Simulated workplaceCAQA Riverbend Animal Care is a fictional business created by CAQA for training and assessment. It is not a real company and no person, client or record here is real.About this simulation
ACMCAQA RiverbendSimulated workplace
Simulated workplace
Simulated Business Resources

For trainers and assessors

How to use CAQA Riverbend Animal Care with your students, what is included, and the mapping to the Animal Care and Management Training Package.

ACM release 6.0Skills Insight
What is included

One simulated business, ready for assessment

A complete fictional employer

Public site and staff intranet for one business in the industry, with its history, services, values, locations, six departments and ten named roles. Everything is fictional and labelled as such on every page.

14 controlled documents

Policies, procedures, forms, templates, a register and a plan written in controlled-document style with document codes, owners, versions and review dates. Forms and templates are fillable on screen and print to PDF.

5 working systems

Record-keeping apps with realistic seed data: table, card and board views, add, edit, delete, search, filter, CSV export and a one-click reset. Records are stored in the student's browser, so every student starts from the same seed data.

Inbox, notices and calendar

Eight work requests from managers and colleagues that point the student at scenarios, documents and systems, a notice board, and a business calendar the student can add to.

8 assessment scenarios

Role-based workplace tasks at Entry, Intermediate and Advanced level, each with context, brief, task checklist, deliverables, linked documents and systems, assessor notes and a printable evidence summary.

Mapping to current units

Every scenario is mapped to current units of competency and qualifications on training.gov.au for this training package, so trainers can align tasks to their own assessment tools.

How to use it

A typical delivery pattern

  1. Orient the class. Walk students through the home page, the departments and the people so the business feels real before any task begins. Ask them to read About this simulation.
  2. Assign roles. Students sign in as the role a scenario names (or one you choose). The choice is stored only in their browser and shapes the greeting, inbox and evidence summary.
  3. Issue the work request. The inbox message for a scenario reads like a real instruction from a manager. Students open it, follow the link to the scenario and read the brief.
  4. Work in the systems and documents. Tasks tell students which policy to apply, which form to complete and which system record to create or update. Forms print to PDF; systems export CSV.
  5. Collect evidence. The scenario page ticks off tasks and prints an evidence summary listing every record the student created or changed, their notes and the units mapped. Combine it with your own observation checklist and questions.
  6. Reset between cohorts. Each browser starts from the same seed data. A reset on the About this simulation page clears everything a student did on that device.
Unit mapping

Scenarios mapped to current units

Codes and titles were taken from training.gov.au on 10 September 2026 (Animal Care and Management Training Package, release 6.0, developed by Skills Insight). Mapping shows which units a scenario gives evidence towards; it is not a substitute for your own assessment mapping.

ScenarioLevelUnits of competencyQualifications
Admit a stray dog to the shelter
Shelter and Adoptions
EntryACMGEN201 Work in the animal care industry
ACMINF201 Handle companion animals safely and follow infection control guidelines
ACMGEN202 Complete animal care hygiene routines
ACMGEN203 Feed and water animals
ACMWHS201 Participate in workplace health and safety processes
ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care
Run the enhanced cleaning routine during a parvovirus outbreak
Shelter and Adoptions
IntermediateACMINF301 Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal care work
ACMGEN202 Complete animal care hygiene routines
ACMGEN311 Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing
ACMWHS301 Contribute to workplace health and safety processes
ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services
Run clinic reception on a surgery morning
Veterinary Clinic
EntryACMVET201 Assist with veterinary nursing reception duties
ACMGEN310 Provide reception services for an animal care facility
ACMGEN315 Communicate effectively with clients and team members
ACMVET202 Carry out daily practice routines
ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services
Nurse three surgical patients from admission to discharge
Veterinary Clinic
AdvancedACMVET405 Coordinate and perform surgical nursing routines
ACMVET413 Prepare for anaesthesia and monitor animal anaesthesia and analgesia
ACMVET406 Nurse animals
ACMVET416 Assist with the preparation of veterinary drugs and poisons
ACMINF301 Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal care work
ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing
Prepare the boarding centre for the school holiday peak
Boarding and Grooming
IntermediateACMGEN311 Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing
ACMGEN312 Provide nutritional requirements for animals
ACMGRM303 Provide sanitary and hygiene grooms for companion animals
ACMSPE317 Provide general care of domestic cats
ACMGEN315 Communicate effectively with clients and team members
ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services
Process a reclaim and manage the statutory hold list
Animal Management Services
IntermediateACMARM401 Administer animal management and regulatory requirements
ACMARM402 Assess and impound animals
ACMARM406 Carry out animal holding facility procedures
ACMARM404 Manage conflict situations in an animal regulation and management environment
ACMARM403 Identify and respond to animal behaviour in animal management and regulation environment
ACM40122 Certificate IV in Animal Regulation and Management
Assess three dogs for adoption readiness
Behaviour and Training
AdvancedACMBEH407 Conduct animal behavioural assessments
ACMBEH401 Develop, monitor and review behavioural husbandry strategies
ACMBEH302 Provide enrichment for animals
ACMGEN303 Assess the welfare status of an animal
ACM40322 Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training
Investigate a dog bite incident and close out corrective actions
Business Support
AdvancedACMWHS501 Manage workplace health and safety processes
ACMINF401 Oversee site biosecurity and infection controls working with animals
ACMGEN304 Promote positive wellbeing in self and others in animal care workplaces
ACMWHS301 Contribute to workplace health and safety processes
ACM40222 Certificate IV in Animal Facility Management
Qualifications

All 18 current qualifications in ACM

The business is written to suit the featured qualifications; the rest can be supported by adding scenarios, which CAQA can do on request.

CodeTitleLevelStatus here
ACM10121Certificate I in Animal Care Industry PathwaysCertificate IFeatured here
ACM20121Certificate II in Animal CareCertificate IIFeatured here
ACM20221Certificate II in Horse CareCertificate IIAdaptable
ACM30122Certificate III in Animal Care ServicesCertificate IIIFeatured here
ACM30219Certificate III in Animal TechnologyCertificate IIIAdaptable
ACM30321Certificate III in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal CareCertificate IIIAdaptable
ACM30821Certificate III in Horse CareCertificate IIIAdaptable
ACM30921Certificate III in Equine Hoof CareCertificate IIIAdaptable
ACM40122Certificate IV in Animal Regulation and ManagementCertificate IVFeatured here
ACM40222Certificate IV in Animal Facility ManagementCertificate IVFeatured here
ACM40322Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and TrainingCertificate IVFeatured here
ACM40418Certificate IV in Veterinary NursingCertificate IVFeatured here
ACM40818Certificate IV in FarrieryCertificate IVAdaptable
ACM40921Certificate IV in Equine CareCertificate IVAdaptable
ACM50119Diploma of Animal TechnologyDiplomaAdaptable
ACM50219Diploma of Veterinary NursingDiplomaFeatured here
ACM50421Diploma of Equine ManagementDiplomaAdaptable
ACM50521Diploma of Equine Allied HealthDiplomaAdaptable
Delivery format

Delivery and LMS compatibility

Hosted web application

Runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. No installation, no plug-ins, no student accounts. Each package has its own address, for example bsb.caqa.com.

LMS ready

Link to the whole site, a scenario or a single document from Moodle, Canvas, aXcelerate, Cloud Assess, Blackboard or any LMS that can open a web link. A SCORM wrapper that launches the site and records completion can be supplied on request.

Privacy by design

Student entries stay in the student's browser (local storage). Nothing is sent to CAQA or to any server, so no personal information is collected and no accounts are needed. Students print or export their evidence for submission.

Accessibility and motion

Keyboard navigable, screen-reader labels on controls, reduced-motion support and a visible Motion toggle on every page.

Licensing

Licensing and usage

RTO licence

Licensed to the RTO under the CAQA Resources licence agreement for use with its enrolled students and staff across all its campuses and delivery modes. Contact CAQA for pricing and reseller terms.

Intellectual property

All content, fictional entities, documents and software remain the intellectual property of CAQA. The RTO may print and adapt documents for its own delivery within the licence.

Customisation

Branding and customisation

Branding

A private copy with the RTO's own business name, colours and logo can be produced on its own address.

Content

Extra documents, scenarios, systems and staff roles can be added, and existing ones adjusted to match the RTO's assessment tools, industry partners or state requirements.

Integration

Deep links per scenario and per document, optional SCORM launch package, and evidence summaries in a format that suits the RTO's assessment records.

FAQ

Questions trainers ask

How do I use Riverbend with my students?

Choose a scenario that matches the unit you are assessing, give the student the role and brief, and let them work through the tasks using the documents and systems on the site. The inbox messages introduce each scenario the way a supervisor would.

How do students sign in?

Students sign in with the access details your RTO issues to them. Each student works in their own copy of the record systems, so their entries do not affect other students.

How are records kept?

Every record a student creates or updates in the five systems is stored against their account with a timestamp. You can export a student's records for the evidence file at any point.

Can I reset the systems for a new cohort?

Yes. A trainer with administrator access can reset any or all of the five systems to the seed records for a student or for the whole cohort, without changing the documents.

Can I customise the documents or scenarios?

Trainers can add their own scenarios and edit the tasks, deliverables and assessor notes for their cohort. The controlled documents are shared across the site, so requests to change them go through your RTO's site administrator.

Which units and qualifications does this workplace support?

Riverbend supports animal care, veterinary nursing, animal regulation, animal facility management and behaviour and training qualifications listed on the qualifications page. Each scenario lists the units it was written for.

Talk to CAQA

Pricing, reseller terms, matched assessment kits and private branded copies: info@caqa.com.au or 1800 266 160. Browse the full catalogue at caqaresources.com.au.