Support Worker - Children's Respite (0.5 FTE)

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Hours:   0.5 FTE (40 hours per fortnight)
Shifts:   Various as rostered, from Monday to Sunday (7.00AM to 3.00PM, 3.00PM to 10.00PM + sleepover 10.00PM to 7.00AM). With most demand for weekends, evenings and school Holidays. No on-call required
Status:   Permanent part-time position
Location:   Blenheim Community
Salary:  $25.37 to $31.13 per hour

Live Life Disability Support
Mission: Supporting people to live the best possible life

• Do you like to connect with youth?
• Do you see the beauty and strength in diversity and cultural differences?
• Can you communicate in a way that values and acknowledges the tamariki we support, family, whānau, and your team?
• And do you like a challenge as you do not like the mundane?

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we - re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

We are looking to appoint a support worker to join our existing team in our busy, but fun respite home in Blenheim, Wairau Hospital . You will work closely with your team, alongside whanau, local community organisations and professional agencies to provide short, medium, or emergency respite for children with unique and special needs. From harnessing your sensitive and attentive supporting style for children with often complex communication and behavioural needs, to participating in evening, weekends, and school holiday activities - that inspire and create great memories.  You will always be following to best practice, whilst ensuring fun, engaging and fit-for-purpose care for our all too often marginalised tamariki.

You will be involved with ongoing service development that will allow you to use your expertise and skills.  You will be an integral part of the team, providing pro-active day-to-day support to enable children and youth to live safely and be actively involved in their community.

We work with an - as-rostered - work week over 7 days including evening and weekends as required. This role is predominantly weekends. Our goal is to center the needs of the child and their whanau, requiring lots of communication, planning and flexibility. We are non-judgmental, reflective, and trauma informed always, and we embed the Enabling Good Lives principles into the important mahi that we do.

About the Team/Service/ Location

Live Life Disability Support provide support to over 250 people, who have disabilities, to achieve their personal aspirations and choices in a variety of residential and respite settings across the Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough regions. We are a community-based disability support service focused on quality-of-life outcomes and the Enabling Good Lives Principles. 

The people we support have a wide range of abilities and we focus on enabling good lives by being inclusive and actively encouraging family and whānau input.

About you

You will have:

• inspiring empathetic youth engagement skills and a strong commitment to the principles of Enabling Good Lives;
• hold, or commit to a NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (preferably Level 4), or an equivalent youth, health or disability related qualification as assessed by the Ministry of Health (see link below);
• sound knowledge of Person-Centred support;
• good time management skills;
• experience working in the field of youth, disability and/or social services would be advantageous.
• Competency with te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori or a commitment to starting your journey and taking ownership of your learning and growth.
• Experience in projects / initiatives which give effect to Te Tiriti principals and frameworks, and the application of Mātauranga Māori and Kaupapa Māori approaches, particularly as they apply in healthcare settings.

Working for Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is - the weaving of wellnesses. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The Equity Work Programme at Health NZ focuses on helping everyone in the health system think about equity when they do their work. It also promotes the cultural change needed for the whole system to reach equity in health outcomes.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

• We want to see the real you in your application and welcome the real you on board if you come and work with us. Skills are gained across many areas of our life, not just in formal employment. If you can demonstrate the skills listed in the ad, but the experience was gained through whānau life, community or mahi aroha (volunteering) we encourage you to apply and share your story with us in your cover letter.
• We particularly welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to Apply

To view the position description and/or apply for the role please click - apply now. - All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before 11:59pm on 13 January 2025.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Sonja Rae, Recruitment at sonja.rae@nmdhb.govt.nz or Paul Brennan, Children - s Respite Service Lead LLDS at Paul.Brennan@nmdhb.govt.nz .

Ref: R1W24-029

Please note, we will be reviewing applications when received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.