Catheter and Stoma Care
Provide hygienic, respectful catheter and stoma support.
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Non-Accredited Short Course
Start Your Career In Complex Bowel Care
Course overview
This short course is designed for Disability Support Professionals who provide personal care under an individualised bowel care plan. It delivers the foundational knowledge and practical understanding needed to support participants safely, respectfully and within your defined scope of practice.
You’ll explore healthy digestive anatomy and bowel function, learn to recognise common bowel dysfunction — including constipation, diarrhoea and faecal incontinence, and understand how individualised bowel care plans are developed, documented, reviewed and escalated. The course also covers common bowel care interventions within a support worker’s scope and equips you to respond appropriately when risks, incidents or emergencies arise.
Whether you’re new to complex bowel care or consolidating your existing practice, this course gives you a clear, consistent framework to work from — every shift, with every participant.
Important
This course supports safe bowel care under an individualised bowel care plan — always follow the person’s current plan and escalate concerns promptly.
Course objectives
- Digestive anatomy & bowel function
- Bowel dysfunction recognition
- Individualised bowel care plans
- Constipation & diarrhoea management
- Faecal incontinence support
- Interventions within scope
- Risk & incident response
- Escalation of emergencies
What does the Course Pack include?
Practical resources you can keep and use whenever needed.
Reference Card
A print-ready, one-page summary of the key steps covered in this course, ready to keep on shift.
Workbook
Observation and documentation templates for individualised bowel care.
Workplace Compliance
Supports NDIS workforce competency requirements for high-intensity personal care activities.
Who this course is for
- Digestive anatomy & bowel function
- Bowel dysfunction recognition
- Individualised bowel care plans
- Constipation & diarrhoea management
- Faecal incontinence support
- Interventions within scope
- Risk & incident response
- Escalation of emergencies
Before enrolling, please check any employer- or role-specific training requirements — this course does not replace organisation-specific induction or supervision requirements.
Course Outcomes
What you will be better prepared to do
1
Understanding normal bowel anatomy & physiology
2
Recognising healthy vs. abnormal bowel function
3
Identifying constipation signs and triggers
4
Supporting participants with diarrhoea safely
5
Safe Patient Positioning
6
Clinical Delegation Awareness
7
Managing faecal incontinence with dignity
8
Reading an individualised bowel care plan
On The Job
How the learning connects with everyday work
Scenario 1
Following a care plan
You provide bowel care support exactly as set out in the individualised plan, checking in with the person throughout.
How do you check in with the person while still following the plan exactly?
Scenario 2
Noticing a change
You notice a change from someone's usual pattern and know how to document it and when to escalate.
What would you document, and at what point would you escalate?
Scenario 3
Responding to an incident
An unexpected incident occurs during care — you respond calmly, protect the person's dignity, and follow the correct escalation steps.
How do you protect the person's dignity while still following the correct steps?
These scenarios help learners apply the training within their own role and workplace procedures — they don't replace organisational policy, clinical advice or supervision.
Five Simple Steps
How the course works
1
Enrol
Choose your course and enrol online in minutes.
2
Learn
Work through the modules at your own pace, on any device.
3
Apply
Complete scenario-based activities that mirror real shifts.
4
Complete
Finish the final knowledge check to confirm your understanding.
5
Get certified
Receive your verified digital certificate instantly.
How your learning is checked
- Short knowledge checks or multiple-choice questions
- Responses to realistic workplace scenarios
- Identifying risks and the right reporting pathways
- Practical, scenario-based activities relevant to your role
- Practical demonstrations or observations where applicable
- A final completion check or knowledge quiz
What you will receive
After meeting the course requirements, learners receive a Certificate of Completion for Complex Bowel.
Certificate of Completion
Awarded once you meet all course requirements.
Non-accredited training. This certificate is not a nationally recognised qualification or Statement of Attainment.
We’d love to be a part of your story too
Hear from support workers, team leaders, and providers who've completed our bowel and continence training.
Before this course I was copying what I thought the previous shift did. Now I understand the actual plan and I know exactly what I'm checking for. It's changed how I think about every routine.
Amara
The escalation module alone was worth it. I finally have language for what I'm seeing and I know who to call and what to say. Our nurses have noticed the improvement in our handover notes already.
Tomasz
We rolled this out across our whole SIL team before our NDIS audit. The auditor asked about our approach to complex bowel care and we could demonstrate documented worker training and a shared escalation process. Huge relief.
Neha
