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Health and Wellbeing Qualifications Review

We are reviewing a suite of eight Health and Wellbeing qualifications

A comprehensive review

Toitū te Waiora is doing a comprehensive review of eight qualifications in 2024. As the qualification developer, we want to ensure the qualifications are fit-for-purpose for the sector – and that graduates can meet the requirements of the Health and Wellbeing workforce.   

Our engagement with our sector has highlighted the need to take a combined approach. Reviewing the qualifications together will ensure a big picture view and an aligned approach to the engagement process to address gaps in qualification pathways. 

Latest updates

New approved versions of Health and Wellbeing qualifications 

Toitū te Waiora is pleased to announce that the following Health and Wellbeing qualifications have been approved by NZQA. These reviewed and updated qualifications reflect the evolving needs of the sector and provide clear pathways for learners and workforce development. 

Approved qualifications 

  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 2) [Ref: 2469] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) – Strands in Healthcare Assistance, Newborn Hearing Screening, Orderly Services, Support Work, and Vision Hearing Screening [Ref: 2470] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Peer Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 2989] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Primary Care Practice Assistance) (Level 4) [Ref: 2990] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Rehabilitation Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 2991] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) – Strands in Community Health Work, Disability Support, Diversional Therapy, Mental Health and Addiction Support, and Whānau, Community, and Social Services [Ref: 2992] 
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 4108] 

Next steps for providers 

Providers can now develop programmes leading to these updated qualifications. To assist in this process, Toitū te Waiora has created guidance notes for each qualification. We strongly encourage providers to review these resources: 

Guidance notes for providers developing programmes – Toitū te Waiora 

Request programme endorsement – Toitū te Waiora 

Ongoing sector development 

We recognise that further changes are needed to strengthen health and wellbeing training. As part of this commitment, we are launching new projects. The first two projects are: 

  • Development of new skill standards to replace unit standards 

Health and Wellbeing Skill Standard Development – Toitū te Waiora 

  • New disability support qualifications and skill standards at Levels 3 and 4 

New qualifications and skill standards in Disability Support – Toitū te Waiora 

We extend our thanks to everyone who contributed to this review. Your input has been invaluable in shaping the future of health and wellbeing education in Aotearoa. 

For more information, contact us at [email protected].

What’s next? 

Toitū te Waiora is conducting a review of the New Zealand Certificate in Public Health and Health Promotion (Level 5) [Ref: 1865] in the first half of 2025. Visit our page dedicated to this work here.

Once this public consultation period concludes we will make final adjustments to the qualification documents before submitting them to NZQA. We will keep all providers informed about the publication of the new versions. We will also be publishing a Review Report in early 2025.  

Our next major project is to transition key core unit standards into skill standards.  

New developments 

Throughout our extensive consultation across the Health and Wellbeing workforce, we’ve identified a clear need for additional qualifications, skill standards, and micro-credentials to support sector roles. Once finalised, we will be publishing our 2024-2025 work plan, including new developments, in full on our website.  

Proposed changes

New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Peer Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 2989]

Qualification overview (Tracked Changes) 

Qualification overview (Clean) 

 

 Strategic purpose statement: 

  • Additional wording included in the Strategic Purpose Statement to better reflect the value of lived experience in peer support. 

 Education pathway: 

  • The pathway now includes qualifications in rehabilitation which peer support workers could transition into. 
  • The inclusion of ‘social services’ in the education pathway to broaden the pathway. 
  • Additional wording in the pathway to provide a context for transitioning into leadership and management in peer support. 

 Employment, cultural and community pathway: 

  • The addition of a broader range of roles in peer support and the inclusion of social services, community alcohol and drug services, gambling services and rehabilitation in the employment pathway. 

 General conditions for the programme:  

  • Updated generic content to ensure consistency across the suite of the Health and Wellbeing Level 4 qualifications.  
New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Primary Care Practice Assistance) (Level 4) [Ref: 2990] 

Qualification overview (Tracked Changes) 

Qualification overview (Clean) 

 Graduate Profile Outcomes:  

  • Addition of a graduate profile outcome (GPO) pre-cursor statement ‘in a multi-disciplinary primary care setting’ to a) reflect the professional environment graduates will work in and b) to reduce duplication of stating the work setting in four GPOs.  
  • Amendment of wording in GPO 4 from ‘Reflect aims and the purpose of the wider health and wellbeing sector on own role’ to ‘Reflect upon and explain how actions within own role can influence equitable outcomes’ to align with contemporary expectations of the roles graduates will work in.   
New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Rehabilitation Support) (Level 4) with strands in Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Impairment, Chronic Illness [Ref: 2991] 

Qualification overview (Tracked Changes) 

Qualification overview (Clean) 

 

 Strand Changes: 

  • We are suggesting that elective strands are removed from this qualification given two out of the three strands need to be removed due to no usage (Spinal Cord Impairment and Chronic Illness). 

Graduate Profile Outcomes: 

  • GPO 4: slight wording change from ‘rehabilitation goals’ to ‘rehabilitation or maintenance goals’ to better reflect the needs of people the graduates would be supporting.  
  • GPO 5: is now catch-all: Apply relevant skills and knowledge to support a person living with or undertaking rehabilitation from an injury or a long-term health condition. 
  • GPOs 6 and 7 are removed. 
New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) with strands in Community Health Work, Disability Support, Diversional Therapy, Mental Health and Addiction Support and Whānau, Community and Social Services [Ref: 2992]

 Qualification overview (Tracked Changes) 

Qualification overview (Clean)  

 Qualification Title 

  • Additional wording included in the qualification title strand to better reflect the role of Diversional and Recreational Therapists. 

Strategic Purpose Statement 

  • The requirement for graduates to work in a team as well as a self-managed capacity. 
  • Additional information for Diversional and Recreational Therapists that outlines that the qualification is a requirement for to them obtain professional registration and their Annual Practicing Certificate with the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy. 

Graduate Profile Outcomes 

  • GPO1: Requiring learners to communicate effectively with tangata, family and/or whānau. 
  • GPO3: The addition of self-management into the GPO. 

Strands 

  • Disability strand: The addition of self-determination, inclusivity and equity to identify goals and opportunities to overcome challenges to enable good lives. 
  • Diversional and Recreational Therapy strand: Adding recreational into role description in the strand. 
  • Mental Health and Addiction Support strand: Including tangata whaiora in the strand. 

Education Pathway 

  • The update of qualification titles and strands for New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) and the New Zealand Certificate in Youth Leadership (Level 3). 
  • The removal of the New Zealand Diploma in Addiction Studies as it is discontinued. 
  • The inclusion of the New Zealand Diploma in Health and Wellbeing (Practice/Applied Practice) (Level 5) qualification. 

Employment, cultural and community pathway 

  • The addition of a broader range of roles in diversional and recreational therapy and the updating of the community health/support worker role. 

General conditions for the programme  

  • Updated generic content to ensure consistency across the suite of the Health and Wellbeing Level 4 qualifications.  
New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 4108] 

Qualification overview (Tracked Changes) 

Qualification overview (Clean) 

 

 Graduate Profile Outcomes 

  • GPO 1: Sector wanted to see the addition of ‘other service providers’ to reflect the integration with other service providers.   
  • Updated to terminology to replace culturally appropriate with culturally inclusive for consistency across the suite of health and wellbeing qualifications.   
  • GPO 4: defined the reporting expectation to better reflect the type and level of reporting required for the role  
  • GPO 5: defined leadership to also include personal leadership to enable learners who demonstrate leadership skills but may not hold leadership positions to be able to achieve  

Health and Wellbeing Survey Summary

We had a great response with over 200 representatives within sector peak bodies, industry, providers, iwi, and other stakeholders getting back to us. We have pulled together the highlights from all eight surveys to summarise what we heard. The following are those highlights.

Health and Wellbeing Survey Summary

Qualifications under review

  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 2) [Ref: 2469]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) with strands in Healthcare Assistance; Integrated Practice (Family and Whānau Harm); Newborn Hearing Screening; Orderly Services; Support Work; Vision Hearing Screening; and Whānau, Kin and Foster Care [Ref: 2470]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Peer Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 2989]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Primary Care Practice Assistance) (Level 4) [Ref: 2990]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Rehabilitation Support) (Level 4) with strands in Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Impairment, and Chronic Illness [Ref: 2991]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) with strands in Community Health Work; Disability Support; Diversional Therapy; Mental Health and Addiction Support; and Whānau, Community and Social Services [Ref: 2992]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support) (Level 4) [Ref: 4108]
  • New Zealand Certificate in Public Health and Health Promotion (Level 5) [Ref: 1865] 

Working collaboratively  

We still need your support. 

Guidance from sector stakeholders, providers, Māori, and other groups like Pacific and tangata whaikaha, is crucial. By reviewing these qualifications together and working closely with the sector, we aim to ensure any changes address gaps in the pathways and provide scaffolded learning opportunities.  

We want to make sure we include the voice of sector, industry, learners, providers, iwi and other key stakeholders in the review. There are a few ways you can participate: 

  • Receive project updates 
  • Join a consultation group, or  
  • Have a one-on-one kōrero with our team 

Consultation groups will ensure we have representation and insight across different specialist areas of the sector. Current providers will work with us to identify any areas for improvement for qualifications and we will also work alongside industry to identify gaps in the workforce and priorities for the sector. 

More information

Contact the team on [email protected] 

For information on how we are engaging with Māori and Pacific contact Wayne or Maikali on: