Social Worker - Physical Health

New Zealand Government; Southland; On-site; NZD 79,000 - 113,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites applications for a Social Worker – Physical Health at Southland Hospital in Invercargill. This 0.9FTE role provides psychosocial assessments, discharge planning, and safeguarding support for inpatients and whānau.

You will contribute to a collaborative interdisciplinary team, with a focus on wellbeing, timely patient flow, and whānau-centred care across acute wards and outpatient caseloads. NZ registration and APC are essential.

Qualifications

• Must be registered with the NZ Social Workers Registration Board and hold a current APC.
• Ideally 2+ years’ experience in health, disability, or aged care settings.
• Able to work across diverse patient groups in a hospital environment.
• Demonstrate strong assessment, communication, and advocacy skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychosocial assessments for inpatients and whānau.
• Deliver targeted psychosocial interventions and discharge planning.
• Support safeguarding and timely transitions of care with the multidisciplinary team.
• Flexibly provide coverage across acute wards and outpatient caseloads.

Skills

Registration

Annual Practising Certificate

Hospital experience

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Assessment skills

Job description

Social Worker – Physical Health Southland Hospital

Salary range: $79,014 – 112,965 (Allied Health SECA) * Permanent, Part-Time 0.9FTE (36hours per week) Make a difference every day by supporting patients and their whānau through complex health journeys This is a rewarding opportunity to work across acute ward settings, using your social work expertise to promote wellbeing, reduce barriers to care, and support patient flow. Southland's generalist approach offers a rich variety and the chance to grow your practice in a connected, supportive environment. 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 Hospital Social Worker, you'll provide support predominately to inpatients and their whānau on acute wards—delivering psychosocial assessments, targeted interventions, discharge planning, and safeguarding support. You'll work closely with the interdisciplinary team and community providers to ensure safe, holistic, and timely transitions of care. While primarily based in medical and surgical wards, you'll also provide flexible support across other hospital areas as needed and have a small outpatient caseload. Southland values generalists—so your adaptability, breadth of knowledge, and collaborative mindset will be key to your success.

About the Team/Service/Location

Our Southland Allied Health team is small enough to foster strong relationships and collegial support, yet broad enough to offer rich clinical variety. You'll be part of a collaborative environment that prioritises quality, equity, and whānau-centred care, with district-wide professional networks across the Southern region. Based in Invercargill, Southland Hospital offers short commutes, affordable living, and easy access to Queenstown, Dunedin, and Fiordland's natural beauty.

About you

• Be registered with the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board and hold a current Annual Practising Certificate (essential)
• Ideally have 2+ years' experience in health, disability, or aged care settings
• Be confident working across diverse patient groups in a hospital environment
• Demonstrate strong assessment, communication, and advocacy skills
• Have a sound understanding of Aotearoa's health and social service system, and experience working within an interdisciplinary team

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.