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 Homepage

How to Become a Personal Care Assistant: An Intellectual Career That Makes a Difference

To become a personal care assistant, you need strong empathy and caregiving skills, plus industry knowledge to ensure you are capable and confident in the role. Generally, a qualification like a Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) (CHC33015) is required to gain an entry-level position in this job.

Discover how to get a job as a personal care assistant, what the job market is like, and the skills you need to excel in your new career.

personal-care-assistant
  • Overview
  • How to Become
  • Pathways
  • Qualifications

Personal care assistant 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 personal care assistants 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.

Personal care assistants work with people of all ages who need support due to illness, injury or disability. They provide care and support to their clients and help with day-to-day tasks such as domestic duties, hygiene, and running errands. Daily activities can vary, and the level of support provided depends on the person you’re working with.

Tasks and responsibilities for a personal care assistant

Personal carer duties and responsibilities can include:

  • Providing care, support and friendship to frail or recovering clients
  • Noting and reporting changes in the client's health and mental state
  • Assisting with personal care, showering and other hygiene tasks
  • Helping clients engage in various activities
  • Keeping the client's house clean, free from hazards and helping with other home care tasks 
  • Running errands for clients 
  • Adhering to client care plans

How to become a personal care assistant

Employers typically require you to have a qualification in individual support to consider you for a position as a personal care assistant.
  1. Study

    Although not strictly required, studying a course through a Registered Training Organisation is the best way to prepare for a personal care assistant role. Achieving a qualification in individual support gives you the core skills and knowledge you need to work confidently in the role. You can complete a Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) (CHC33015) in as little as nine months. With practical placements part of the course, you also gain valuable job experience.

  2. Traineeship

    Completing a traineeship or apprenticeship in the personal care field is an excellent option if you prefer to work and study simultaneously. In a support care traineeship, you get paid to undertake on-the-job training while also completing a nationally recognised qualification. Organisations hire trainees the same way as regular employees and register the positions on apprenticeship provider websites and even job boards. To find the right traineeship for you, you can contact your nearest Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider, who can help you find an employer and registered training organisation to complete the relevant qualification. All the information you need to get started is here at australianapprenticeships.gov.au.

  3. Volunteer

    Contact any local care service provider or residential aged care facilities and enquire about volunteering. In a volunteer position, you can gain access to knowledge from registered nurses and other healthcare providers, giving you an idea of what’s involved in a personal care assistant role.

  4. Police check and Working with Children Check

    When you work in the support or healthcare sectors, you typically need to complete a National Police Check and a Working with Children’s Check.

Pathway options

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

You might find a role as a personal care assistant is perfect for your lifestyle and make this your life-long career. But, personal care assistant jobs can also be a great starting point to progress further into other healthcare or more senior roles.

Possible career paths could be:

Junior

  • Personal care assistant

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015)

  • Personal carer

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015)

  • Home care assistant

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015)

  • Residential care worker

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) (CHC33015)

  • Aboriginal health worker (aged and disability care)

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (HLT30113)

Mid

  • Disability services manager

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

  • Lifestyle coordinator

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Disability (CHC43115)

Senior

  • Senior aboriginal community care worker

    Most common qualification: Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (HLT40113)

  • Care manager

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

Explore related qualifications

Completing an accredited course in individual support is the best way to get personal care assistant qualifications. 

Certificate III in Individual Support

Study method In-class Online

This course is a nationally recognised training qualification for a personal support worker in either a clients’ home or a care facility. The course provides you with the fundamental skills and knowledge to work in disability support services and work one-on-one with clients to promote independence and overall well-being.

The average duration of this course is 35 weeks full time or part-time equivalent. Learners can self-pace their studies with some providers, and a variety of blended learning options are available. To complete this qualification, a minimum of 120 hours of work placement is required.

Fee concessions and scholarships may be available depending on the course provider and learner eligibility.

Read More

10 providers offer this course

Open Colleges
Upskilled Pty Ltd
Insight Training Group Australia Pty Ltd
Collaboration Learning Pty Ltd
Gateway Training Academy Pty Ltd
KCA Education
InterCare Training
EmployEase
Kirana Colleges
School of Health

Related subjects

Other careers supporting vulnerable people are in abundance. Healthcare and community services are always looking for more enthusiastic newcomers.

Aged Care
Aged Care
Community Services
Community Services
Disability
Disability

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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
Kylie
Sep 11 2021

Get to make a positive difference in other people's lives, make connections and help them as they lose independence.

What are the best parts of the job?

For me, the best part is making a difference in a person's day. For some of the people we care for, we are the only ones they see during the day, and the help we provide enables them to stay in their own home. I also get a lot of satisfaction out of winning over clients who are new to care and very resistant to it. They are often losing their independence and have some emotions attached to that. I love getting to know the clients, having a chat and hearing their stories.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

The first thing would definitely be lack of hours and low pay. It is very hard to get 25 hours per week, let alone 38. I also feel that while low skilled, this is a job that is important and something not many people want to do. So, better pay would show that appreciation. Behavioural problems can be challenging, not only from the clients but their family members. This job takes quite a bit of assertiveness to ensure you are protecting yourself from injury, it is very easy to do too much because you care.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 10+
Organisation size 200+ employees
Jamie
Aug 31 2021

Helping people is an enjoyable career.

What are the best parts of the job?

Helping people in need is the best part of the job, since many of the patients I am looking after cannot help themselves and complete certain tasks.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

One of the most challenging aspects of my career is feeding the patients I am looking after who do not have the mobile ability to feed themselves.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Alice
Aug 31 2021

Helping others is rewarding but you need to have time management skills.

What are the best parts of the job?

Helping others is definitely the best part of the job. I go to work every morning knowing I am making a positive difference in the world and someone else's life.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Time management is a crucial part of the job and can be a challenge, so it's essential to always keep on schedule.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 200+ employees
Tori
Aug 31 2021

Love watching children progress and develop.

What are the best parts of the job?

It’s rewarding when the children graduate and progress.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Helping children with special needs and giving them all the extra attention and help they need.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 10+
Organisation size 200+ employees
Specialisation Early childhood education
Jamie
Sep 03 2021

Staff shortages make the job harder than it should be.

What are the best parts of the job?

Get to help people who cannot live an entirely independent life.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Trying to help residents that are violent, being short-staffed and having to do two people's jobs at once because not enough workers are rostered on.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 200+ employees
Maggie
Sep 04 2021

Like helping people when they aren't being difficult.

What are the best parts of the job?

Helping people and providing them with the care that they need and deserve.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Dealing with difficult people, not only the patients but their families, too.

Read More
Qualification Cert IV
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Leila
Sep 05 2021

Positively impacting elderly people's lives.

What are the best parts of the job?

Looking after the elderly, seeing them smile.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Death is a very confronting and challenging part of the job, but unfortunately it is unavoidable.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Caring
Ebony
Sep 05 2021

Social aspect is great but tasks are tedious.

What are the best parts of the job?

Talking to different people and getting to know them – the social aspect of it.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

All of the tasks – cleaning as its repetitive strain injury (RSI) and physically tedious.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 200+ employees
Hayley
Sep 05 2021

Can be hard to please clients at times.

What are the best parts of the job?

Speaking to the clients, getting to know them and their backstory.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Making sure the client is happy and content with the care I am providing them.

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 10+
Organisation size Self-employed
Enna
Sep 05 2021

Can be confronting at times but is a rewarding job where I build many relationships.

What are the best parts of the job?

Face-to-face patient interaction, being able to socialise with them.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Comforting the relatives of dying people is the hardest challenge, it is very difficult to watch people suffer.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 20-199 employees
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