Professional Certificate in Contract Law (Health & Human Services)

(PCContractLaw)

The Community Health Institute Professional Certificate in Contract Law (Health & Human Services) is designed for leaders, managers and professionals who enter into, negotiate, manage or make decisions about contracts across aged care, disability, mental health, healthcare and community services.

Contracts are central to the operation of health and human services organisations. Service agreements, supplier arrangements, consultancy agreements, funding arrangements, commercial partnerships and other contracts establish important rights, responsibilities and risks. Yet many of the people responsible for managing these arrangements are not lawyers and have had little formal development in contract law.

This course focuses on the practical legal principles that professionals need to understand when working with contracts. Rather than approaching contract law as an abstract legal subject, the course uses realistic cases and contractual problems to develop the ability to identify issues, interpret contractual obligations, recognise risk and make better-informed decisions.

From the outset, you will work with situations involving contract formation, terms, interpretation, performance, variations, breaches, termination and disputes. Particular attention is given to the contractual environments encountered across health and human services, including service agreements and contracts involving consumers, participants, providers, suppliers and other organisations.

It is important that graduates understand not only the principles of contract law, but how contractual rights and obligations operate in practice and when a contractual issue requires professional legal advice.

By the end of the course, you will be better equipped to understand and manage contractual relationships, identify contractual risk, interpret common contractual provisions and make more informed and defensible decisions throughout the contract lifecycle.

This course is directly relevant to these areas of practice:

  • Disability / NDIS

  • Aged Care

  • Mental Health

  • Allied Health

  • Advocacy Practice

  • Healthcare organisations

  • Community services organisations

  • Specialist and General Practice medical clinic management

  • Other health and human services organisations

Professional Certificate in Contract Law (Health & Human Services) (PCContractLaw)

  • 12 weeks.

  • You do not need to purchase any additional learning materials - everything including readings are provided.

    6 comprehensive learning modules on specific employment law topics relevant to your work.

    Structured, easy-to-follow case-based assessments that you’ll complete independently.

    Multiple opportunities to receive detailed feedback on progress.

    Weekly virtual ‘open door’ with a Teaching Fellow where you can ask any questions about the program materials or your assessments.

    All students receive 12 months’ access to any Calder Reid webinars at no cost (expires 12 months after date of enrolment).

  • Delivered 100% online.

    Language: English.

  • Anytime, year round.

  • Minimum 18 years of age.

    Competent English speaking and writing communication skills.

  • This program is fully inclusive. In 2026, the total fee is $770 (GST inclusive).

    Fees must be paid prior to commencement.

 

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In this short course, you may learn about:

  • Introduction to Australian contract law and its application in health and human services

  • Understanding when a legally enforceable contract exists

  • Offer, acceptance, consideration and intention to create legal relations

  • Authority to negotiate, enter into and vary contracts

  • Written, verbal and electronic contracts

  • Understanding express and implied contractual terms

  • Conditions, warranties and other contractual obligations

  • Reading and interpreting contracts in practice

  • Identifying the parties, scope, obligations and responsibilities within an agreement

  • Common contractual clauses and their practical effect

  • Representations made before and during contract formation

  • Misrepresentation and misleading or deceptive conduct

  • Australian Consumer Law and its interaction with contractual arrangements

  • Standard-form contracts and unfair contract terms

  • Service agreements in disability, NDIS, aged care and other care environments

  • Contractual considerations when working with participants, consumers, families, representatives and substitute decision-makers

  • Supplier, contractor, consultant and business-to-business agreements

  • Pricing, payment, invoicing and other financial provisions

  • Service standards, performance requirements and contractual deliverables

  • Confidentiality, privacy and information-handling clauses

  • Indemnities, limitations of liability and allocation of contractual risk

  • Insurance requirements within commercial agreements

  • Contract duration, renewal and extension provisions

  • Variations and changes to contractual arrangements

  • Managing contractual performance and non-performance

  • Identifying and responding to a potential breach of contract

  • Material and other forms of contractual breach

  • Remedies for breach of contract

  • Damages and the principles affecting contractual compensation

  • Suspension and termination rights

  • Contractual notice requirements and their practical importance

  • Dispute-resolution clauses and managing contractual disputes

  • Documentation and record keeping throughout the contract lifecycle

  • Managing contracts where contractual, regulatory and care obligations intersect

  • Recognising contractual risks before they become disputes

  • When to seek legal advice and how to escalate significant contractual issues

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