Field Community and Social Services
Registration of Health, Disability and Aged Support skill standards
Toitū te Waiora Workforce Community, Health, Education and Social Services Workforce Development Council has completed development of six skill standards to be listed in the Supporting People with Disabilities and Neurodiversity domains.
Date new versions published December 2025
Planned review date December 2030
Summary
Toitū te Waiora Workforce Development Council worked with the disability support sector through 2024–2025 to define the skills needed for high-quality, rights-based support in Aotearoa. A new suite of skill standards was created, grounded in the Enabling Good Lives approach and guided by the NZDSN’s Voices from the Community report. Engagement included targeted outreach, workshops in Auckland and Christchurch, national webinars, and consultation with disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, whānau, and others with lived experience.
A Disability Support Consultation Group (DSCG) added 24 hours of co-design, with national consultation in June and final revisions in September 2025. The standards support the New Zealand Certificate in Disability Support (Level 3) [Ref: 5561], provide a pathway to the New Zealand Certificate in Disability Support (Level 4: [Ref: 5562], complement core Health and Wellbeing standards, and will progressively replace unit standards.
Main changes
Six new skill standards were developed:
· Four standards (41036-41039) are knowledge-based to support learners to build foundational knowledge across a diverse range of support needs. These reflect the changing needs of the sector and address current gaps in content.
· One standard (40140) introduces the Enabling Good Lives approach to provide learners with a foundational knowledge at Level 3.
· One standard (41041) that applies knowledge gained from above standards, providing a comprehensive entry-level skill standard for learners entering the disability support sector.
Detailed list of standards – classification, title, level, and credits
All changes are in bold.
Community and Social Services > Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Neurodiversity
|
ID |
Title |
Level |
Credit |
Review Category |
|
41039 |
Recognise the lived experience and support considerations of neurodivergent people |
3 |
5 |
NEW |
Community and Social Services > Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Supporting People with Disabilities
|
ID |
Title |
Level |
Credit |
Review Category |
|
41036 |
Recognise the lived experience and support considerations of people with physical disabilities |
3 |
5 |
NEW |
|
41037 |
Recognise the lived experience and support considerations of people with sensory disabilities |
3 |
5 |
NEW |
|
41038 |
Recognise the lived experience and support considerations of people with intellectual disabilities |
3 |
5 |
NEW |
|
41040 |
Identify and examine the principles and practice of the Enabling Good Lives approach |
3 |
5 |
NEW |
|
41041 |
Apply rights-based and person-centred approaches to support a disabled person |
3 |
10 |
NEW |