New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4)
With strands in Mental Health and Addiction Support, and Whānau, Community, and Social Services
HS1801
Course details
-
Jul 2025Feb 2026
- One year
- Full-time
- $2,723*
- You may qualify for fee-free study under Fees Free Policy or MPTT*
- Level 4
- Available for International Students. International Fee Guideline
- Hamilton City Campus, Online delivery or Ōtorohanga
Summary
This one-year health and wellbeing course will provide students with the foundation knowledge, skills, and practical experience required to work alongside individuals, families, and whānau accessing social and community services.
Students gain a wide range of transferable skills essential to the role of a support worker and select from one of the following strands to further strengthen their learning:
- Mental health and addiction support: Apply mental health and/or addiction tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family, and whānau to support autonomy, foster hope, and develop resilience.
- Whānau, community, and social services: Apply community and social services tools and strategies when working alongside tangata, family, and whānau to support autonomy, identify goals, reduce vulnerability, and build resilience or achieve aspirations.
A key benefit of this programme is its flexibility in delivery. Students studying at our Hamilton Campus study face-to-face with tutors and their peers twice a week and have three days for independent study or placement. Ōtorohanga students will study one day face to face and one day in a virtual classroom with tutors and their peers and have three days for independent study or placement. This programme can be undertaken entirely online for those already employed in a health care support role.
Students will undertake 200 practicum hours in a work setting relevant to their selected strand to apply their knowledge and skills, enhance their learning, and develop professional practice.
We welcome all new students with an induction at the start of the programme.
View programme modules
Group A: Core compulsory modules
| Module code | Module title | Level | Credits | Pre-requisites | Co-requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMC409B | Introduction to the Health and Wellbeing Sector | 4 | 15 | ||
| COMC410B | Theory for Practice | 4 | 15 | ||
| COMC411 | Te Ao Hauora Māori | 4 | 15 | ||
| COMC412B | Societal Influences in Health and Wellbeing | 4 | 15 | ||
| COMC413B | Working with Tangata | 4 | 15 |
Group B: Mental Health and Addiction Support strand compulsory modules
| Module code | Module title | Level | Credits | Pre-requisites | Co-requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMC414B | Mental Health and Addiction Support Practicum 1 | 4 | 15 | ||
| COMC415B | Mental Health and Addiction Support Practicum 2 | 4 | 30 |
Group C: Whānau, Community, and Social Services strand
Career/further opportunities
This qualification meets the requirements for the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement. Completion will allow employees and those seeking to enter the industry to follow a career path with qualification attainment linked to wage increases.
Depending on the strand you choose, graduate opportunities may include:
- Residential care
- Youth work
- Family violence support
- Social justice advocacy
- Community development
- Aged care
- Refugee support
- Accessibility/disability support
- Employment, housing, and budget support
- Tamariki ora support
- Wellbeing field officer
- Health and wellbeing mentor
- Mental health and addictions support
Further study opportunities
Graduates of this programme may go on to degree-level study including:
Frequently asked questions
How much time outside of class will I need to spend on study?
Who is this certificate best suited to?
It is suitable for people who currently work in, or who wish to work in support worker positions in the areas of disability, aged-care, mental health, and community work.
What is the benefit of having this certificate?
Those who hold this certificate can attain higher wages through the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement. You can find out more about that here.
What is the difference between this certificate and the Te Are Pūtake pathway?
The difference between the Certificate in Health and Wellbeing and Te Ara Pūtake, is that the certificate has two distinct purposes. Those who successfully complete it can either transition to further study in Social Practice (using it as a pathway qualification), or improve their employment and pay outcomes in the role of a Support Workers. The core role of Te Ara Pūtake is as a bridging qualification that students generally complete with the intent to continue studying further.
Can I work and study at the same time?
What are the criteria for being an online student?
What is a practicum?
Practicum is a period spent in the field working alongside individuals, families, and whānau accessing social and community services. The idea of practicum is that you have a context in which to take on the role of support worker while still being guided and supervised.
Practicum placements provide students with the opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in the field such as understanding agencies, systems, and accountability processes, developing awareness of professional roles and responsibilities, collaborative collegial relationships, working with tangata whaiora, and application of professional and ethical practice.
What support will I have before and during practicum?
How are practicums organised?
Who pays for costs associated with practicum?
What happens if I am already working in the field?
Placements
As part of your programme of study, you will spend 200 hours in a practicum placement; this is where you link the theory you are learning with practical application.
Face to face
You will be expected to be proactive in finding work placements. Think about the agencies you already know about or are connected with and agencies whose work you are most interested in experiencing. Once your study
has started, you will be supported by the practicum coordinator to approach and confirm your placement. Note that some placement options are limited, and you may be required to undertake a placement experience in an agency that is not your first option.
Online
As an online student, you will be expected to complete your placement hours in your current workplace.
Covid-19 vaccination information
To complete this programme of study, it is necessary to complete a placement/placements. It is highly recommended that you are vaccinated against Covid-19 if you want to apply for this programme.
Events
No events.
Disclaimers
Entry criteria
You can apply for this programme if you meet one or more of the below options.
Based on your school achievement (secondary study)
- 40 credits at NCEA Level 1; including 10 literacy credits and 10 numeracy credits;
- Or a recognised equivalent.
Based on study completed after school (tertiary study)
- A relevant course at NZQF Level 3;
- Or a recognised equivalent.
Based on your work experience (on the job)
If you can demonstrate relevant knowledge, skills and experience that you have gained through work experience, that will help you to be successful in the programme.
Based on discretionary entrance
If you don’t meet any of the above options, and you think you have what it takes to complete this programme, you can apply for discretionary entrance. Your application may be accepted if you can demonstrate a good chance of success. Approval of discretionary entrance applications is decided by the relevant manager. If your application is approved, your acceptance into further programmes relies on you demonstrating success in this programme.
Selection criteria
- All candidates are required to:
- Complete the standard Wintec application form
- Complete a self-declaration of criminal convictions
- Complete a self-declaration of mental or physical condition
- Candidates may also be required to provide additional information and/or attend an interview in order for their application to be assessed.
- Candidates for the online cohort are required to be working (paid or voluntarily) for at least 12 hours a week in a health or wellbeing organisation.
- 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 and are required to undergo the following checks:
- Police checks
- Two references
- Checks against Children’s Act 2014
- Checks against any other relevant legislation
- Candidates are required to disclose whether they have been convicted of a criminal offence and police vetting will be carried out on all candidates. By signing the police vetting form candidates are consenting to the police vetting process being carried out. Candidates should be aware that some types of criminal convictions may limit their ability to secure practicum placements and, thus, to complete the programme requirements. When determining whether an applicant’s criminal convictions impact their ability to meet the requirements of the practicum component, the “severity, recency, age at offending and pattern of offending are taken into consideration”. Persons who are convicted of ‘specified offences’ will not be accepted onto any programme that requires that Person to work in an organisation providing a regulated service.
Applicants must declare any pending or new convictions arising at any stage throughout the entire enrolment period. A conviction or failure to declare a conviction may also result in the student being immediately withdrawn from the programme.
Any unsatisfactory result arising from the full safety checking process may result in the candidate being declined entry or withdrawn from the programme of study. - Candidates are required in their applications to indicate whether they have had a physical or mental condition that is likely to impact on their participation on the programme. Candidates should be aware that some types of physical or mental conditions may prevent them from participating in elements of the programme or in the candidate being declined entry or withdrawn from the programme of study.
- Candidates wanting to use their workplace for the placement component of the programme may do so at the discretion of the Programme Co-ordinator. Workplaces will be checked for suitability in relation to the programme. Candidates will be required to provide a letter from their manager/employer confirming the support of the workplace/agency and availability of a supervisor for their studies.
- Where candidates transfer from on-campus to online learning, the availability of a supervisor to meet the work placement criteria will be required.
English language requirements
Candidates who have English as a second language are required to have an academic International English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 5.5, with no individual band score lower than 5.0; or equivalent.
Pathways
To check what you need to gain direct entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.
Your first day
Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.
Semester 2 2025
Induction day for all intakes
Date: Monday 21 July 2025
Time: 8am-3pm
Venue: Dg.30, D Block, City Campus
If you are a regional or online student, we welcome and encourage you to attend this induction.
If you are unable to attend your induction day, please let us know by email.
Prospectus (course guide)
The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.
Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus
The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.
Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus
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