What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Case Manager in Victoria?

To work as a case manager in Victoria you need a diploma-level community services qualification — most commonly the CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) — or equivalent sector experience, plus a police check and, in many settings, a Working with Children Check and NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. There is no single Victorian registration that makes you a case manager: the requirement is set by employers and programs, and the diploma is the standard evidence they ask for.

This guide sets out the qualification path step by step: what to study, what checks to hold, what experience employers want, and how the role differs from neighbouring titles. If you are new to the practice itself, start with ALIT’s guide to what case management in community services is. The same path as a sequential checklist — from entry requirement to first role — is walked in ALIT’s guide to becoming a case manager in Victoria step by step.

The qualification most employers ask for

Most community-sector employers ask for a diploma-level community services qualification — commonly the CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) — or equivalent experience. Government child protection practitioner positions are the exception: they set their own tertiary requirements, usually a social work or welfare degree. The diploma is the current release of the qualification (it replaced CHC52021 in 2025) and at ALIT it runs as the case management specialisation: twenty units — twelve core and eight electives — built around assessing co-existing needs, developing and implementing service programs, responding to crisis and coordinating services. The full unit list is in ALIT’s guide to the units included in the Diploma of Community Services.

Two entry paths, no prerequisites

ALIT lists two entry paths into CHC52025: a Certificate IV in Community Services or equivalent, or two years of relevant industry experience. Standard enrolment requirements apply either way — being 18 or older, and police and working with children checks where the placement or role requires them. Many students arrive from support roles rather than a generalist Cert IV: the Certificate IVs in Ageing or Disability Support plus frontline experience is a common route, and the choice between those support-level certificates and the diploma is mapped in ALIT’s guide to the difference between Cert IV and the Diploma in Community Services. The detail of what each route requires is set out in ALIT’s guide to the entry requirements for CHC52025 in Victoria.

Experience: what employers actually screen for

The diploma opens the door; experience decides the interview. Case management employers screen for frontline understanding — time delivering services directly to clients — because the coordination role depends on knowing how services behave on the ground. The diploma’s scheduled 100-hour work placement is the formal bridge: it converts study into sector references and often a first employer. ALIT delivers the diploma at its West Melbourne campus over 81 weeks with monthly intakes, CRICOS approval for international students (course code 114248F) and recognition of prior learning for workers who bring existing units or experience — current fees and intake dates are on the Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) course page.

The checks a Victorian case manager holds

Three checks cover most settings. A national police check is standard across community services. A Working with Children Check is required where the work involves children — family services, youth programs, out-of-home care. An NDIS Worker Screening Clearance is required for risk-assessed roles with registered NDIS providers — roles that deliver specified supports directly to people with disability or involve more than incidental contact. Case managers coordinating NDIS-funded supports commonly hold both the clearance and the police check. Checks are issued by separate authorities with their own application processes and validity periods, so confirm current requirements with the relevant authority and your prospective employer before applying.

Case manager or support coordinator?

The titles get used loosely but the roles are distinct. A case manager assesses needs, plans services, coordinates providers and stays accountable for outcomes across the whole case management cycle. An NDIS support coordinator helps a participant implement their plan — a role defined by the scheme, focused on connecting supports rather than owning case outcomes. A support worker delivers care directly. If you are building toward the coordinating role from the frontline, what the day-to-day actually involves is described in ALIT’s guide to what a case manager does in Victoria.

What the qualification earns

Community services case management roles are generally covered by the SCHADS Award, though the sector, program and employer matter; some services have enterprise agreements. Coordinator and team leader classifications sit at the upper levels of the award scale, and government and clinical settings often pay above it. Because rates change with the annual wage review, check the current pay guide for any specific role rather than relying on a single figure.

FAQ

Can I be a case manager with just a Cert III or Cert IV?

Not in most advertised community-sector roles — employers commonly ask for the diploma or equivalent experience. The certificate-level route is case work support and client contact roles that build toward it.

Is CHC52025 the only accepted diploma?

It is the current standard release; a CHC52021 or an equivalent diploma with experience is often accepted. Employers set their own equivalence, so confirm before enrolling if you already hold units.

Do I need a social work degree?

Only for government child protection practitioner roles, which set their own tertiary requirements. Community-sector case management is not degree-gated.

How long does the qualification take?

81 weeks at ALIT including the scheduled 100-hour placement, with monthly intakes; RPL can shorten it for workers with existing units or experience.

Which checks do I start with?

Police check first — it is standard across the sector — then the Working with Children Check or NDIS Worker Screening Clearance if your setting requires them. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority.

If you are weighing both career paths, see the difference between a case manager and a support worker for a side-by-side breakdown of duties, qualifications and pay.