CHCSS00128 · Skill set
High Support and Complex Care – Disability Support Skill Set
Specialist 7-unit skill set for existing disability sector workers stepping up to support people with complex care and high support needs. Communication support, medication assistance, specialised support and person-centred practice for complex needs.
- Duration10 weeks
- Units7 units
- DeliveryOnline
- Next intakeEnrol any time — online
- ForExisting workers
Overview
Work that genuinely matters.
The CHCSS00128 High Support and Complex Care – Disability Support Skill Set develops the knowledge and practical skills to support individuals with complex health and personal care needs. It focuses on specialised care practices, risk management and delivering safe, person-centred, high-quality support.
Existing worker skill set
Who this is for.
- Your role
- Existing worker in the disability services sector — including parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants.
- Prior qualification
- You must already hold a Certificate III or higher qualification in Community Services and Health.
- Typical students
- Disability support workers, NDIS support workers, group home staff, high-support-needs residential care workers, and parents or unpaid carers supporting an NDIS participant with complex care needs.
Outcomes
What you’ll be able to do.
- Recognise healthy body systems and identify signs and symptoms that need reporting
- Assist people to communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
- Provide person-centred services to people with complex disability support needs
- Assist clients with medication safely and within your scope of practice
- Provide specialised support tailored to individual complex needs
Course units
7 units of competency.
7 core units plus 0 electives.
Core units 7
- CHCCCS041Recognise healthy body systems
- CHCDIS013Assist with communication using augmentative and alternative communication methods
- CHCDIS015Develop and provide person-centred service responses
- CHCDIS019Provide person-centred services to people with disability with complex needs
- CHCDIS020Work effectively in disability support
- CHCDIS023Provide specialised support
- HLTHPS006Assist clients with medication
Prerequisites. CHCDIS023 Provide specialised support has two prerequisite units — CHCCCS041 and CHCDIS020. Both are included in this skill set, so you complete them as part of your enrolment. No separate prior study required.
Units may be adjusted as the training package is updated.
Delivery & duration
Online, self-paced, with live classes.
Delivered 100% online, self-paced, with live online classes weekly or fortnightly (schedule shared at enrolment). Typical completion is 10 weeks. We also run dedicated group classes for employer teams on demand.
Fees & funding
From $105 under Career Boost.
Skill sets are subsidised for eligible Queensland workers under the Career Boost program. You pay the student contribution per unit; the Queensland Government covers the rest.
Up to 2 subsidised skill sets. Under Career Boost you can access one subsidised Cert IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma and up to two subsidised skill sets. More than two? Additional skill sets are available at the fee-for-service rate. We check your entitlement for you at enrolment.
Career Boost eligibility
- Are 15 or older and no longer at school
- Live permanently in Queensland
- Are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or hold an eligible visa
- Aren’t currently enrolled in another Queensland Government-funded qualification (even on hold or deferred)
- Haven’t completed a Certificate IV or higher in the last 10 years — school qualifications don’t count. Skill sets have their own two-skill-set entitlement
- A Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or DVA card — yours, or you’re a named dependent
- You identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- You have a disability
- You’re from a non-English speaking background
- You’re an adult prisoner
Understanding your skill set entitlement
The Queensland Government’s Career Boost program funds higher-level qualifications and skill sets in priority industries. Under Career Boost you may access:
- One subsidised Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma qualification, and
- Up to two subsidised skill sets in priority industries or sectors
You can enrol in more than two skill sets with Sage — additional skill sets are available at the fee-for-service rate. Not sure whether you’ve already used your entitlement? We check for you as part of enrolment (via the Apprentice Info Self Service system) and confirm your eligibility before you start.
Full refund if you withdraw within the 14-day cooling-off period. Funding subject to individual eligibility under Queensland Government Career Boost rules.
How to enrol
One document, one conversation.
- Check your role. All Sage skill sets are for existing workers — confirm you match “Who this is for” above.
- Send employer evidence. A short letter or email from your employer’s official address, dated within 7 days of enrolment, confirming your role and duties. Parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants send a current NDIS letter instead.
- Talk to our team. A pre-enrolment call confirms your Career Boost rate and entitlement, and shares your live-class calendar.
Employer evidence — what we can accept
All Sage skill sets are delivered to existing workers. Under the Queensland SAS framework we must verify your existing worker status at enrolment and keep the evidence. We can accept one of:
- Employer letter on official letterhead, signed and dated within 7 days of enrolment, confirming your name, position, employment status (full-time / part-time / casual / contract), length of employment, and that your duties relate to the skill set.
- Employer email from an official employer address, dated within 7 days of enrolment, with the same information and a signature block identifying the signatory and their role.
- Employment contract, dated and signed, showing a role and job description that relates to the skill set. If it’s more than 12 months old we may also ask for a recent payslip.
We may also request: 1–2 recent payslips; for parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants (CHCSS00124, CHCSS00128) a current NDIS letter (may be redacted) showing the caring relationship; and where the sector requires it, a copy of your Blue Card, National Police Certificate or NDIS Worker Screening Check.
Not sure your evidence will meet the requirements? Talk to our team before you gather documents.
Training a team? We run dedicated group classes for employers on demand — ask about group delivery.
Frequently asked
Straight answers.
I’m an unpaid carer of my child who is an NDIS participant. Can I enrol?
Yes. Under the Queensland SAS framework, parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants count as existing workers in the disability sector for this skill set. We’ll need evidence of your NDIS caring role — talk to us at pre-enrolment.
Why is this skill set 7 units when most are 2 or 3?
Safely supporting people with complex care and high support needs takes a broader skill range — body systems, communication support, medication, specialised support and person-centred practice. The 7 units reflect that scope.
Do I need to already work with people who have complex care needs?
No. You need to be an existing disability services worker or an unpaid carer of an NDIS participant. This skill set prepares you to step into complex-needs work.
Can I do this and CHCSS00124 Behaviour Support?
Yes. Under Career Boost you can access up to 2 subsidised skill sets. Together they’re a strong specialisation package — complex care plus behaviour support.
Can I get a government subsidy?
Yes, for many of our courses. Sage is a Queensland Government Skills Assure Supplier, delivering subsidised training under Career Start (Certificate III) and Career Boost (Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and skill sets). Eligible students pay a small co-contribution. Some courses, including First Aid, aren’t subsidised. Talk to our team to find out what you qualify for.
Can I study online?
Yes, we do offer online delivery of some of our courses. However, you may need to attend a workshop to acquire practical skills mandatory for vocational placement.
We assess your situation at the time of enrolment and suggest an appropriate study mode.
Do you guarantee employment?
We do not guarantee employment. However, historically, most of your graduates secure employment as soon as they complete their course.
There is overwhelming employment demand currently, and you are very likely to secure a position if you follow our guidelines.
Who will organise my vocational placement?
We will organise your vocational placement when you’re ready to do so. However, please note that you must meet all requirements and acquire practical skills before your vocational placement is confirmed.
Related courses
Where this can lead.
Enquire
Ten minutes with an adviser. A real one.
We’ll check your funding eligibility, talk through campuses and timetables, and give you the next intake date. No pressure, no jargon.
- 1You send the formTakes 30 seconds. Only the details we need to call you back.
- 2An adviser calls youWithin one business day — a real person from one of our centres.
- 3You get a clear answerYour exact fee, next intake, and the campus that suits you.
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