Therapy Assistant, Allied Health Why Ora Program Taranaki

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• 12-month Fixed-Term; 0.7FTE (28 hours per week paid by Te Whatu Ora) and 0.3 FTE (12 hours per week paid by Why Ora) which totals to 1FTE (a full 40-hour week). 
• The successful candidate must be part of Why Ora.
• Work alongside skilled therapists to deliver excellent patient care within Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, Taranaki.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

As a Therapy Assistant, you will support therapists in delivering patient care within the Inpatient Rehabilitation, Acute Wards and, if required, Community. Your responsibilities may include assisting with exercise programs, practicing activities of daily living, facilitating or organizing group sessions, providing equipment, completing cleaning tasks, administrative tasks, and working with patients in the kitchen.

You will collaborate with Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Speech-Language Therapists. All patient interventions will be guided by and carried out under the supervision of a therapist or Therapy assistant until competencies are completed.

To read the position description, please click here. 

About the Service

Te Whatu Ora Taranaki employs approximately 350 allied health professionals across its services, and we’re growing our inpatient physical health rehabilitation team by 60%. You will be joining a friendly team that is diverse in skills and experience, a team that welcomes collaboration and that values the contribution of each team member. Our team provides rehabilitation care across acute and non-acute inpatient wards as part of Allied Health, and we’re happy to support other teams to ensure their success.

For more information on living and working in Taranaki, click here.

About you

You will need to have: 

• A current NZ drivers’ licence.
• The ability to work collaboratively with others to provide integrated rehabilitation to clients with a diverse range of challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with all levels of staff.
• A strong rehabilitation focus, passion for ongoing learning and development.
• Proactive in learning new skills.
• Be reliable in supporting the team and patients.

About Taranaki

• Do you want to work for an employer known for their focus on employee wellness?
• Would you like to work with a passionate and innovative team?
• Come join us on the slopes of Taranaki Maunga.

New Plymouth was named the most liveable city, for a population between 75,000-150,000, by the International Awards for Liveable Communities

Taranaki boasts some of New Zealand’s most iconic natural landscapes, like Mt Taranaki and many adventure activities. The rugged and wild coastline is home to more than 12 world-class surf breaks. Taranaki is a place where you can ski and surf in the same day. For a more relaxing experience, there are many walks (bush, coastal or mountain) as well as art trails, festivals and award-winning museums and galleries and a thriving café culture. Click here to read more information about Taranaki.

Te Whatu Ora Taranaki is a large organisation (2,400 staff) operating in the exciting, changing Health sector to a population of 116,600 people. To hear more about our culture, view the video on our careers page.

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 13 April 2025. For further information, please contact Karien.visagie@tdhb.org.nz 027 201 4132 regarding Therapy services, contact Tanya Anaha Tanya.Anaha@tdhb.org.nz, regarding Why Ora.

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