Casual Family Home Relievers Palmerston North at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, Manawatu - Wanganui

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Casual positions available to join our team as a Family Home Relievers in Palmerston North

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment of 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.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Oranga Tamariki operates Family Homes where between 1 and 5 tamariki are cared for by 2 Family Home Caregivers. When the caregivers have breaks of about 2 to 15 days, Family Home Relievers continue to provide the routine and maintain a safe, caring, responsible and supportive family environment on a 24/7 basis. Our Family Homes are also smoke free homes so this is something to keep in mind when considering your application.

The role of a Family Home Reliever includes and not limited to cooking, shopping, recreation activities, helping with homework and supervision. Upon the start of your shift the caregiver will provide a detailed handover and a designated Social Worker in our family homes team will liaise with each home and provides the reliever with regular supervision. Our Social Worker provides care plans for tamariki therefore we are looking for candidates who can ensure that the activities continue to be carried out and are consistent with the care plan and handover instructions.

An ideal candidate for this role is someone who has flexibility to be available 24 hours per day for a minimum of 3 days in a row and is committed to maintaining a safe, caring, responsible and supportive family environment in the family home. 

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

Key requirements of the role include: 

• Must hold a current full clean driver's licence, (your application will not be progressed if you do not have this requirement) this role requires you to drive one of our fleet cars and drive tamariki and rangitahi to their appointments
• Ability to pass the background checks, which includes police and Oranga Tamariki vetting (The clean slate scheme does not apply to the police vetting for this role)
• Provide professional references from current and previous employers
• Previous experience in social services work or working with children and young people would be an advantage, but not necessary
• Understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural practices in particular; knowledge of tikanga Māori, and Pacific peoples' culture
• Resilience to manage and support children and young people with varied needs
• Behaviour management/conflict resolution skills
• Be a positive role model
• Have a calm and professional manner
• Excellent, listening, oral and observations skills and ability to write handover notes  

 We encourage all applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Our purpose is to ensure that all tamariki are in loving whānau and communities where Oranga Tamariki can be realised.  We believe that by getting involved early in their lives and showing love and care, we give children the best chance of growing into happy thriving New Zealanders.

We offer a great supportive team, that have a genuine commitment to wellbeing. We offer significant training and professional development so that you can thrive and grow, as this role is a casual role we are offering $26 p/hr + 8% holiday pay

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 the role, please contact Info_recruit@ot.govt.nz. 

Hurry as applications for this role close on 21st February 2026! Candidates may be contacted and invited to interview prior to the closing of this advertisement, so apply now!

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.