What is Community Service about?
Community service or community work, is work done voluntarily with the objective to provide services to society, especially where service is needed. Professional community work is sometimes confused with support work or personal care. It is most certainly one of the caring professions (like social work), but it is more than just ‘helping’. Community workers tend to deal with real life issues and complex cases.
Community workers are qualified professionals who engage in services through working with individuals, families, groups, and wider communities in order to promote social and economic inclusion and access to services, support, and opportunity. The foundation of community work guide practice in this profession are social justice, human rights, and equity.
What does a Community Service Worker do?
The roles and responsibilities vary from organisation to organisation that a community service worker may be working for, but some of the common tasks associated with this job are:
Assessing the Community : Community service workers conduct surveys among the residents, assess the neighbourhoods, and sometimes interview individuals in order to have an idea of the situation. They then design suitable strategies with regards to improving the living standard of the residents.
Individual Counselling Services : Community service workers offer personal, social, physical and emotional support. They are mostly good listeners and can give advice or show how something can be done. Their clients face challenges, maybe physically or mentally, and sometimes in their families or living circumstances.
Developing Service Plans : To enable the client to cope with the situation of stressful everyday life and live a better life, service workers develop a service plan which details the services and the service needs required by the client. Followed by the detailed case study that includes solid interviews, goal-setting, and discovering underlying causes for distress.
Managing a Community Organisation : Community organising is the process of mutual aid through which the residents of a similar locality come together for a common cause to pool resources in order to make a difference and change their environment for the better. Workers in the community service industry will interact with these citizens, helping them make decisions or reach necessary resources.
Providing Local Service Connections : This is a much more specialised area required for the clients of a community service worker. Community workers are also those workers who guide on how to apply for the benefits and government aids of the organisation, for example, the Department of Social Services of Australia.
Career options for Community Service graduates
A few of the career options you can consider after graduate:
- Aged care worker
- Child protection practitioner
- Disability services worker
- Domestic and family violence prevention practitioner
- Juvenile justice officer
- Social worker
- Youth worker
- Mental Health Support Worker
- Outreach Worker
The average annual salary for Community Support Worker is from AU$65,000 to AU$75,000 in Australia. This can be different depending on which state you plan to work in.
General entry requirements to study Community Service
Academic Entry
Academic entry | Minimum Score |
STPM | Average of 50% |
Matriculation | Average of 50% |
A-Levels | 2 subject passes |
UEC | Average of 50% |
IB Diploma | Completion of IB Diploma |
Australian Matriculation (ATAR) | Satisfactory completion of 50% minimum in all subjects |
Canadian Pre-University (CPU) | Completion of Diploma |
Note: Universities may have different requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!
English Language Entry Requirements
Entry Level | Minimum Score |
IELTS | 6.0 |
TOEFL | 60 |
Pearson Test of English (PTE) | 58 |
Note: Universities may have different English Language requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!
How to be a Community Worker in Australia
Normally to pursue a career as a Community Worker, after completion of SPM or equivalent, the general pathway to enter Diploma of Community Service is by obtaining either Certificate III or Certificate IV.
The Diploma programme usually takes 1 – 2 years and should include 400 hours of compulsory practical fieldwork. Optionally, one may also complete a bachelor degree programme like Bachelor of Community and Human Service or any related programme that usually takes 3 years. If you do a Diploma programme, you might only need to do 1.5 – 2 years to do a bachelor degree depending on the university you enrol to. To check out the list of approved programmes, you can go to the Australian Communities Workers Association (ACWA) website.
You can then proceed to register as a member of ACWA. The relevant qualification is one that prepares the graduate properly for effective community work practice in Australia and one that provides specialisations within community or human services with a focus on a specific service field. Nursing, education, or childcare qualifications are not relevant. For a general list of requirements, refer to here.
One of the occupations that provide a permanent residency (PR) pathway is the Community Worker occupation in Australia. Generally, Community Workers belong to the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), where an occupation is considered in demand for short term duration. Community Workers have the opportunity to migrate to Australia with visa subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa).
When you are eligible to apply for permanent residency after you hold visa 494 for 3 years, you can apply for permanent resident visa such as subclass 191 (Skilled Regional) (Regional Provisional Stream). The choice of visa may vary from occupation, eligibility, regional preference and wish to acquire permanent residence.
Top Institution to study Community Service
1. Australasia Technology Institute (ATI)
Australasia Technology Institute (ATI) is set right in the heart of Sydney, CBD, with extended public transport services. ATI prides itself on its student learning and success, thus, it’s a modern, well-resourced campus. ATI provides customised support for students to be better through many ways.
In Certificate III, students get to learn about the work in the community home or residential care setting under supervision and delegation as part of the work in a multi-disciplinary team, where individualised plans are followed to provide those who require aged support, disability support, or other support for other reasons with person-centred support. Diploma students will have specialised skills for community services and work autonomously within the scope of practice under broad directions from senior management.
Programme Offered | Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) |
Duration | Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) (1 year) Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) (2 years) |
Intake | January, April, July, October |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 24,000 |
Note: The indicative fees are for both total programmes.
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
2. TAFE NSW
TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational educational provider located in Sydney, Australia. It was established as an independent permanent body under the TAFE Commission Act 1990. TAFE NSW is under Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and is accredited as a Vocational Education and Training (VET).
Certificate IV is a course that helps students emerge as leaders in various community services roles with the necessary skills and expertise. In addition to the certificate, students will prepare for further study with a Diploma in Community Service, whereby they gain skills and knowledge to provide professional support to a diverse clientele with unique challenges.
Programme Offered | Certificate IV in Community Services Diploma of Community Services |
Duration | Certificate IV in Community Services (1 year) Diploma of Community Services (1 year) |
Intake | February, July |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 23,430 |
Note: The indicative fees are for both total programmes.
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
3. Australian Ideal College (AIC)
Australian Ideal College (AIC) serves as a professional vocational education provider with campuses located in Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide. AIC has great educators who have high experience in the field and a commitment to hand-walk the students through the education journey, offering unwavering support at every turn.
In Certificate IV, students will be exposed to the necessary skills required to prepare students to study Diploma of Community Service. In the Diploma course, the students are given the learning experience of how to manage, coordinate, and deliver person-centred service to an individual, group, or the community involving responsibilities that focus on the leaders in community services, case management, and social housing. Students will develop specialised skills that will be highly required by them in a practical working environment, enabling them to work under broad directions from senior management.
Programme Offered | Certificate IV in Ageing Support Diploma of Community Services |
Duration | Certificate IV in Ageing Support (1 year) Diploma of Community Services (1 year) |
Intake | January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December |
Indicative Fees (2024) | AU$ 22,000 |
Note: The indicative fees are for both total programmes.
Contact us right now for a free consultation if you’d like more details about the costs, the format of the programme, and the entry requirements!
For more information regarding the university, programme offered, entry requirements and fees, contact Excel Education.
About The Author
Brenda
Brenda enjoys action, thriller, psychological, and comedy movies as well as TV shows very much. Oftentimes, she really enjoy learning new stuff.
