, Disability Services Officer, Disability Case Worker, Client Services Coordinator – Disability Services, Developmental Educator, Disability Liaison Officer, Disability Case Manager, Disability Advanced Case Manager, Assessment Officer, Disability Justice Officer, Care Manager.
Important note:
Having your occupational title listed does not necessarily mean your work experience is relevant. Please refer to all relevant information, including the minimum qualification requirement. Roles at a suitable skill level should typically require completion of an AQF Diploma or higher.
Main tasks
- assessing clients' needs and planning, developing and implementing educational, training and support programs
- interviewing clients and assessing the nature and extent of difficulties
- monitoring and reporting on the progress of clients
- referring clients to agencies that can provide additional help
- supporting families by facilitating assess to education and care for children and disabled persons in adult service units, group housing and government institutions
Available DAMA regions
Select one of the DAMA regions below to view the required qualifications & experience.
If you are nominating a Western Australia DAMA (WA) occupation for skills assessment, you must meet the minimum skill level requirements for your occupation (refer to 'Occupations we assess' for the relevant occupation criteria), as well as additional work experience requirements depending on which visa you are applying for.
Additional work experience that can be assessed according to visa subclass:
- Have at least one (1) year (30 hours per week or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the Skills in Demand (SID, formerly TSS) visa program;
- Have at least two (2) years (30 hours per week or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the SESR and ENS visa programs where the nominated worker (the skills assessment applicant) will be living and working in Regional Western Australia;
- Have at least three (3) years (30 hours per week or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the SESR and ENS visa programs where the nominated worker (the skills assessment applicant) will be living and working in Metropolitan Perth.
Assessment criteria
Qualifications can be one of the following:
- A relevant diploma or higher with a specialisation in disability services.
- A Community Work Australia accredited diploma or higher with a specialisation in disability services. An example is the Bachelor of Social Science (Ageing and Disability) offered at University of South Australia.
- A relevant qualification (non-specialised): A relevant qualification related to community services and comparable to AQF Level 5 or higher.
A relevant qualification is one which adequately prepares graduates to perform community work in Australia. It has a focus on providing community and human services and will typically cover:
- sociology; social, political, economic structures and function
- social policy, human development and function including psychological, physical and social aspects
- general and specialised welfare services and systems
- work with individuals, families, groups and communities
- communication, basic counselling and interpersonal skills
- additional subjects which could include disability and disability services, child development, social justice, child protection, mental health, case management, group theory, drug and alcohol issues, crisis intervention, psychology, youth work, working with children and families, community development, juvenile justice, family violence.
Please note:
- In instances where an applicant has used recognition of prior learning (RPL) to gain credit towards their qualification, Community Work Australia will accept a maximum of 40% RPL otherwise the qualification will not be recognised. For all VET qualifications, RPL is clearly detailed in a USI VET transcript, which may be requested for assessment. Additionally, if an applicant has received RPL towards their qualification, Community Work Australia will require supporting documents issued by the education provider which clearly evidence how RPL was assessed and approved. If RPL was awarded on the basis of unsuitable work experience or study, Community Work Australia reserves the right not to accept the qualification for skills assessment purposes.
- Some courses do not contain the breadth of core content required to prepare graduates for practice e.g., graduate certificates and graduate diplomas. These qualifications must follow a relevant undergraduate or additional related qualification, otherwise they will not be considered sufficient.
- Community Work Australia will not accept qualifications which are unduly short. Unduly short qualifications do not provide students with sufficient time to gain the required skills and knowledge.
Employment
Employment in the industry is defined as paid employment which involves the provision of direct service to clients at an individual, group, family, or community level. It is employment within the past 5 years, post-qualification, and must be at an appropriate skill level.
- Applicants must have a minimum of 1 year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) industry experience within the last 5 years.
Currency
Applicants must also demonstrate their knowledge and skills are up to date in one of the following ways:
- Hold a relevant qualification which was completed within the past 4 years; or
- Have at least 12 months of relevant employment in the last 5 years.
Additional Work Experience
- Have at least one (1) year (full-time or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the Skills in Demand (formerly TSS) subclass 482 visa programs;
- Have at least two (2) years (full-time or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the SESR subclass 494 and ENS subclass 186 visa programs where the nominated worker (the skills assessment applicant) will be living and working in Regional Western Australia;
- Have at least three (3) years (full-time or part-time equivalent) of relevant work experience for the SESR subclass 494 and ENS subclass 186 visa programs where the nominated worker (the skills assessment applicant) will be living and working in Metropolitan Perth.
Occupations not considered relevant
Roles which involve the provision of direct care, support and services to individuals such as providing supervision in a residential setting, and providing support with daily activities such as mobility, housekeeping, personal care and hygiene, and meal preparation, are not considered relevant to Disabilities Services Officer. Aged Care, Residential Care and Disability Support Workers (including Lead Support Worker, Team Leader, and House Leader) generally operate at a lower skill level than that of a Disabilities Services Officer.
The application process
Match your experience
Find the occupation that matches closely with your qualification, skills, and experience.
Nominate your occupation
Read the ANZSCO description to ensure you meet the eligibility and application criteria for that occupation.
Prepare your documents
Gather all your documents in the required formats. Check you have the right documents in our document checklist.
Create an account
Create an account on our portal with a current email address. All update emails will be sent to this email.
Submit application
Submit your complete application via our portal. Track your progress, and download your outcome certificate.
Before you apply
Before you apply for your skills assessment, make sure you meet the eligibility criteria, have the necessary documents ready, and understand the assessment process. Preparing in advance will help make your application experience simpler and more straightforward.
