Students must be over 18 years of age (or due to turn 18 during their enrolment) as the industry generally does not provide work placements for students under 18. 

This course is also available as a traineeship.

Entrance requirements for traineeships

You must be employed in a training contract by an appropriate organisation to study an apprenticeship or traineeship.

In a traineeship you also gain hands-on skills and work experience, and improve your employment prospects, while earning a wage. On successful completion you will gain a nationally recognised qualification which can lead to rewarding career options. The difference between a traineeship and an apprenticeship is that a traineeship can be either a full time or part time employment based training arrangement, usually for a nominal duration of 12 months or more, generally in a non-trade related area.

To find out how to arrange a traineeship and study at SM TAFE, please contact the Jobs and Skills Centre closest to you.

Please note this list should be used as a guide only as job titles and qualification requirements may vary between organisations.

SM TAFE actively promotes the employment availability of course graduates to key industry partners and organisations. We also seek expressions of interest from organisations for the placement of our students into work experience. We endeavour to assist students into a career pathway, but please be aware that neither employment nor work experience placement is guaranteed by us.

To access free career planning and job search assistance, visit the Jobs and Skills Centres page.

Attendance in class

You will need to attend class for one semester when studying full-time. 

As well as the in-class component, you will need to complete approximately five hours of additional study each week outside of class hours, including private study, assignment preparation, and research.

You will need to have the basic technical requirements for at-home study. If you don’t have access to a computer and WiFi at home, we recommend using our library computers during library hours.

Work placement

This course has mandatory attendance at a two-day practical workshop prior to being allocated a work placement.

120 hours of work placement is mandatory for completion of this course and will be arranged by SM TAFE. Your work placement requires you to be available to attend during weekdays and you may need to rearrange personal or work commitments to be able to attend. 

Students who are under 18 years old are reminded that it will be difficult to secure work placement as a minor, making them unable to complete the qualification.

Please note during work placement, you may be required to provide personal care needs to both male and female patients. 

What you need for your first day of class

On your first day you should bring your SM TAFE confirmation enrolment receipt, your student ID and stationery (pen and exercise book).

You will also have additional costs associated with your study e.g. you will need to obtain a National Police Clearance.

Prior to enrolment into this qualification, please consider:

• you must be over 18 years old 
• Any criminal conviction as it will appear on your National Police Certificate (compulsory to obtain)
• Any difficulty in communicating with either workers or clients. (i.e. difficulty with written or spoken English)
• Difficulty with the manual tasks involved in personal care work, including lifting (e.g. 'bad back')
• Ability to set aside between 4 and 5 days/week for attendance at classes, work placement and study
• Likelihood of finding it difficult or distressing to provide personal care such as toileting and bathing for clients of any gender and varying ages
• Ability to attend your work placement regularly and reliably

Online study

If you are studying online the hours per week will vary. The course runs over 3 semesters and you are required to attend campus for 2 days to perform practical assessments. 

For each unit there is a requirement to demonstrate performance tasks and skills, these will need to be simulated, recorded and submitted for assessment.

The nature of online study can involve a significant investment of time and the ability to be a focused, self-motivated learner. You should consider your personal circumstances and past study history before committing to study online. Find out more in our online study info pack below.

Online study info pack (334 KB) (PDF document - opens in a new tab)

120 hours of work placement is mandatory for completion of this course and will be arranged by SM TAFE. Your work placement requires you to be available to attend during weekdays and you may need to rearrange personal or work commitments to be able to attend. 

Students who are under 18 years old are reminded that it will be difficult to secure work placement as a minor, making them unable to complete the qualification.

All online students enrolled in Individual Support are encouraged to obtain First Aid training (HLTAID011 is preferred). It is your responsibility to organise and pay for the training. On-campus students are enrolled in this unit. 

You may be required to obtain a Working With Children Check and National Police Clearance prior to a supervised work placement. This will depend on the organisation you arrange your work placement with.

Students are encouraged to purchase a copy of The Disability Support Worker (4th Edition) from Cengage Australia. 
https://au.cengage.com/s/?q=Provide%20Individual%20Support(opens in a new tab)

For more information visit:
https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au(opens in a new tab)
https://www.police.wa.gov.au/Police-Direct/National-Police-Certificates(opens in a new tab)

To work in the industry, an NDIS clearance is required at an additional cost of $11.00. SM TAFE will support you in applying for your clearance in class before you graduate.

Vaccination requirements

This course requires you to undertake a mandatory work placement with an employer associated with an industry outlined in the COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy. This means that you must be triple dose vaccinated prior to your work placement.  For the latest information on vaccine requirements for students visit our COVID-19 update page.