Social Worker -Kaikohe

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children; Kaikohe; On-site; NZD 81,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children in Kaikohe is seeking qualified social workers to join a values-led, whānau orientated team. You will work with tamariki, rangatahi and whānau, applying tikanga Māori principles and ensuring culturally grounded practice.

You will participate in multidisciplinary collaboration, deliver safety checks, advocate for tamariki needs, and support transitions to families or permanent homes in a challenging but rewarding environment.

Qualifications

• Registration with NZ SWRB and current APC
• Cultural awareness of Tikanga Māori and understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Social worker qualification recognised by SWRB
• Full, clean, valid driver's licence
• Ability to analyse and prepare social work and financial plans
• Sound judgement and risk management
• Strong organisational skills
• Excellent verbal and good written communication
• Positive, supportive team orientated approach

Responsibilities

• Hear tamariki and rangatahi voices and support families to make positive changes
• Collaborate with cultural groups and diverse communities
• Complete initial safety checks and assessments on child/young person and whānau
• Work with partners in community, NGOs and state sectors
• Support transition of children to families or forever homes
• Advocate for tamariki to access necessary resources

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Organisational skills

Judgement

Risk management

Analytical skills

Education

SWRB registered social worker

Annual Practising Certificate (APC)

Tools

Driver's licence

Job description

Permanent Social Worker opportunity - Supporting Kaikohe and broader region

• Permanent, full-time vacancies up for grabs!
• Competitive salary, ranging $81,206- $97,557, depending on experience
• Reporting to our Kaikohe Site, applications will be considered from across the Te Tai Tokerau region

Hei awhitanga nga mahi o Te Tai Tokerau. Tu te Tangata, Tu te Rohe, Tu te Mana. Tihei, tihei mauri ora (embrace the collective response with communities).

'It takes a whole village to raise tamariki' we are offering a renewed sense of community and a unique opportunity for social workers to join our growing whānau orientated team at Kaikohe site - where you will be encouraged and supported to work effectively with Māori using Te Toka Tumoana, our indigenous and bicultural principled framework.

In these fast-paced roles, you will be expected to operate collectively with a team of social workers and other critical thinkers, inclusive of whānau hapū, iwi and communities. Tamariki do not live-in isolation; they sit at the centre of a whānau and sometimes caregiving families.

Mō mātou | About us

Oranga Tamariki is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the safety and wellbeing of tamariki and that of the community we serve, north of Whangarei. As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of mana (prestige), tika & pono (doing things the right way), aroha (love) and whākapapa (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our site plan.

This role represents an opportunity to shape a new way of working with culturally grounded solutions and innovations that support our approach and direction toward transformational change for the care and protection system - one that builds on the good things that are already happening, and, most importantly, innovates to find new ways of doing things to achieve better outcomes for all.

About the role | Mō te tūnga

This role requires a passion to actively keep tamariki in the hearts and minds of everything we do. You will apply the principles of mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga to your practice, to ensure you are responsive to tamariki and whānau Māori. It's more than a job, it's an opportunity to improve the lived experiences of tamariki and their caregiving communities. We recognise the importance of Kaimahi ora (staff wellbeing) and are committed to ensuring you receive regular supervision and take the necessary breaks needed to restore Oranga and wellbeing.

• hear tamariki and rangatahi voices and support them or their family/whānau to make positive changes
• work alongside various cultural groups and people from different backgrounds
• complete initial safety checks and assessments on the child, young person, and whānau
• work alongside partners in our community, non-government organisations and state sector agencies
• transition children and young people back to their families/whānau or into their forever home
• be an advocate on behalf of tamariki to ensure they have the support and resources needed to reach their full potential

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

Key requirements of the role include:

• registration with New Zealand's Social Work Registration Board (SWRB) including current Annual Practicing Certificate
• cultural awareness and an understanding of Tikanga Māori principles
• a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• a social worker qualification recognised by the SWRB
• a full, clean and valid driver's licence
• the ability to analyse and prepare social work and financial plans
• sound judgement skills
• strong organisational skills
• the ability to manage risk and make tough decisions
• excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt to your audience
• good written skills as you will need to write court reports and case notes
• a positive outlook and supporting nature

Applications for this role close on 13th September 2026.

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.