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 Homepage

How to Become a Community Support Worker: A Rewarding Career That Makes an Impact

To become a community support worker in Australia, you need a solid set of skills and knowledge. Gaining a formal qualification like a Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015) gives you the skills you need to provide the best service to your clients.

Find out more about a role as a community support worker, the job market, and the skills you need to do the job.

community-support-worker
  • Overview
  • How to Become
  • Pathways
  • Qualifications

Community support worker job description

info Where we source our data

Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.

That’s why we anonymously surveyed community support workers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.

While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.

Community services support workers assist vulnerable people in the community, like older people or those with moderate to severe physical and mental disabilities. They assist their clients with daily self-care tasks, such as dressing and showering. Community support workers also help with domestic duties like cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping and washing.

Tasks and responsibilities for a community support worker

So, what does a community service worker do every day? Some responsibilities are:

  • Visiting clients in their homes
  • Providing personal care assistance such as grooming, bathing and dressing
  • Assisting with social and financial problems
  • Providing emotional support
  • Assessing other client needs
  • Planning, developing and implementing support programs
  • Monitoring and reporting on clients' progress

How to become a community support worker

A prospective employer wants you to have specific skills and qualifications to consider you for a role in community support work. Here’s what you need to do to get started.
  1. Study

    To gain the fundamental skills required to work in a community super worker role, complete a Diploma in Community Services (CHC52015) through TAFE or a registered training organisation. This qualification also provides valuable work experience in the community, which develops confidence in the job.

  2. Volunteer

    Contact your nearest community support organisation and volunteer your time. Having real experience in the field cements your desire to work in a community support role and show prospective employers that you are a good fit for the job.

  3. Police check

    When you work with vulnerable individuals, you are often required to pass a national police check. This check is usually requested as part of the recruitment process.

Pathway options

info
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

A role as a community support worker enriching the lives of others can be highly gratifying. It can also open you up to more job openings in senior or related disciplines in the future.

Some job pathways could be:

Junior

  • Support worker

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Community Services (CHC32015)

  • Volunteer coordinator

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015)

  • Youth support worker

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015)

Mid

  • Outreach worker

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Mental Health (CHC43315)

  • Family support worker

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (CHC40313)

  • Community development officer

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Community Development (CHC52115)

     

  • Youth worker

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Youth Work (CHC50413)

     

Senior

  • Community development manager

    Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management (CHC62015)

  • Care manager

    Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management (CHC62015)

     

Explore related qualifications

Diploma of Community Services

Study method In-class Online

A Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015) provides the necessary skills for a career in community services. Under this banner are jobs in family welfare, community health, employment services and disability services.

 

Work at this level involves specialised skills in community support and is usually performed autonomously under the broader guidance of senior management.

 

The average course duration is 18 months, can be studied online or in a blended learning format, and can be completed full-time or part-time in a self-paced environment.

Learners may be eligible for Australian government subsidies. The Diploma of Community Services is offered under Victorian Free TAFE, which means you may be able to study for free. Enquire about a course to find out if you’re eligible.

Read More

6 providers offer this course

Open Colleges
Upskilled Pty Ltd
Insight Training Group Australia Pty Ltd
Health Courses Australia
Hader Institute of Education Pty Ltd
Industry Skills Training

Related subjects

A job helping others in the community can take many forms. The community services industry is a broad one and has many opportunities for new employees. You may like to look at some other roles in the sector.

Some other subjects to explore: 

Community Services
Community Services

Related articles

Are you excited about a role in community support? If you want to find out more, you can delve into some resources below, including industry information and tips on getting into your new job.

5 Reasons a Community Development Career is Perfect for You
5 Reasons a Community Development Career is Perfect for You
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7 Rewarding Pathways into a Community Services Career
7 Rewarding Pathways into a Community Services Career
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Reviews

info How we collect reviews

Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.

Is this your job title?

Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.

Leave a Review

  • All
  • Positive
  • Negative
Jason
Aug 11 2021

I love making a positive impact on peoples lives, but the mental health system is overwhelmed.

What are the best parts of the job?

Assisting people in achieving their goals and seeing them make a difference in their lives is really fulfilling. Offering hope and also seeing joy on peoples faces makes the hard days worthwhile. It's great gaining new mental health workers who build a great rapport with their customers. It's also a flexible role where you work with a diverse range of people.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Clients not engaging or responding due to drug and alcohol intake makes the job hard. There's also the challenge of the mental health system, which cannot respond in a timely manner.

Read More
Qualification Diploma
Experience 10+
Organisation size 0-4 employees
Specialisation Complex mental health and assertive outreach
Lachlan
Aug 27 2021

Get to work with all kinds of unique people and help with their hardships.

What are the best parts of the job?

Work with the community to resolve conflicts and having a high success rate is very rewarding. Dealing with all ages and genders also adds variety to each day and means you make impactful changes in a range of demographics.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Making sure that I understand the needs of those I am dealing with.

Read More
Qualification Professional doctorate
Experience 10+
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Working with ATSI
Joseph
Aug 27 2021

I enjoy critical thinking so I can work out what clients need.

What are the best parts of the job?

Problem solving and figuring out the best way to help clients is a satisfying aspect of the job. No two client's have the same needs, and it's fun working towards their individual goals.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

It isn't always easy understanding people's needs.

Read More
Qualification Graduate certificate
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Counselling and guidance
Jasmine
Aug 11 2021

Working with a diverse range of clients, but can be stressful when there aren't enough resources.

What are the best parts of the job?

I love working with people from all walks of life, and making small changes with a client that have the biggest impact for them.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

No housing to assist our most vulnerable can be extremely stressful.

Read More
Qualification Cert IV
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 200+ employees
Specialisation Mental health
Sarah-Kay
Aug 11 2021

Helping people is rewarding but it is a very taxing career.

What are the best parts of the job?

The aspect of helping a person in need.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

The physical lifting can be taxing and you only have a couple hours to complete a set of tasks.

Read More
Qualification Cert IV
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Airien
Aug 11 2021

Boosting elderly people's mood is rewarding.

What are the best parts of the job?

Making people happy is my favourite part of the job. I love seeing a client smile while I'm helping them.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Time management and ensuring you stay on schedule is difficult sometimes.

Read More
Qualification Diploma
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 200+ employees
Hannah
Aug 12 2021

Guiding clients through their issues is challenging but mostly fulfilling.

What are the best parts of the job?

Interacting with clients and helping them through their mental health issues.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Dealing with clients with challenging behaviours.

Read More
Qualification Diploma
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Mental health
Elly
Aug 27 2021

Helping clients resolve their issues is very satisfying.

What are the best parts of the job?

There's a lot of satisfaction in guiding clients to meaningful resolutions.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Some anxiety presents as aggression, which can be particularly stressful to navigate.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size Self-employed
Specialisation Grief counselling
Rhylee
Aug 27 2021

Assisting people with finding work is enjoyable.

What are the best parts of the job?

It's rewarding to help people to find jobs, especially if they've been stuck in a cycle of unemployment.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Finding the right network to reach out to when looking for jobs for a client can be difficult.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 200+ employees
Kevin
Sep 03 2021

Lots of face-to-face interaction makes for a fun career.

What are the best parts of the job?

You get to meet and interact with people every single day. There's nothing better than building lasting relationships with clients.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

People have numerous problems, and you have to figure out the best way to meet all their individual needs.

Read More
Qualification Diploma
Experience 10+
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Specialisation Human relationship
Alex
Sep 03 2021

Social interaction is the best part of this career.

What are the best parts of the job?

Communicating and interacting with people makes each day rewarding.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

It's challenging when people are uncooperative.

Read More
Qualification Diploma
Experience 10+
Organisation size 200+ employees
Specialisation Team leader
Prasheeta
Sep 03 2021

A passion-filled career.

What are the best parts of the job?

It’s a career I'm very passionate about, so for me I love every aspect of the job. From working with clients, to the admin.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Communication can be a challenge with some people, but over time it can improve.

Read More
Qualification Cert IV
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 5-19 employees
1 2 3 4
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