The purpose of this qualification is to provide the health and wellbeing sector with people who have the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to work alongside people, family and/or whānau accessing social and community services.

This is an entry-level qualification targeted at people already working in, or those who intend to be employed in or develop a career in supporting the health and wellbeing of people, family and/or whānau, and the wider community.

The qualification includes five strands which recognise the specialist skills and knowledge required of people working in various roles within social and community services.

Graduates will benefit by gaining a qualification that recognises their ability to support people family and/or whānau accessing social and community services within the health and wellbeing sector and a pathway to further qualifications.

Graduates will be capable of working in a self-managed capacity under broad guidance.

This qualification is not associated with professional registration or a clinical scope of practice.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Engage and communicate with tangata, family and/or whānau accessing social and community services in a manner which respects their socio-cultural identity, experiences and self-knowledge.
- Apply knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to honour the history and context of Māori as tangata whenua and apply knowledge of person-whānau interconnectedness to own role in a health and wellbeing setting.
- Demonstrate self-awareness, reflective practice, personal leadership and self-care in a health and wellbeing setting.
- Actively contribute to a culture of professionalism, safety and quality in a health and wellbeing organisation.
- Use knowledge of the aims and purpose(s) of the wider health and wellbeing sectors to reflect on their impact on own role.

Graduates of the Community Health Work strand will also be able to:
- Apply community health work tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family and/or whānau to support autonomy and promote the self-determination of health and wellbeing.

Graduates of the Disability Support strand will also be able to:
- Apply disability tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family and/or whānau to support autonomy, identify goals and opportunities to overcome challenges to enable good lives.

Graduates of the Diversional Therapy strand will also be able to:
- Apply diversional therapy tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family and/or whānau to enhance their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Graduates of the Mental Health and Addiction Support strand will also be able to:
- Apply mental health and/or addiction tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family and/or whānau to support autonomy, foster hope, and develop resilience.

Graduates of the Whānau, Community and Social Services strand will also be able to:
- Apply community and social services tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family and/or whānau to support autonomy, identify goals, reduce vulnerability and build resilience or achieve aspirations.

This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) with strands in Health Assistance, Newborn Hearing Screening, Orderly Services, Support Work, Vision Hearing Screening, and Whānau, Kin and Foster Care [Ref: 2470], or the New Zealand Certificate in Youth Work (Level 3) [Ref: 2448], or the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (Level 3) [Ref:1039].

This qualification may lead to to the New Zealand Certificate in Public Health and Health Promotion (Level 5) [Ref: 1865], New Zealand Diploma in Addiction Studies (Applied) (Level 6) [Ref: 2733] or higher-level study in related health and wellbeing subject areas.

Employees and volunteers working in the health and wellbeing sectors are required to undergo initial and ongoing checks to ensure they are a fit and proper person to provide support.
To establish a fit and proper person, checks will be required and, depending on the context they work in, may include:
- Police checks,
- Drug and alcohol testing,
- Two references,
- Checks against Children's Act 2014,
- Checks against any other relevant legislation.