Care & Protection Social Worker - Tautahere at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, Northland

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Permanant, full time opportunity for a SWRB Registered Social Worker
• Join our Tautahere team supporting the Whangarei North region

Mō te tūnga | About the role

The wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi is everyone's responsibility. They deserve to feel safe, have their voices heard, and be surrounded by loving whānau and community. 

We're looking for a qualified, registered, and experienced social worker who wants to make a real difference by putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of everything they do and undertake the following:

• Hear tamariki and rangatahi voices and support them or their whānau to make positive changes
• Work with various cultural groups and people from different backgrounds
• Complete full assessments on the tamariki, rangatahi and whānau 
• Be able to hold and facilitate a hui, with a focus on supporting whānau to grow their capacity to care for their tamariki and rangatahi 
• Be involved in planning and delivering interventions to maintain tamariki and rangatahi within their whānau
• Work alongside partners in our community, non-government organisations and state sector agencies
• Be an advocate on behalf of tamariki and rangatahi to ensure they have the support and resources needed to reach their full potential

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Tautahere site offers a tight knit, vibrant and supportive team of kaimahi who work together to uphold and share the Oranga Tamariki values. We offer a range of professional development opportunities, supervision and are committed to the wellbeing of all staff. We enjoy waiata, being collaborative and ensuring the best outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi. We welcome diversity and are committed to be inclusive and respectful of all.

Tautahere is based in Whangarei and works with whanau and family in the Whangarei North area. We offer a competitive remuneration that offers progression annually based on tenure.

Salary for this role starts between $81,206 - $97,557 per annum with further progression through tenure.

We also offer:

• Reduced Southern Cross premiums
• Vision care
• Annual Practicing Certificate renewal costs covered
• Opportunity to build your professional network with colleagues across the wider children's workforce 

To see all the benefits of working for Oranga Tamariki, please visit https://mahi.orangatamariki.govt.nz/working-with-us/employee-benefits/

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

To be successful in this rewarding position, you will need: 

• A full, clean driver's licence   
• Full registration with New Zealand's Social Work Registration Board (SWRB)  
• A social worker qualification recognised by the SWRB 
• A positive attitude and the ability to influence and empower our tamariki and rangatahi 
• Empathy, patience, and ability to see past what someone may be struggling with 
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt to your audience 
• Great written skills as you will need to prepare social work plans, write court reports, case notes and other documents 
• Strong analytical skills and an ability to assess tamariki and rangatahi changing needs 
• Ability to manage risk and make tough decisions  

Mō mātou | About us

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do.

We are committed to ensuring that New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child. We are also committed to ensuring Oranga Tamariki partners with hapū, iwi and Māori organisations to find appropriate solutions for tamariki in need.

We are committed to putting tamariki first, we believe aroha is vital, we respect the mana of people, we are tika and pono, we value whakapapa and we recognise that oranga is a journey. 

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

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol. 

Applications for this role close on 4th January 2026  - please note that due to the Christmas period, awhile we endeavour to review applications regularly, application and processing times may be delayed.