OVERVIEW

Explore the social contexts of welfare, community service and health work with UNE’s Diploma of Community Welfare and Wellbeing. Build on your existing industry experience, vocational qualifications, or interest in welfare and community service work and healthcare with this course — you’ll be future proofing your career and ready to adapt to changes in the workplace.

Why study the Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing with UNE?

The UNE Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing is ideal if you have existing industry experience or vocational qualifications, or you have an interest in welfare and community service work and healthcare.

Our students come from a diverse range of backgrounds with different needs and experience. By choosing UNE, you are studying with an industry leader in the provision of online lifelong learning.

Ensure you are ready to adapt to the rapidly-changing world of community welfare, health and social care, or prepare for a further qualification in this dynamic field.

What makes our course different?

The Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing provides you with a solid foundation to understand the social factors affecting health, welfare and wellbeing in a range of communities and populations. It is ideal if you are coming direct from school or interested in building on industry experience and vocational qualifications in welfare and community service work and healthcare. The course also comes with opportunities to:

• Focus on the social context of health and community services, particularly in rural and regional areas.
• Study flexibly — we know that study needs to fit around your existing work, life and travel commitments. Study the Diploma online throughout the year at a time and place that suits you, with Australia’s longest continuous provider of distance (now online) education.
• Study eight core units in client-centred care, interprofessional practice and communication. This knowledge will empower you to practice effectively in the community, welfare and health sectors.

Successful completion of the Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing will allow advanced standing if you are enrolling in other courses such as the Bachelor of Community Services or Bachelor of Social Work. If you have already completed 48 units from approved School of Health courses, you may be eligible to graduate with the Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing without undertaking additional units. Please see the Course Rules and Plans (admission under Rule b) or speak with the course coordinator to find out more.

Year after year, we receive 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide — UNE is the proven expert online.

Study online

Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.

Study on campus

Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist your and help you to succeed.

Candidates who complete the following units are eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Community Services and may be granted advanced standing for eight of the following units: HLTH101, HLTH102, HLTH103, HLTH104, HDCW114, HDCW125, HDCW126 and OORA200. Candidates who complete the following units are eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Nursing and may be granted advanced standing for the following units: HLTH101, HLTH102, HLTH103, HLTH104 and OORA200. Candidates who complete the following units are eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Social Work and may be granted advanced standing for the following units: HLTH101, HLTH102, HLTH103, HLTH104, and OORA200.

To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 48 credit points.

Transferrable skills developed as part of the course will help you to solve complex problems, communicate effectively, and engage in a path of lifelong learning and reflective practice to enhance your provision of community welfare and wellbeing services.

This is a rapidly growing sector in Australia. Some careers you could consider include:

• welfare support
• health and welfare services
• community services
• advocacy
• family and domestic violence support.

COURSE OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide graduates with a foundational set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that underpin employment and further study in health and social care.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• synthesise and apply foundational knowledge and skills to facilitate optimal outcomes for individuals and communities

• demonstrate a range of skills in inter-professional and/or transcultural health contexts to meet individual and community requirements

• work collaboratively and ethically with individuals or groups to implement socially inclusive and culturally appropriate strategies in a range of welfare and community sector settings; and

• use strategies to maintain their own well-being when working in challenging situations.