What Units Are Included in the Diploma of Community Services?

The CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services includes twenty units of competency: twelve core units set by the national training package, plus eight electives. At ALIT the electives satisfy the national Case Management specialisation rules, so the qualification is awarded as the Diploma of Community Services (Case Management).

This guide lists all twenty units, code by code, as published on the national training register and as packaged in ALIT’s delivery at its West Melbourne campus. For how the same units map onto the day-to-day work of a case manager, read ALIT’s guide to what case management is and what CHC52025 covers.

The packaging rules

Nationally, CHC52025 requires twenty units: twelve core plus eight electives, of which at least six must come from the qualification’s elective groups and up to two from any endorsed training package or accredited course. Electives can also be packaged into specialisations — Case Management, Social Housing, Child Youth and Family Welfare, and Responding to Family Violence. The Case Management specialisation requires at least four Group A electives; ALIT’s delivery meets that rule, which is why its diploma is awarded with the specialisation named on the testamur.

The twelve core units

The case management process

• CHCCCS004 Assess co-existing needs — the front door: assessment that captures interacting needs, not one issue at a time.
• CHCCSM017 Facilitate and review case management — the qualification’s namesake unit: running and reviewing the whole case management process.
• CHCCCS007 Develop and implement service programs — turning assessed needs into programs that actually run.

Recognising and responding to harm

• CHCCCS019 Recognise and respond to crisis situations — de-escalation and safe response when a case tips into crisis.
• CHCDFV001 Recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence — identifying family violence and responding within your role.

Diversity, law and ethics

• CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people — culturally safe practice with every client.
• CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety — embedding cultural safety, a standalone core at diploma level.
• CHCLEG003 Manage legal and ethical compliance — managing compliance within an autonomous scope of practice.

Context, self and system

• CHCDEV005 Analyse impacts of sociological factors on people in community work — the theory lens: understanding how social conditions shape the people you support.
• CHCMGT005 Facilitate workplace debriefing and support processes — looking after the workers who do this work.
• CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice — the self-supervision diploma-level practitioners are expected to carry.
• HLTWHS003 Maintain work health and safety — WHS at the level of maintaining systems, not just following them.

The eight electives in ALIT’s delivery

ALIT’s elective set carries the Case Management specialisation:

• CHCCSM009 Facilitate goal-directed planning (Group A) — planning built around the client’s stated goals.
• CHCCSM010 Implement case management practice (Group A) — putting the plan into motion.
• CHCCSM015 Undertake case management in a child protection framework (Group A) — case management where child protection legislation frames every decision.
• CHCCSM014 Provide case management supervision (Group A) — supervising other case managers: the diploma’s leadership unit.
• CHCDIV003 Manage and promote diversity — managing diversity across a service, beyond individual practice.
• CHCCCS009 Facilitate responsible behaviour — working with behaviour that challenges, safely and respectfully.
• CHCCSL007 Support counselling clients in decision-making processes — supporting decisions in a counselling context without stepping into a counsellor’s role.
• CHCMGT003 Lead the work team — leading the team a diploma graduate increasingly coordinates.

Four Group A electives is the minimum the register sets for the Case Management specialisation, and ALIT’s packaging uses exactly those four — the specialisation is front and centre in the delivery rather than an afterthought.

Work placement: at least 100 hours

The national register requires at least 100 hours of work as detailed in the assessment requirements of the units of competency. At diploma level the placement expectation is about demonstrating coordination and case management practice inside real services, not just observation.

Entry, duration and next steps

CHC52025 has no national entry requirement; ALIT’s delivery offers two entry doors — a Certificate IV in Community Services or equivalent, or two years of relevant industry experience — alongside its standard requirements of being 18 or older, current police and Working with Children checks, IELTS 6.0 or equivalent and the built-in LLN assessment. ALIT delivers the diploma over 81 weeks with monthly intakes at its West Melbourne campus, and international students can enrol under CRICOS course code 114248F. Full detail is in ALIT’s guide to CHC52025 entry requirements in Victoria and on the Diploma of Community Services course page; for how the diploma compares with the certificate below it, read ALIT’s guide to Cert IV vs Diploma in Community Services.

FAQ

How many units are in the Diploma of Community Services?

Twenty in ALIT’s delivery: twelve core plus eight electives, with the electives satisfying the Case Management specialisation rules.

What makes it a Case Management diploma?

The national register awards the specialisation when at least four Group A case management electives are completed. ALIT’s delivery includes CHCCSM009, CHCCSM010, CHCCSM015 and CHCCSM014.

Is there a placement?

Yes — the qualification requires at least 100 hours of work as detailed in the units’ assessment requirements.

Is the diploma the same at every provider?

The twelve cores are fixed nationally; the eight electives differ by provider and determine any specialisation, so compare elective sets when you compare providers.

Do the units include counselling training?

No. CHCCSL007 supports counselling clients in decision-making within a support role — it does not qualify you as a counsellor. Counselling remains a separate profession with its own qualifications; if that is your goal, ask the admissions team which pathway fits.