Non School Based Courses
30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Learner Information Handbook
Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Participants will require regular communication with a suitably qualified and approved mentor and to
attend four cluster workshops for collaboration and to develop a community of practice. ........................ 4
Course Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Our Clients and Entry Requirements ................................................................................................................. 5
Mode of Delivery ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Credit Transfer or Mutual Recognition.............................................................................................................. 6
Course Outcome and Pathways ........................................................................................................................ 6
Fees, Charges and Refund Policy ....................................................................................................................... 7
Fees & Charges .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Refund Policy ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Client Support Services ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Legislative Requirements .................................................................................................................................. 8
Unique Student Identifier (USI) ......................................................................................................................... 8
Complaints and Appeals .................................................................................................................................... 9
Preparation for the Course .............................................................................................................................. 10
Participation Expectations ............................................................................................................................... 10
Submission of Assessment Items .................................................................................................................... 11
Recognition of Prior Learning ...................................................................................................................... 12
Laptops ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Learner Feedback ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Non Completion and Unsatisfactory results ................................................................................................... 12
Further Information......................................................................................................................................... 12
Checklist for what to do: ................................................................................................................................. 13
Modification History ........................................................................................................................................ 13
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Document1
Version:6 – 3 August 2015
© Edmund Rice Education Australia – Youth Plus 2015
Page 3 of 13
Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Introduction
This Diploma was originally developed primarily for educators, youth workers, counsellors, and other
school officers working in a national Youth plus Flexible Learning Centre community including registered
teachers. This includes current staff, some past students, some Indigenous workers, and some support
staff whose life experiences and perspectives enable them to work relationally with young people in ways
which make them competent workers. A number of these people do not necessarily have formal
qualifications. It is recognised that teachers already hold teaching qualifications and may have been
practising teachers for a period of time. Some teachers may have taught VET subjects for a period of time,
some maybe new to VET and some may be new to teaching in Flexible Learning Centres, and other nonmainstream educational settings. This course teaches frameworks which would be new, and useful, to
many educators in Flexible Learning Centres and other alternative (formal and informal) education
settings, regardless of their level of experience in this unique teaching and learning environment.
This course is intended to provide people who are working with disenfranchised and at-risk young people
with the skills and expertise in making meaningful connections with young people and supporting their
complex flexible learning/educational needs as well as supporting the whole person in growth. There is an
emphasis on gentle, creative interactions with young people, using strengths-based approaches and
trauma-informed practices to share power with young people, rather than overpowering young people, to
help them meet their educational and life goals.
This course is designed to enable participants to apply for recognition of prior learning for a number of
units.
Units have been written and chosen on the basis of what is most useful in a non-mainstream school
environment.
Participants will require regular communication with a suitably qualified and approved mentor and to
attend four cluster workshops for collaboration and to develop a community of practice.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Course Overview
The units covered in this Diploma are all identified as core units (mandatory). These units have been
selected to reflect the skills and knowledge that educators either already possess or need to possess when
interacting and engaging young people in a flexible learning centre environment.
On successful completion of all 12 units of competency you will gain a nationally recognised qualification.
To complete the qualification you are required to show competence in all 12 units (either through formal
assessment or credit transfer from of exact unit matches), otherwise a Statement of Attainment will be
issued for the units you have successfully completed.
Core
30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Code
Title
YTHETH501A
Work within the ‘Operation by Principles’ Model with
disenfranchised young people
YTHTIP501A
Work within a Trauma Informed Practice Framework
YTHLRN501A
Develop and use experiential and applied learning strategies to
engage disenfranchised young people
CHCORG428A
Reflect on and improve own professional practice
CHCEDS505A
Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
students
CHCCHILD404A
Support the rights and safety of children and young people
CHCCOM403A
Use targeted communication skills to build relationships
CHCGROUP403D
Plan and conduct group activities
CHCCS504A
Provide services to clients with complex needs
CHCEDS506A
Assist in implementing education plans for students with disabilities
CHCAD401D
Advocate for clients
QLD194LIT02A
Determine LLN Needs of Clients
Our Clients and Entry Requirements
This qualification can be completed by a range of people working in many different industries which cater
to the needs of disenfranchised young people, the 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning at Youth Plus has
been designed specifically for Educators, Youth Workers, Counsellors, Youth Justice personnel, residential
care workers as well as staff working in a Flexible Learning Centre environment. All course participants will
need a sound level of computer and Literacy skills as there are many computer based assessments and
some typing and document creation is necessary. Students are required to have intermediate MS Office
skill level (Word and PowerPoint), and good knowledge of file management and the internet to successfully
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
complete many of the units in this program. Ideally, all Learners must be working in an environment where
they have access to disenfranchised young people (with whom they can build relationships) for at least two
and a half days each week because this course has a heavy workbased learning component. Access and
support from your workplace is required to complete the workplace criteria of the course. Learners without
a suitable workplace are encouraged to find other practice environments.
Mode of Delivery
The majority of our course is completed during four (4) face-to-face workshops with a duration of three (3)
days each. The Workshops are mandatory and will give you the grounding for collaborative, reflective and
principle based practice within formal and informal learning environments.
Units will often be integrated and clustered together so more than one unit is completed in some
assessment tasks. Some work will be required to be completed in the workplace between cluster
workshops (Workbased assessment) and continuous contact with your mentor and trainer is essential.
Credit Transfer or Mutual Recognition
As a requirement of the Vocational Education and Training Act 2011, Youth Plus recognises qualifications
issued by other RTOs. If you have already completed one or more current units with another provider and
wish to receive credit for this please submit your official Statement of Attainment (a copy verified by a JP)
to our Head Office at least 14 days prior to your workshop to allow sufficient time for our staff to validate
your certificate. Note that we cannot provide Credit Transfer if you do not submit the official
documentation. training@youthplus.edu.au
Course Outcome and Pathways
Upon successful completion of the 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning, you will be considered to have
the most appropriate qualification for an educator in a Flexible Learning Centre, or other educational
Environment. You must continue to meet the
requirements of vocational competence and currency to maintain the value of this qualification, that is you
need continuous education and practice in similar environments such as Flexible Learning Centres and
engage in Professional Learning every year for several days (Youth Plus Staff Days satisfy this requirement,
along with other Professional Learning done at sites.)
Following completion of the 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning, participants may wish to study
qualifications at a higher level or consider an undergraduate degree, pathways for articulation are currently
being discussed with Universities within Australia.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Fees, Charges and Refund Policy
Participants must read and understand the information presented here on fees and charges and the refund
policy before signing the enrolment form on the first day of the workshop.
Fees & Charges
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Non Youth Plus participants will be charged at $1250 per Cluster.
Payment can be made by Cheque, Electronic Funds Transfer upon receipt of an invoice or Credit
Card (Visa or Mastercard).
Fees are payable in accordance with Invoice terms for each course. A student is not eligible for the
issue of the award until fees are paid in full.
Course Fees include three (3) attempts at an assessment within 12 months of workshop dates or
enrolment which ever is the later.
A qualification or statement of attainment, with an attached statement of results will be issued on
the completion of the qualification/course or one month after the last day of the workshop unless a
formal request for extension is received by the trainer. A charge of $30 will be levied for the reissue
of transcripts and Certificates for all courses.
All monies received are placed in a separate account and are not accessed until 2 weeks prior to
the commencement of the course. A relevant proportion of the fees paid for the course will
remain in that account until the course is completed to ensure pro-rata refunds are available.
Edmund Rice Education Australia- Youth Plus agrees that once enrolment for a particular course is
accepted, that this organisation will complete delivery of the course and if unable to do so, will
arrange for the participant to complete the training at another nearby RTO with minimal disruption
to the participant.
There is no guarantee that a participant will be eligible to receive an award for any of our courses
as this depends on the individuals’ dedication, circumstances and previous experience.
There are no fee reductions in fees available to any student.
Refund Policy
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The full non-refundable fee for the course will be payable in accordance with invoice terms.
If a refund is requested 5 days before the course commences, a full refund, less a 20%
administration fee, will be given.
If a refund is requested less than 5 days before the course commences, 50% of the fee will be
refunded, less the administration fee.
At the beginning of a course, a suitable substitute participant will be accepted.
If a student wishes to change their enrolment to another course delivered within 6 months, the
fees paid will be transferable to the new course. A second administration fee will not be charged.
Once training has commenced in the course, no refund is available to participants who leave before
finalising the course unless the student can provide a medical certificate or show extreme personal
hardship. However, should participants wish to finalise incomplete competencies in a future
course, the original fee payment can be used as credit towards that course within 6 months of the
initial payment. A student should contact the RTO and discuss this with the RTO Operations
Manager.
Should this RTO cancel the course, participants are entitled to a full refund (or pro-rata adjusted
refund) or to transfer the funds to another/future course. In this event, participants will be given
their preferred option.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Client Support Services
Youth Plus is committed to access and equity principles and processes which relate to admissions, delivery
methods, assessment and support arrangements for clients with literacy and numeracy needs.
Appropriately qualified staff will assess the extent to which the client is likely to achieve the stated
competency standards and outcomes of the course, based on their qualifications and experience. It is
important to note that we cannot change the requirements of the units of competency, only the conditions
under which assessment takes place and will make all necessary steps to assist staff to succeed in this
course. Your mentor is a vital person when it comes to assistance and guidance for completion of
assessments.
Clients, who, for personal or extenuating circumstances, cannot complete the course as outlined, should
contact the facilitator to arrange for alternative times or modes of delivery.
Legislative Requirements
Youth Plus will meet all legislative requirements of State and Federal Government.
All relevant Commonwealth and State legislative requirements are to be followed by teachers and
administrators in relation to:
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Occupational Health And Safety
Anti-Discrimination including equal opportunity, racial vilification, disability discrimination
Workplace harassment, victimisation and bullying
VET Acts including Vocational Placement
Work Experience
Copyright
National principles for registration and mutual recognition
Privacy
Unique Student Identifier (USI)
From 1st of January 2015 In accordance with the Student Identifiers Act 2014 we are not permitted to issue
Statements of Attainments or Full Qualifications without the USI Number of a student being supplied. To
obtain a USI or for further information go to www.usi.gov.au. All information including USI’s are treated
with the strictest adherence to our privacy policy and the National Privacy Principles
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Complaints and Appeals
Learners with a complaint concerning the manner which the Trainer/Assessor or Teacher conducts
themselves within the RTO, have access to the procedures outlined in the flowchart below.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Preparation for the Course
1. Complete literacy and numeracy assessment given to you by your trainer prior to or at the
beginning of the course. This is required so we can make whatever reasonable adjustments are
necessary for students to have the best possibility of completing the course successfully.
2. A diploma is an AQF level 5 qualification and is Nationally recognised, regulated and benchmarked,
it is a commitment of workload approximately 5 hours work per week outside of the workshops to
successfully complete all assessments, blogs, reports, log books and other requirements of the
course. Generally if you are actively working with disenfranchised youth there is little extra work to
be done as everything in the Diploma is structure as work-based learning and all tasks are things
you should already be doing or improving upon.
Participation Expectations
1. As Adult learner and people working with young people there is an expected level of participation
and conduct to ensure all participants get the best out of the learning experience. Upon signing the
enrolment form participants are expected to:
a. The email address you supply during the enrolment process will be used to communicate
with you. It is expected you regularly check this email address to ensure you have all
relevant correspondence regarding your course.
b. Assessment work submitted is to be valid and satisfies the requirements of the Assessment
as outlined in the Assessment instructions.
c. Ensure all work submitted is the students own work and is does not violate copyright or be
deemed the intellectual property of another party. Plagiarism will be resulted as
unsatisfactory or Not Yes Competent.
d. Ensure all work is current (created in at the time of the course or the very recent past) and
is created for the purposes of the course being undertaken.
e. Ensure that sufficient work is submitted and if requested by the trainer more or
supplementary work is also submitted to substantiate any assessment work. This is to
ensure the most successful outcome. Your trainer may ask for extra work or changes so as
to be able to assess you and give you a change to correct or adjust submissions that may
not meet the desired criteria of the units.
f.
Ensure all electronic devices (including phones, tablets and computers) are switched off
during the workshops unless necessary or negotiated with the Trainer at the time. This
ensures there are no distractions for participants and everyone has the opportunity to
engage.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
g. Respectful conduct is to be maintained by all participants at all times, this includes
interactions with other students, side conversations and distractions of all types are
avoided.
h. Assessments are to be submitted online and using appropriate naming and submission
protocols as outlined by your trainer. Course participation reminders will be issued if
assessment is not received by due date.
i. Notification 1 is issued upon submission deadline lapsing with 30 days to submit.
ii. Notification 2 is issued after expiration of Notification 1 with 2 weeks to submit.
iii. Notification 3 is issued after expiration of Notification 2 and an unsatisfactory
results will be finalised in the system 7 days from the issue date of Notification 3.
Submission of Assessment Items
1. Assessments should be submitted electronically with your surname and first name in the file name,
footer along with the Cluster number, assessment title and dates.
2. Assessments must be completed within the specified time frames given during the workshop
delivery (generally 6 months). Any extensions or changes to the assessment deadlines need to be
negotiated with the trainer and if necessary medical certificate should be submitted.
3. Upon enrolment each student is accepting the requirements to participate in all aspects of the
course for successful completion these include:
a. Attention and participation in the workshop activities and assessment
b. Continuous engagement with the Blogs and other students
c. Continuous engagement with Mentors and Supervisors to compete reports
As you answer the questions, collect the required evidence to demonstrate you possess the required
knowledge and skills. It is preferable that this evidence is also electronic so if possible please scan the
documents that you have in hard copy only. If this is not possible, please post a copy (make sure they are
not your originals as they will not be returned) with your electronic submission.
Youth+ RTO, 30991QLD Submission (Your name and
class dates) PO Box 498, Red Hill , QLD 4059
Or Your Trainers preferred Address:
tara.harriden@youthplus.edu.au,
Linda.Houston@youthplus.edu.au
training@youthplus.edu.au
Your assessments will be thoroughly explained at each workshop to ensure you have a strategy for
completion when you get back to your workplace.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Recognition of Prior Learning
RPL is offered against assessment items for educators who hold the relevant skills or knowledge of the
CHC08 (or its successors), units of competency, as the YTH units of competency are unique to Youth Plus all
participants must complete these assessments to gain these units. This can only be achieved through
participation in the 1st cluster workshop.
Appropriate evidence must be supplied for RPL for any units.
Although RPL is available for the CHC08 units all workshops must be attended to ensure the true spirit of
the qualification is embraced for each participant. Assessment will be conducted when you are back in your
workplace, therefore the workshops are compulsory.
Laptops
If you have your own laptop please bring it to the course. Laptops or computers may be provided to
participants (only eight available); however, some venues may be smaller and require some participants to
share computers. At some venues you will be able to connect to the network and access the Internet on
your laptop. This same guarantee cannot be made at all venues; however you will still be able to use your
own programs such as Word. If you wish to bring your own laptop it may be beneficial to also bring your
own 3G mobile internet connection if you have one.
Learner Feedback
We are committed to continuously improving our courses and we value your feedback regarding your
experiences in completing this qualification. We will ask you to complete an evaluation of the course on the
last day of the workshop. You will also be asked to complete an online survey which is a requirement for
Quality Indicator Reporting.
Non Completion and Unsatisfactory results
Assessment requirements are explained during each workshop and sign in sheets indicate these have been
understood and accepted. If you have any concerns or questions contact your Trainer/Assessor or the RTO
to discuss options. In the interests of Fairness and Flexibility 3 written notifications are issued via email
prior to the recording of Unsatisfactory results. After this time there is no negotiation available for
resubmissions or extensions.
Further Information
If you have any further questions regarding this course please contact our head office via email
training@youthplus.edu.au or via telephone: 07 34471009, 0427 474 665.
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Learner Information Handbook
Youth + Edmund Rice Education Australia RTO
Non School Based Courses – 30991QLD Diploma of Flexible Learning
Provider Number: 31330
Checklist for what to do:
 Applied for a USI or provided my USI (go to www.usi.gov.au to get your usi)
 Received the Course Schedule
 Read the handbook (highly recommended)
 Filled out enrolment form COMPLETELY and CORRECTLY
 Your supervisor (HOC/HOD/TIC) and yourself have suggested a suitable mentor
 Travel arrangements are being considered
 Any previous qualifications with CHC unit codes are sent to training@youthplus.edu.au
 Any issues regarding overtime, release hours or days, mentoring hours in work time or out of work
time and negotiations relating for term time employees being paid for attending workshop is discussed
and negotiated at the time of signing the enrolment form. It is expected all learners will not be paid for
workshop attendance, mentoring time or assessment completion, any other arrangements are purely
to be discussed and negotiated with the HOC/HOD/TIC and the Learner.
Modification History
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All versions prior to F5 minor and appear on running sheets
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Version 5 - 7/1/2015 – made changes to comply with USI and Total VET reporting as well as new
standards effective 1 January 2015
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Version 6 – 3/8/2015 added to Course preparation and expectations to include distractions and
conduct. Added Assessment deadline 6 months.
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