Inherent Requirements
INHERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
The statements below specify the course requirements of the Bachelor of Community Services for student admission and progression. The statements are clustered under eight domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, legal compliance, communication, cognition, relational skills, reflective skills and sustainable performance. Many of the activities associated with professional practice in the helping professions are time sensitive, where the capacity to perform certain activities within specified time limits is required to reduce or avoid risks to client safety and wellbeing. The safety and wellbeing of you and others is always of paramount importance. The inherent requirements below should be read in conjunction with other course information.
What is it like to do this course?
It may be helpful for you to understand a little about what it is like to complete Bachelor of Community Services. Further information about the course is available in the course guide and we recommend you familiarise yourself with the information there. You may undertake electives from other disciplines, including from the disciplines of social work, counselling and psychological sciences, as part of this course. Electives from other disciplines may have different inherent requirements, and so you may find it helpful to review those when selecting appropriate electives.
What about when I finish my course?
Successfully completing the Bachelor of Community Services provides you with an entry-level qualification in community services and enables you to apply for social work positions in a range of employment pathways including community development, case worker, advocacy and community engagement. If you are undertaking this course in order to complete subsequent higher education study it is important to ensure that you are also familiar with the inherent requirements of those courses. As you commence your studies you may also find it helpful to familiarise yourself with any requirements to work in a professional capacity as a social worker to assess your capacity to meet the inherent requirements of such a role following graduation.
Inherent requirement domains
There are eight domains of inherent requirements in the Bachelor of Community Services. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.
- Ethical behaviour
- Behavioural stability
- Legal compliance
- Communication
- Cognition
- Relational skills
- Reflective skills
- Sustainable performance
Students undertaking Community Services placements within their studies are governed by practice standards and codes of ethics where students are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.
Students demonstrate knowledge of and engage in ethical behaviour in practice
Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role.
Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and field placement environment.
Community Services work must meet professional standards to enable the delivery of safe and appropriate professional practices.
Student must demonstrate knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations, and scope of practice.
Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of support.
Verbal
Student demonstrates:
- Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences.
- The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately, and in a timely manner.
- The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.
- Timely, clear feedback, and reporting.
Non-verbal
Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to Community Services’ work and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathic, honest, and nonjudgemental.
Student demonstrates:
- The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues.
- Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
- Sensitivity to individual and / or cultural differences.
Written
Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental Community Services student responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.
Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.
Knowledge and cognitive skills
Consistent and effective knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide professional and competent social work practice.
Student demonstrates:
- The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
- The ability to process information relevant to practice.
- The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.
Literacy/Language Skills
Competent literacy skills are essential to permit safe and effective professional support.
Student demonstrates:
- The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages.
- The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information.
- The capacity to understand and implement academic and practice conventions to construct written text in an appropriate manner for the intended audience.
Community Services practice requires the ability to make and maintain strong relationships with a range of individuals, groups, communities, organisations and other stakeholders, including people who are marginalised by a wider society.
Student demonstrates:
- The ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients, academic staff, supervisors and peers.
- The ability to engage in effective and empathic counselling skills.
- Ability to engage and relate appropriately in individual and group clinical supervision and experiential learning groups.
Community Services practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for reflectivity to consider the effect of one’s own issues, actions, values and behaviours on practice.
Student demonstrates:
- The ability to accurately reflect on their professional performance.
- The ability to accept feedback on their professional practice and respond constructively.
Community Services training and practice requires both physical and mental stamina.
Student demonstrates:
- Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and overtime.
- The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period.