Residential Youth Worker - Casual at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Residential Workers (Casual), Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children

Epuni Care and Protection Residence, Lower Hutt, Wellington

Who are we?

Our tamariki and rangatahi deserve to feel safe, have their voices heard, and be surrounded by loving whānau. At Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, we're on a journey to ensure that it happens. We are a leading social work practice that is child-centred, trauma-informed, and effective for all cultures.  We are a Ministry with a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of everything we do and say. 

Our Residential Workers have an important role to play. They provide care and support to the young people in our care and encourage and motivate them to make positive choices. This is a real opportunity to positively influence young people, help them grow and successfully transition back into the community.

Our Care and Protection Residence Epuni, provides 24-hours, 7-days per week coverage and requires casual staff on an on call basis to assist with a range of shifts across days, nights, weekends and public holidays.

 What you will bring?

·           A full, clean, valid driver's licence

·           Meet the Children's Act safety checking and our vetting requirements

·           New Zealand citizenship or residency

·           Resilience, initiative and a proactive approach with a positive outlook

·           Empathy, patience and ability to see past what someone may be struggling with

·           A tertiary education within psychology, social sciences, social work, sports, music, arts or teaching would be an advantage

·           Flexibility to work different shifts - mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays

·           Experience working with rangatahi

·           Sound judgement with the ability to manage risk and make tough decisions

·           Life experience and understanding of what rangatahi may be going through

·           Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to adapt to your audience

·           Understanding and confidence in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori would be a definite advantage

What you will do? 

·           Coach rangatahi through our structured day and through all life necessities

·           Participate in physical activity with our young people by playing sports and taking part in gym activities

·           Support our rangatahi by helping them with their studies, teaching them life skills such as cooking, art, music and cultural programmes and mentor them to make positive life choices

·           Build rapport with rangatahi who have experienced trauma and assist with redirecting behaviour

What we offer 

• Hourly rate of $23.65 + holiday pay
• Thorough induction programme
• On-going training in areas such as health and safety and behavioural management techniques 

Me pēhea te tuku tono  | How to Apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee already, please ensure you apply with a log in using your Oranga Tamariki email address.

If you have any questions about role, please contact Info_recruit@ot.govt.nz  (please note that this may not be monitored to the usual extent over the Christmas break)

Applications close: 12th January 2023