Allied Support Workers Sydenham

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 68,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children in Christchurch region is recruiting Allied Support Workers to back frontline Social Work teams. Roles involve non-regulated work, assisting with home visits, admin tasks and transporting tamariki and rangatahi.

Day-to-day duties include site support, case notes entry, and coordinating placements. A driver’s licence is essential, and experience with Māori/Pasifika communities is valued.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work in collaborative peer and stakeholder relationships.
• Desirable Social Services qualification and a valid driver's licence.

Responsibilities

• Provide support across a site on a day-to-day basis based on team needs.
• Assist social workers with case notes and information in CYRAS or similar systems.
• Safely transport tamariki and rangatahi to appointments, school and activities.
• Support and assist with Family Group Conference administration tasks.
• Assist with care of tamariki and rangatahi when out of school or awaiting placements.
• Make administrative arrangements for tamariki in placement or transitions.
• Support tamariki at school during settling in or re-entry after breaks.

Skills

Communication skills

Collaboration

Written & verbal communication

Emotional resilience

Education

Social Services qualification

Tools

Driver's licence

Job description

Oranga Tamariki have exciting new opportunities available for those who are looking to change up and develop their career pathways, making a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of tamariki, rangatahi and whānau.

These positions have been established to provide consistent and reliable operational support to frontline Social Work teams and to respond to sustained service demand across sites. Unlike previously advertised fixed‑term roles, these permanent Allied Support Worker positions are intended to be a stable, ongoing part of Oranga Tamariki’s workforce, strengthening team capacity and continuity of support.

We currently have vacancies in:

• Sydenham
• Christchurch West
• Papanui
• South Canterbury
• West Coast
• Dunedin

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Allied Support Workers work under the direction and oversight of qualified Social Workers and supervisors, contributing to positive outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau by enabling Social Workers to focus on statutory requirements and professional practice.

The Allied Support Worker role is non-regulated and is not a Social Worker in training, or para-social worker. The position does not undertake social work activities and does not have a case load.

These roles support Social Workers with home visits and other engagements, administration tasks and transporting tamariki and rangatahi.

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Providing support across a site on an on-demand basis based on the day-to-day operating needs of the team.
• Assisting social workers to enter case notes and other information into the case management system CYRAS and other information systems.
• Safely transporting tamariki and rangatahi from one location to another such as appointments, school and sports.
• Helping social workers in the set up and administrative tasks of Family Group Conferences (FGC).
• Supporting and assisting social workers in the care of tamariki and rangatahi on occasions when out of school or waiting for placements.
• Making necessary administrative arrangements for tamariki in placement and/or programme transition.
• Supporting tamariki and rangatahi at school through settling in or returning after periods away.
• Conducting supervised access/visitations by driving clients, supervising contact and writing up contact notes. Some weekends and afterhours work is required.
• Fostering cooperative working relations with internal colleagues and external partners and stakeholders.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

This is a high‑trust, safety‑critical children’s worker role, requiring sound judgement, emotional resilience, and a high level of reliability. We're looking for applicants with some of the following skills, experience and qualifications:

Experience:

• Working in the community assisting or supporting people in need.
• Working with Māori and/or Pasifika cultures.
• Experience in dealing with emotional situations and being empathic to people's challenges and stresses.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work in collaborative peer and other stakeholder relationships.

Skills:

• Well- developed written and verbal communication skills and effective interpersonal skills.
• Able to maintain a calm professional demeanour in emotionally complex situations, with the ability to maintain performance under stress.
• Understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural practices in particular; knowledge of tikanga Māori, and Pacific peoples' culture.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to uphold the principles of Te tiriti ō Waitangi and demonstrate this in practice.
• Intermediate level of competence across the Microsoft Suite.

Qualifications/License:

• A recognised Social Services qualification is desirable.
• A clean, current full driver's licence is essential and a willingness to drive the Ministry's vehicles. ( Historic convictions may be considered on a case-by-case basis).

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

This is your opportunity to apply your skills and experience to the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi. We offer a competitive remuneration package starting at $68,371 to $75,501 as well as significant training and professional development so that you can thrive and grow.

We welcome diversity and are committed to working in an inclusive and respectful way.