New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing - Community Facilitation

Certificate

Want to improve the lives of with people with disabilities? This programme is the perfect starting point for a career in community facilitation, where you'll learn the fundamental skills needed to enable good lives for people with disabilities and their family/whanau.

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Key details

Degree Type

Certificate

Intake Months

Feb, Jul

Domestic Fees

$6,700 per year

About this course

In this programme, you'll learn about common physical and intellectual disabilities in Aotearoa. You'll use models such as the Social Model of Disability and Te Whare Tapa Wha to understand the needs of people with disabilities, the barriers they face in society, and how you can help them overcome these to achieve success.

You'll also discover and unpack the history of colonisation within te ao Maori and Pacifica contexts, and how this contributes to the barriers faced by people with disabilities today. You'll then learn the skills required to start reducing these barriers.

You'll also gain a good understanding of national community facilitation structures, funding models, and the roles and responsibilities of community organisations and facilitators within Aotearoa.

Please note: While this programme is full-time, you are only required to be on-campus for 3 days a week. The remaining time can be spent on self-directed learning or work experience.

Highlights

You'll learn by doing, by completing at least 200 hours in work placements in a community facilitation setting. This can be prearranged, or we can arrange a placement for you when you start the programme;
You'll receive up-to-date knowledge about key legislation and policies, such as the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi;
You will learn more about yourself and others by examining different cultures, values, and attitudes around living with common disabilities;
You'll learn key literacy skills which will enable you to be a highly skilled communicator and to create a trusted and open relationship with the people you work with, as well as their families/whanau, and community networks.
You'll be taught by lecturers who specialise in community facilitation.

Where to from here?

If you want to continue on to further study upon successful completion of this programme, you could consider the Bachelor of Social Practice, where you'll have the chance to become a registered social worker.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Please note: Future immunisations for COVID-19 may be required for all students in this programme.

You will need to provide the following, at different points of your application process.

Be at least 16 years old on the programme's start date;
At least 4 years of secondary school education;
At least one of the following academic requirements:
- 12 Level 1 NCEA credits in at least two subjects, or;
- A pass in at least 2 School Certificate subjects, or;
- A New Zealand Certificate in a relevant discipline at either Level 2 or Level 3, or equivalent
Consent to a Safety Check which meets the requirements of the Children Act 2014 (formerly known as the Vulnerable Children's Act) including:
- Provide two forms of verified ID and evidence of any name changes;
- Consent to a Police vetting check;
- Provide the names of two referees who Unitec can contact;
- Pass a mandatory interview process;
- Provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing a chronological summary of your work history for the past 5 years and the name of any professional organisations, licensing authorities and registration authorities that you have been, or are, a member of;
Complete a self-declaration of criminal convictions and medical conditions form.

If you don't meet the academic criteria above, we have a range of Foundation and Bridging Education programmes which will help you prepare for further academic study.

English requirements

If English is not your first language you will also need at least 12 credits in English at NCEA level 1.

If you don't meet the English criteria above, we have a range of English Language programmes available, depending on your current level of ability. If you don't meet these requirements, you may still apply under special or discretionary entrance.

For more information download the programme regulations:

Programme Regulations

Study locations

Waitakere

Career pathways

- Disability support worker - Caregiver - Health and disability advocate - Whanau Worker - Youth worker - Forensic staff - Aged care worker - Navigator

Unitec Institute of Technology