Core Competencies V5
Version five of the Core Competencies qualification, the National Certificate in Health, Disability, and Aged Support (Core Competencies) (Level 3) is now available for enrolment.
Reviewed Core Competencies
The revised Core Competencies (Level 3) national certificate provides greater flexibility to employers and trainees to ‘build’ a qualification tailored to their needs, and is accompanied by a package of supports designed to make the qualification relevant and accessible.
- In a nutshell
- What's changed?
- New unit standards
- Credit Achievement Payment
- Literacy and learning support
- Learning and assessment resources
- Dementia level 3 online resource
- Access to additional unit standards
- Personal cares integrated assessment tool
- Transitioning implications for existing trainees
- Unit standard exemptions
- Previous versions of Core Comps
More Information
Click here to view the structure of this qualification.
Click here for details of the package of supports designed to make this qualification relevant and accessible.
In a nutshell
All new Core Competencies trainees need to enrol in version five of the National Certificate in Health, Disability, and Aged Support (Core Competencies) (Level 3).
The main changes in version 5 are:
- There has been a reduction in the number of compulsory units from 11 to four.
- There are now over 40 elective unit standards, from which at least 42 credits must be chosen.
- The content supports contract and standard requirements, including the Age Related Residential Care Services Agreement.
- The qualification contains all of the current unit standards. This means employers and trainees who like the current content of Core Competencies will not need to change their existing training programmes.
- The number of elective unit standards available will continue to grow as more unit standards are developed to meet the changing needs of the sector.
The qualification fee for Core Competencies version 5 is $230 (GST inclusive). Included in this fee is a framed certificate and badge for trainees who complete. The fee excludes learning and assessment resources (see below).
Please note that a new training agreement for version 5 of Core Competencies is available.
What's changed?
The key differences between version 5 of Core Competencies and previous versions are shown below:
Please note: There is a choice in which ‘cultural’ unit standard can be selected, so where we have stated ‘4 compulsory unit standards’ in the diagram above, this really means 3 compulsory standards (1836, 23385 and 27104) with a choice of either 23380 or 26970 for the final ‘compulsory’ standard.
New unit standards
New unit standards covering the following topics are now available as electives in the reviewed Core Competencies qualification:
- Communication (26982) and (26975)
- Support a person to eating and drink (26978)
- Provide key comfort cares at end of life (26980)
- Response to death (26979)
- Restraint (26976)
- Dementia (26974)
- Apply Code of Rights (27104) - replaces 20824
- Continence (27140) - online learning resource available in October
- Infectious conditions and infection control (27142)
- Support different ethnicity (26970).
In September 2011 new unit standards on the following will become available:
- Falls (26981)
- Mental health and addiction (26971) (26972) and (26973)
Further new units will become available in 2012.
Credit Achievement Payment
Under the Credit Achievement Payment employers can get up to $456 for every active Core Competencies trainee.
For every level 3 credit a trainee achieves as part of Core Competencies version 5, their employer is eligible for an $8 credit (GST inclusive), up to a maximum of $456 (or 57 credits). Payment will not be made for new trainees for any level 3 credits achieved prior to the training start date, even if these credits are also contained in Core Competencies version 5. Different conditions apply for transitioning trainees.
Credit Achievement Payments will not be made for any credits achieved after 13 months of the training agreement sign on date, or if the trainee is not active for a calendar year during their enrolment.
Click here for more information
Literacy and learning support
A comprehensive package to support employers meet their trainees’ literacy and learning needs is now available. Eligible employers will be able to access:
- Funding: $270 for every trainee undertaking an online pre-literacy assessment in 2011.
- Free professional development: participation in a workshop that will enhance your training team’s knowledge of adult education.
- Free educator resources: access to tools that help link the training to the practices of your workplace.
- Networking support: meet people from other workplaces who are taking up this opportunity.
For more information, including information on professional development workshops in your area, click here
Learning and assessment resources
Learning resources
Core Competencies learning resources such as workbooks are no longer included as part of the qualification fee. Instead, employers need to purchase the learning resources they require online at shop.careerforce.org.nz.
The price of workbooks, excluding GST and freight, is either $10 (existing workbooks), $15 (new level 3 workbooks), or $20 (new level 2 workbooks).
This new approach has been driven by two key factors:
- requests from employers for greater choice over what resources they receive.
- changes to Government policy that have significantly reduced Careerforce’s funding.
Assessment resources
Careerforce has renamed, re-written and re-designed the workplace assessment portfolios (WAPs) and trainee assessment portfolios (TAPs) for the new and significantly changed unit standards within Core Competencies. They are now called 'assessor's guides' and 'trainee's assessments' and have simpler language, sample answers, and make greater use of colour coding to guide people through different sections.
New trainee’s assessments will available as free PDFs on the Careerforce website. Printed copies will be able to be ordered at shop.careerforce.org.nz for $5 each (excluding GST and freight).
Assessor's guides will be provided free to Careerforce Registered Assessors.
Dementia level 3 online resource
Careerforce and Alzheimers NZ have worked together to develop a new online learning and assessment resource for the new level 3 dementia unit standard 26974 (Describe interaction, supports, and reporting for people with dementia in an aged care, health, or disability context). This resource is a mixture of interactive activities, presentations and videos, and can be accessed at ilearn.careerforce.org.nz
Employers who wish to have their in-house assessor assess this unit can do so by downloading a PDF of the trainee's assessment from www.careerforce.org.nz/trainee-assessments
Access to additional unit standards
Employers can now access up to three additional unit standards, to a total of 12 credits, for their staff. The total cost for a Careerforce enrolled trainee is $30 GST inclusive, while the cost for a non-Careerforce trainee is $85 GST inclusive.
Click here for more
Personal cares integrated assessment tool
The personal cares integrated assessment tool, which can be used as part of either the Foundation Skills (Level 2) or Core Competencies (Level 3), is currently being piloted. It will significantly reduce the time it takes to assess the following seven personal cares related unit standards:
- Personal cares (23386)
- Service plan requirements (23454)
- Eating and drinking (26978)
- Infectious conditions and infection control (27142)
- Moving and assistive equipment (26977)
- Falls (26981)
- Code of Rights (27104)
Any employer interested in learning more about this new, efficient task based assessment programme should contact Lisa Williams.
Transitioning- implications for existing trainees
The qualification has only been reviewed. Trainees who have already completed earlier versions should not enrol in version five as they have already been assessed to the equivalent level.
Some employers may want to take advantage of the greater number of elective options available in version 5 and have their current trainee’s transition from a previous version of Core Competencies. There will be a fee of $30 for this and any learning and printed assessment resources you require will need to be purchased.
Transition Application form for Core Competencies
Trainees wanting to transition to version five must complete a Transition Application form for Core Competencies version 5. Trainees must transition by 15 November 2011.
Unit standard exemptions
Information on possible unit standard exemptions for this qualification can be found on the Careerforce exemption table. Click here to view the Exemption table
Previous versions of Core Competencies
Click here to view previous versions of Core Competencies
