Registration is open to any person working in Victoria who provides a disability service to a person with disability. Supervisors and managers of a person or people who provide disability services can also register as disability workers.

To be eligible for registration, you must demonstrate that you have the necessary knowledge, skills, experience, and that you are a suitable person to be a registered disability worker.

You can apply to register as either a disability support worker or a disability practitioner, and may apply based on professional experience, your qualification/s, or both. All workers must have some experience providing a disability service to become registered. If you have any questions about being eligible for registration please call our Registration team on 1800 497 132 or email registration@vdwc.vic.gov.au.


Disability support workers

If you apply for registration based on your professional experience, you must show that:

  • you have completed a minimum of 1,440 hours work over at least two (2) years in the past 10 years, and
  • this work was as a disability worker.

You will need to enter details of your relevant disability work, including:

  • name of employer/s
  • months you started and finished in that role/s
  • the approximate number of hours you worked in that role/s
  • the tasks you performed in that role/s.

You will be asked to provide evidence of your professional experience that shows you meet the requirements above. Evidence may consist of the following (please note you are not required to provide all these documents but the evidence provided must show hours worked and role performed):

  • statements of service
  • payment slips or summaries
  • description of roles where you provided disability services, including hours worked and duties
  • letters from employers
  • satisfactory performance review
  • a letter, email or document from you setting out employer names, role titles, length of employment, hours of work, duties performed.

If you apply for registration based on your qualification you must show:

  • you hold a Certificate III or IV in Disability, Individual support or a related field*, or
  • training as a disability worker equivalent to Certificate III in Individual support (disability), and
  • you have relevant work experience providing disability services (may include placement hours completed as part of a relevant qualification).

When completing the online application form, you must provide the following evidence:

  • a certificate of completion OR
  • an academic transcript showing that the course was completed
  • details of your work demonstrating that you provide services that support people with disability (for example; a statement of your experience in the disability sector) and
  • a certificate, extract or other evidence of registration with the relevant professional body (if relevant).

The evidence you upload should clearly show your name, the name of the qualification, the date of the qualification, and the name of the educational institution.

If you apply for registration based on a combination of qualifications and experience, you must show:

  • you have a qualification in community services, health or a related field* that is relevant to the worker’s experience providing disability services, and
  • at least 120 hours of relevant work experience providing disability services.

*The Board will consider other disciplines such as counselling, youth work, psychology, childcare and education on a case-by-case basis as to how these support people with disability.
 

Disability practitioners

If you apply for registration based on your qualification you must show:

  • you have a relevant tertiary qualification (diploma level or higher) in a professional discipline that supports people with disability, for example, allied health or social work; and
  • you have experience in a role providing specialist or professional disability services, and
  • if you work in a profession that requires it, that you hold registration with the professional body governing your profession.

You must provide the following evidence:

  • a certificate of completion OR
  • an academic transcript showing that the course was completed and
  • details of your work demonstrating that you provide services that support people with disability (for example; a statement of your experience in the disability sector) and
  • a certificate, extract or other evidence of registration with the relevant professional body (if relevant)

The evidence you upload should clearly show your name, the name of the qualification, the date of the qualification, and the name of the educational institution.

If you apply for registration based on your professional experience, you must show:

  • that you hold registration with the professional body governing your profession, and
  • you have a minimum of 1,440 hours of relevant specialist, professional experience providing disability services as a disability practitioner over at least two (2) years in the past 10 years.

Relevant professional body means Australian regulators, including all Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) regulated professional Boards. Other regulators will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

You will be asked to enter the details of your work into the online application form, including:

  • the name of your employer/s
  • the months you started and finished in that role/s
  • the approximate number of hours you worked in that role/s
  • the tasks you performed in that role/s.

You will also need to provide supporting evidence of your specialist and professional experience that shows you meet the requirements above. Evidence may consist of (please note you are not required to provide all these documents):

  • statements of service
  • payment slips or summaries
  • descriptions of roles where you provided disability services including hours of work and duties
  • letters from employers
  • satisfactory performance review
  • a letter, email or document from you setting out employer names, role titles, length of employment, hours of work, duties performed.
  • a certificate, extract or statement of registration.

If you apply for registration based on a combination of qualifications and experience, you must show:

  • you have a qualification in a professional discipline that supports people with disability that is relevant to the worker’s specialist experience providing disability services as a disability practitioner, and
  • at least 120 hours of relevant professional experience providing disability services as a disability practitioner.

Registration standards

There are three registration standards that applicants must meet in order to become registered, and continue to meet whilst remaining registered. These are competency in English, passing a criminal history check, and undertaking Continuing Professional Development. You can read further information about the requirements here.
 

 BEFORE YOU START - before completing your application we recommend downloading and reading through the full Application Form Guide here.

You can also call the Registration team on 1800 497 132 or email them on registration@vdwc.vic.gov.au before you start your application.