Diploma of Community Services

The Diploma of Community Services is a vocational qualification for people who want to work directly with individuals, families and communities in Australia. You'll learn how to assess client needs, plan and deliver support, run group activities, advocate for people dealing with housing, family violence, mental health or settlement issues, and work within the legal and ethical rules that govern community service organisations.

This diploma is delivered over 1.5 years. Australian vocational diplomas are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points, and are usually timetabled across semesters or trimesters rather than a single long block. Assessment is practical: case studies, simulated client interviews, projects and written tasks rather than only exams. Many providers also arrange a supervised work placement in a community organisation, which is how you build the hours and referee reports employers ask for.

You'll finish with skills in case management, client intake and referral, group work, report writing, cultural safety, and working under the standards and duty-of-care requirements that apply in the sector. The diploma also prepares you for further study, with credit typically granted towards a bachelor degree in community services, social work or a related field, depending on the receiving institution.

It suits people already working in support roles who want a formal qualification, career changers who want to enter the community sector, and international students looking for a practical, job-focused pathway. If you plan to study in Australia, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Confirm entry requirements, English evidence, tuition and intake dates on the official CRICOS listing and with Greenwich English College / Greenwich Management College before you apply.

• Community services worker
• Case worker or case manager
• Support worker in housing, homelessness or family services
• Youth worker
• Family violence support worker
• Mental health support worker
• Community development worker
• Client intake and referral officer
• Team leader or coordinator in a community organisation

Hiring industries include not-for-profit community organisations, local government, state government community services departments, family and youth services, homelessness and housing services, disability and aged care providers, multicultural and settlement services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.