Social Worker - MHSOP at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern, Otago

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Acute Social Work team, Dunedin Hospital
• Two permanent roles available (part-time, 0.5 FTE, 20 hours per week) (full-time, 1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week)
• Salary band: $77,087 - $110,210 per annum pro-rata
• Regular supervision, professional development, and peer support

We're excited to offer an opportunity for passionate social workers to join our dynamic and supportive Acute Social Work team at Dunedin Hospital. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and want to be part of a service committed to excellence, this is the role for you.

About the role

As part of the Allied Health Unit Social Work team, you will provide health social work assessment and planned interventions for acute adult inpatients, supporting safe and efficient discharge back into the community.

You'll work across a variety of clinical areas, including the following:

• Cardiorespiratory
• General Surgery
• Acute Orthopaedics and Neurosciences
• Medical and Acute Stroke
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
• Renal Service (inpatient, outpatient, community)
• Psychogeriatric Services (inpatient, outpatient, community)

This is an opportunity to work within a motivated, multidisciplinary environment where your skills, initiative, and compassion are valued every day.

You will play a key role in assessing client needs and supporting them through their hospital journey.

This includes:

• responding confidently to complex situations involving elder abuse, family violence, and child protection
• maintaining a calm, solutions-focused approach in a busy clinical environment
• working collaboratively across the multidisciplinary team
• adapting within a constantly changing health setting.

This position also includes participation in a weekend on-call roster, so flexibility is essential.

View position description.

About you

To thrive in this role, you will bring:

• strong social work knowledge
• a commitment to high-quality care
• excellent communication and teamwork skills
• the ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities
• registration with the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board (NZSWRB)
• a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC)
• experience in an acute hospital setting, or acute placement experience (preferred)
• a strong understanding of the social determinants of health.

This is your chance to make a meaningful difference every day and grow your career within a supportive team.

If you are ready for a challenging, rewarding, and purpose-driven role - we want to hear from you!

Salary range

This role belongs to the PSA/DHBs Allied, Public Health and Technical Multi-Employer Collective Agreement and falls between Step 1 ($77,087 per annum) and Step 8 ($110,210 per annum pro-rata) of the Degree-Based Allied, Public Health and Technical scale.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to apply

To apply please click 'apply now'. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by Sunday, 10 May 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact James Boyd james.boyd@tewhatuora.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website.