Health and Wellbeing Level 4 | Social & Community Services

NZ Certificate35-45 WeeksLevel 4120 credits

Intakes: 18 August, 22 September, 27 October

NZ Certificate120 creditsLevel 435-45 WeeksZero Fees*

Intakes: 18 August, 22 September, 27 October

Turn your caring nature into a rewarding career

Ready to take your healthcare expertise to the next level? This advanced health and wellbeing course transforms your existing healthcare experience into specialised capabilities for supporting individuals, families and whānau facing complex health and social challenges. You'll develop the leadership skills and advanced knowledge needed for senior roles in mental health support, addiction services, and community health promotion.

This Level 4 healthcare course bridges clinical knowledge with community practice, preparing you for meaningful leadership roles in social services, mental health support, and community health that are increasingly vital in today's healthcare environment.

Who can enrol?

You can enrol in this course if you are a New Zealand resident aged 16 or older, or if you're an international student aged 18 or over. This qualification is suitable for those already working in healthcare who want to advance into leadership roles, or those starting a career in supporting the health and wellbeing of people, family and/or whānau, and the wider community.

What makes this course effective?

Industry-designed curriculum: Course content developed directly with leading healthcare providers and community organisations, so you're learning exactly what employers need for advanced social and community healthcare roles.

Real-world practice opportunities: You will get hands-on experience in actual healthcare and community settings with professional equipment and expert supervision, because we believe nothing beats learning by doing.

Comprehensive support: Complete your training on campus with dedicated tutor support and peer learning opportunities that help build your confidence in advanced healthcare and community support roles.

Expert tuition that counts: Our industry-experienced tutors bring current workplace knowledge from both clinical and community sectors straight to your learning experience.

What does this healthcare course cover?

Learn to provide advanced community support while developing leadership capabilities in health and wellbeing settings. You'll gain expertise in mental health and addiction support, cultural competency, and evidence-based practice approaches for complex health and social challenges.

What qualifications will you gain?

y passing this course you'll gain a recognised and valued qualification: New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) with a strand in Social and Community Services. Graduates can work as health and/or wellbeing field officers, health coaches, community health workers, mental health and addiction support workers, addiction programme facilitators, day programme facilitators, caregivers, and residential support workers.

You may be able to transfer credits towards this qualification through recognition of prior learning, helping fast-track your studies by skipping certain modules. Get in touch to see if you're eligible!

Industry information

Healthcare workers are the backbone of our care system, supporting the elderly, disabled and vulnerable across hospitals, homes and community settings. Because people will always need care, healthcare represents one of the most recession-proof professions available.

A workforce in demand

With 34,547 personal carers and assistants working nationwide as of 2021, this sector offers stability and growth. The typical healthcare worker is a part-time female employee (91% are women) working 21 hours weekly, often including nights, weekends and shift work.

What makes someone excel in healthcare?

Outstanding healthcare workers possess strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity and practical knowledge of health and safety. They're organised, patient and physically capable of demanding work while maintaining excellent customer service standards.

Real opportunities, real progress

Due to New Zealand's ageing population, job prospects remain strong across the entire healthcare sector. The 2017 Pay Equity Settlement Act eliminated gender-based wage discrimination, delivering 15-50% pay increases for 55,000 workers.

Current pay scales reward qualifications: Level 2 qualified workers usually earn between $24 and $28 an hour, Level 3 and Level 4 starts at $26 an hour. Entry-level positions include caregiver, healthcare assistant and nurse aide roles.

Health & Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) course FAQs

Common questions about our Health & Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) course, answered.

What will I learn?

The New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) Level 4 covers these core modules:

Module 1: Aotearoa NZ Health and wellbeing sectors- Objectives and purposes.

Health strategy
Māori, Pacific Strategy
People with disabilities Health strategy

Module 2: Engagement and communication principles in healthcare settings.

Multidisciplinary communication
Difficult conversations
Creating safe and inclusive environment for constructive engagement

Module 3: Cultural awareness, competency and cultural safety in healthcare practice.

Māori values may include but are not limited to tikanga, rangatiratanga, kaumātuatanga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga
Guiding principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Importance of bicultural approach to health and wellbeing settings
Importance of Cultural awareness and competency in health and wellbeing settings

Module 4: Leadership, professional, safety & quality principles in health and wellbeing settings.

Tools of self-reflection
Critical thinking strategies
Principles of professionalism, ethics and quality in professional standards

Module 5: Community health support work/ Mental health and addiction support.

Knowledge of relevant common health conditions/ mental health conditions and addiction disorders (short description, features, risk factors, barriers for support)
Impacts of these conditions on the overall/ holistic health of the people living with these conditions
Māori and Pacific health and wellbeing policies and initiatives for people living with mental health conditions
Your contribution as a support person in alignment with these initiatives and knowledge of key service philosophies
Relevant models and approaches of care and support for people living with mental health conditions

Module 6: Clinical placement- evidence based support practices in health care setting.

Module 7: Clinical placement- evidence based support practices in community health practices/ mental health settings.

What jobs can I apply for after completing this course?

Health and/or Wellbeing field officers
Health and/or Wellbeing coaches and community health workers
Caregivers, and support workers
Mental health strand- as mental health and addiction support workers
Addiction programme facilitators
Day programme facilitators and residential support workers

Does this include work experience?

Yes, 320 hours of clinical placement.

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