Career Pathways

Personal Care and Disability Support

People who provide personal care and disability support may enjoy flexible working conditions and a broad variety of tasks.

These range from helping people to have a healthy social life or to participate in sport or leisure activities, to helping with day-to-day tasks like showering, shopping and eating. You help people who need support to live their best lives every day! Different job roles are in different locations, so you might find yourself in a hospital, an aged care facility, in the community or in people’s homes depending on which role you go into.

In personal care and disability support there are lots of different job roles. For example you could consider becoming a community services support worker, an assistant in nursing, a personal care assistant in aged care, a personal care worker in disability care or a diversional therapy assistant.

  • As a community services support worker you might work in an agency and help people with issues they’re having with recreation, health, housing, employment or welfare.
  • As an assistant in nursing you would work under the supervision of a registered nurse and assist patients with personal care and activities of daily living.
  • Personal care assistants who work in in aged care give assistance to clients in their aged care facility or in their home. Your role would include providing emotional support and personal care.
  • Personal care workers who work in disability give clients household assistance, emotional support, personal care and community access.
  • As a diversional therapy assistant you would design and carry out leisure and health activities and programs under the supervision of a diversional therapist.

Below is a pathway that gives you some options you might want to look at if you either want to explore personal care and disability support by getting a taste, or by getting started in a job. Everyone has their own journey. Where you start and where you end is up to you!


Pathway key:

  • Study
  • Job Outcomes
  • Personal Story
  • Further Options

Thinking about starting your journey in personal care and disability support and not sure if you'll like it?

AQF2

Certificate II in Community Services

With this qualification you could work as a:

  • Assistant Community Services Worker
Certificate II in Health Support Services

With this qualification you could work as a:

Potential Certificate III qualifications for personal care and disability support roles

AQF3

Certificate III in Community Services

With this qualification you could work as a:

Certificate III in Individual Support (Personal Support)

With this qualification you could work as an:

Read Aaliyah's and Jaslyn's personal stories:

Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability)

With this qualification you could work as an:

  • Personal Carer Worker
  • Personal Carer
  • Direct Care Worker
  • Home Help Worker
  • Support Woker
  • Respite Care Worker
  • Disability Support Worker
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) service provider

Potential Certificate IV qualification for personal care and disability support roles

AQF4

Certificate IV in Disability Support

With this qualification you could work as an:

  • Volunteer Coordinator
  • Disability Support Team Leader
  • Disability Support Worker
  • Disability Officer
  • Coordinator of Volunteers
  • Care Service Team Leader
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support worker or provider
Certificate IV in Leisure and Health

With this qualification you could work as a:


Other areas you might be interested in exploring