START Rehabilitation Assistant

New Zealand Government; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora seeks an experienced START Rehabilitation Assistant to join a new home-based care service. The role supports older adults on early discharge, delivering rehabilitation and enablement in the home under supervision of registered professionals.

As part of a dedicated START team, you will help reduce readmissions through practical care planning, medication management, and whānau engagement while working within Te Tiriti principles.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an Allied Health Assistant, Rehabilitation Assistant or Health Care Assistant.
• Excellent communication to support patients, whānau, and staff.
• Strong relationship-building abilities.
• Knowledge of Tikanga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Kaupapa Māori principles.

Responsibilities

• Improve functional resiliency and independence for clients.
• Support seamless reintegration back to primary care.
• Manage issues related to medication and nutrition as part of home-based care.
• Supervise and manage care packages; support carers and families.
• Identify deterioration and escalate promptly to the health team.

Skills

Allied Health Assistant experience

Excellent communication

Relationship building

Team collaboration

Patient & whānau partnership

Tikanga Te Tiriti knowledge

Job description

Role: START Rehabilitation Assistant

Employment Type: Permanent 1 FTE

Taranaki Base Hospital

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

We are seeking experienced Allied Health Assistants or Health Care Assistants to join our new service: START (Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation Team). START is an early supported discharge model of care designed to help primarily older people return home safely following an acute episode or injury. Rehabilitation and enablement continue in the home environment, delivered by trained health care assistants and support workers under the delegation of registered health professionals. As a member of the START team, you will play a vital role in supporting recovery and independence at home. Your work will help reduce hospital readmissions and improve quality of life for our clients.

About the Team / Service / Location

The START team will aim to reduce the risk of readmission to hospital through:

• Improving functional resiliency / independence
• Ensuring seamless re-integration back to primary care
• Managing issues related to medication, nutrition
• Managing carer stress
• Identifying deterioration in conditions
• Supervising, managing care packages

For more information on living and working in Taranaki click here

About you

Preferred candidates will bring inspiration, empowerment, and innovation to this role. You will have:

• Proven experience as an Allied Health Assistant, Rehabilitation Assistant or Health Care Assistant.
• Excellent communication skills to effectively support patients, whānau, and staff.
• Strong relationship-building abilities.
• Passion for working within a high-performing team.
• A focus on partnering with patients and whānau to achieve their health goals.
• Knowledge of Tikanga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Kaupapa Māori principles, with a commitment to implementing Te Toi Ahorangi strategy.

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.