Course Overview
The Certificate III in Community Services is designed to prepare you for a meaningful career supporting individuals and communities in need. This course builds your knowledge and practical skills to assist in delivering essential services in a range of community-focused settings.
With a strong focus on person-centred care, social inclusion, and cultural sensitivity, you’ll learn how to provide support that empowers individuals, fosters wellbeing, and strengthens community connections.
Training includes a blend of self-paced online study, interactive on-campus workshops, and a structured industry placement to ensure you’re confident and job- ready to enter this vital and growing sector.
Who's It For?
- This course is designed for individuals who are passionate about supporting others and contributing to the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities
Campus Locations
Job Outcomes
Potential career outcomes could include:
-
Community Services Worker
-
Support Worker (Community or Residential)
-
Youth Support Worker
Study Method
- BlendedBlended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements
- In-classIn class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
- OnlineOnline delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
- VirtualVirtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online
Locations
- South Australia
- Adelaide
Duration and Study Load
- 17 weeks, including practical experience placement and holiday breaks
Delivery
- A combination of flexible delivery modes, including online, classroom-based (face-to- face training), self-directed learning, and practical ‘hands-on’ clinical skills
- The delivery schedule consists of two full days of attendance on campus per week for facilitated education sessions with your educator and practical sessions in our skills lab
Entry Requirements
The entry requirements for the CHC32015 CIII in Community Services course at School of Health are as follows.
You will need to:
- Be 16 years of age or over (not currently enrolled in school) AND
- Be an Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or have a permanent humanitarian visa or certain temporary visas with study rights AND
- Reside in South Australia AND
- Complete a Reading and Numeracy (RNW) proficiency assessment on campus AND
- Be able to provide an unencumbered National Police Clearance
- Be physically fit to meet the demands of manual handling skills, course mandatory requirements and for future employment
Course Features
- Learn from trainers with deep experience in community support and social services
- Study flexibly through a combination of online learning and on-campus workshops
- Gain valuable hands-on experience during a minimum 120-hour practical placement
- Build skills to work with individuals facing a range of social and personal challenges
- Graduate with the confidence to support clients with empathy, respect, and integrity
- Create a pathway to further study in case management, mental health, or youth work
If you’re driven to help others and make a real impact, the Certificate III in Community Services is your first step toward a purposeful career in the community services sector.
Work Placement
As part of the course, you’ll complete a compulsory Professional Experience Placement (PEP) with one of our partnered community service providers. This placement is an essential part of your training, giving you the chance to put your learning into practice in real-world settings.
Under the guidance of experienced professionals, you’ll gain valuable, hands-on experience supporting individuals and communities—building your confidence, developing your practical skills, and preparing you for a rewarding role in the sector.
Our placement team will assist in coordinating your placement to ensure you are well-prepared and supported every step of the way.
During your mandatory PEP, you will be rostered according to standard industry Shifts that are beneficial to the Placement Provider and can be easily supervised.
The following shifts are provided as examples only as shift times may vary between organisations, providers, and facilities:
- Morning 7:00am to 3:30pm OR 6:30am to 2:00pm
- Afternoon 1:00pm to 9:30pm OR 3:00pm to 11:00pm
Placement prerequisites:
- A clear and unencumbered National Police certificate (refer to Workplace Clearances/ Checks in your Course Guide)
- NDIS Workers Clearance (refer to Workplace Clearances/ Checks in your Course Guide)
- Evidence of your seasonal Influenza (flu) and COVID 19 vaccinations (refer to Workplace Clearances/ Checks in your Course Guide)
- Current HLTAID011 Provide first aid and current HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Statement of Attainment (refer to First Aid Requirements in you Course Guide)
- A Certificate of Completion for the Manual Handling Workshop as per your course timetable OR a Statement of Attainment for HLTWHS005 Conduct manual tasks safely (refer to Manual Handling Requirements in your Course Guide)
- Evidence of satisfactory completion of NDIS New Worker Orientation online learning
- Evidence of satisfactory completion of Do Food Safely online learning
- Evidence of satisfactory completion of National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) online learning modules:
- Basics of infection control in aged care
- Hand hygiene hand dermatitis online module
Recognition of Prior Learning
- We offer all students the opportunity to apply for RPL. It is important to note that RPL is not guaranteed, and you will need to provide sufficient evidence to be assessed against the current competency(ies) listed in the CIII in Individual Support course
- You can apply for RPL at any time during the course of study; however, this needs to be undertaken before commencing the unit(s) of competency for which you are applying for RPL
Assessment
- Case studies
- Knowledge tests
- Oral assessments
- Practical skills assessments
- Role plays
- Third party evidence
- Written assessments
Intakes
South Australia
- July 2025 – enrolment cut-off 28th of July 2025 (Monday and Tuesday campus attendance)
Subjects
About Open Colleges School of Health
Established in 2001, the School of Health has been committed to developing skilled and compassionate enrolled nurses and individual support care workers. With a strong focus on practical, hands-on training, our graduates are highly regarded and in demand across the industry. At our state-of-the-art campuses, students learn from experienced nurses and clinical specialists, gaining the expertise and confidence needed to excel in real-world healthcare settings.
Our nationally recognised courses in health and community care combine online and on-campus study with practical training though industry placements. These blended courses provide you with the flexibility of online study, while also allowing you to build your knowledge, confidence and hands-on skills to deliver exceptional care to patients and clients.
Currently, we offer blended learning at our South Australia and Western Australia campuses.
YourLife Health & Learning Inc t/a School of Health is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO Number: 40049)
