
This course will teach you how to provide quality-of-life opportunities for individuals who experience barriers to participation in recreation and leisure. Clients may include those with disabilities, older people, youth, children, families, corporate organisations, and people in respite. You will gain the ability to challenge and enhance their psychological, social, emotional, and physical well-being and develop the confidence to seek out opportunities that utilise your skills.
With 240 hours of practical placement, you will graduate with real workplace experience, aiding your employment prospects and ability to truly help others.
Upon graduation, dependent on the completion of relevant work experience, you will be able to apply for full membership with Diversional Therapy Australia (DTA).
You will learn to
- Plan and implement leisure and recreational activity programs
- Provide leisure education
- Identify individual needs and abilities
- Assess the client’s level of interest and capability in a range of activities
- Encourage and support participation
- Train and supervise volunteers and other staff
- Access community resources
Career Opportunities
Community Services is one of the fastest growing sectors for jobs in Australia. It’s estimated that 50,000+ new jobs will be created within the industry by 2023 (reference joboutlook.gov.au).
Leisure and Health is a growing sub-sector of Community Services with increasing levels of people requiring assistance to undertake even the most basic of tasks such as shopping or maintaining levels of activity.
Job Roles include:
- Diversional Therapist
- Activities Coordinator
- Community and Leisure Coordinator
- Lifestyle Coordinator
- Leisure Services Coordinator/Manager
Industry Accreditation

Australis graduates of this qualification are recognised by Diversional & Recreation Therapy Australia as eligible to apply for Full Membership.
Please refer to the DRTA website for information on the membership application process and associated fees.
University Articulation

Australis has partnered with Western Sydney University to create an articulation agreement for credit in the WSU Bachelor of Health Science (80cps).
View the agreement here. Entry is subject to Western Sydney University standards.

Australis has partnered with University of Southern Queensland to create an articulation agreement for credit in the USQ Bachelor of Human Services (for up to 8 electives).
View the agreement here. Entry is subject to University of Southern Queensland standards.

Australis has partnered with Griffith University to create an articulation agreement for credit in the Bachelor of Sport Development (30/40 CP).
View the agreement here. Entry is subject to Griffith University standards.
Duration
You have access to the course for 24 months, but you can complete it faster than this if you wish.
Delivery & Support
The course is delivered via Blended learning, combining online study with practical ‘work experience placement.
Content is delivered primarily online and includes live chat sessions and ‘virtual’ classrooms, providing you with direct access to industry experts. Attendance at the live sessions is optional but strongly recommended.
During the course, you need to locate and undertake 240 hours of ‘work experience placement with a suitable community services organisation.
Subjects
There are 22 subjects in the CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health.
CHCCOM003 – Develop workplace communication strategies
BSBMGT502 – Manage people performance
CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people
CHCSET001 – Work with forced migrants
HLTAAP002 – Confirm physical health status
CHCADV002 – Provide advocacy and representation services
CHCLAH009 – Apply concepts of human psychology to facilitate involvement in leisure programs
CHCLAH005 – Incorporate lifespan development and sociological concepts into leisure and health programming
HLTWHS003 – Maintain work health and safety
CHCDEV001 – Confirm client development status
CHCCCS004 – Assess co-existing needs
CHCLAH001 – Work effectively in the leisure and health industries
CHCLAH008 – Provide leisure education
CHCLAH002 – Contribute to leisure and health programming
CHCLAH003 – Participate in the planning, implementation and monitoring of individual leisure and health programs
CHCLAH006 – Coordinate planning, implementation and monitoring of leisure and health programs
CHCLAH004 – Participate in planning leisure and health programs for clients with complex needs
CHCDIS007 – Facilitate the empowerment of people with disability
CHCMHS001 – Work with people with mental health issues
SISCCRO001 – Plan and conduct recreation programs for older persons
CHCPOL003 – Research and apply evidence to practice
CHCPRP003 – Reflect on and improve own professional practice
Assessment
There are no exams when completing the CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health.
You test your learning by completing quiz questions, open-book self-paced assessment activities and 240 hours of work placement. All subjects include a free re-submission if you are not successful on your first attempt.
If you already have the skills and knowledge required to attain any (or all) of these subjects, you might like to enrol as ‘Assessment Only.’ This Recognition of Prior Learning means you don’t have to study those subjects again but can go straight to the assessments. For more details, please speak with the Course Consultants.
Entry Requirements
We recommend you have sufficient language, literacy, and numeracy skills to allow you to interpret documents and prepare written reports to complete the CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health.
You need access to an internet-connected computer with a webcam for the course’s duration.
If you intend to apply for a Loan or Funding (where available) to pay for your tuition fees, additional entry criteria may apply, as detailed in the Pricing Options.
While it is not an entry requirement for the course, you will likely need to undergo a police check to work in the industry, plus obtain a Blue Card if working with children under 18. We recommend you do this before you enrol if you have any concerns about attaining these.
Practical Placement
To graduate, you must complete 240 hours of supervised work placement in relevant community service settings, e.g., direct client work or community education or development. Twenty hours of this needs to be within an Aged Care facility.
Evidence provided by your supervisor will contribute to your assessment evidence. It is your responsibility to locate suitable placement(s) however, the College will assist where possible.
$9,440
Option 1: Payment Plan
Interest-free payment plans from as little as $57 per week. Discounts apply for upfront payments and/or group enrolments. For more details, click here.
Or you can enrol in individual units and PAY AS YOU GO
At Australis College, you can access single units and pay as you go. This is the most flexible way to get qualified or stay current. Speak to a Course Consultant today.
How do I Enrol?
You can enrol and start studying anytime. To enrol:
- Phone 1300 887 991, and our Course Consultants will answer your questions and help you get started.
You may be required to provide completed documentation and Identification to complete your enrolment or complete a Core Skills assessment to help ensure the course is suitable for you.
Or you can enrol in individual units and PAY AS YOU GO
At Australis College, you can access single units and pay as you go. This is the most flexible way to get qualified or stay current. Speak to a Course Consultant today.
Security Checks
As you will be working with client groups who are vulnerable and at risk, you will almost certainly require police checks and working with children checks/disability checks.
A National Police Check certificate will list any court outcomes that can be disclosed, along with pending charges. This includes any interstate matters. The certificate won’t include any restricted court outcomes, such as certain juvenile convictions.
If you have a previous conviction, please discuss this with your course consultant to determine if it will impact your ability to secure volunteer work in the community services industry.
We recommend National Crime Check at a cost of $25. https://australiscollege.nationalcrimecheck.com.au/
Reasons to study the CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health with Australis College include:
Course Content
We wrote the course ourselves, authored by practitioners who are not just qualified trainers but who have worked in various leisure, health, and community services roles for many years.
Always check out the course content (and learning platform) BEFORE you enrol. Is it current, contextualised, engaging, or generic off-the-shelf content? Content quality will make or break your learning experience.
Trainer Experience
Our trainers work in the industry. They do what you want to do and will show you how it works. (Check out the trainers and assessors of other providers, make sure they are not just academics or former students but have worked in the industry and been everything from Leisure Officers to Leisure and Lifestyle Coordinators).
Having a great trainer is critical to graduating with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.
Placement Hours
We love placement – it is the best way to get real-world experience, improve your skills and increase your employability. For this reason, we recommend new entrants do as much placement as possible…but only up until they are ready to start paid employment.
There is a minimum of 240 hours of placement for the CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health.
Articulation
Our CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health has been reviewed and approved as providing credit for numerous Degrees, including the University of Southern Queensland, Western Sydney University, and Griffith University.
Check the other provider’s articulation agreements. Have they had their Diploma of Community Services vetted and approved by a University?
But wait….there’s more!
Your time and your career are too important to risk with the wrong training provider. For more details on choosing a training provider, please also take a look at Why Australis?