YJ Youth Worker - Hamilton

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children in Hamilton is seeking a Youth Worker to support rangatahi within our Youth Justice site. You will build relationships, empower tamariki and whānau, and work with a multidisciplinary team to deliver positive outcomes.

The role involves engaging with whānau, accompanying rangatahi to appointments, supporting independence skills, attending meetings with professionals, and contributing to care planning and documentation.

Qualifications

• Must have experience working with traumatised rangatahi.
• Knowledge of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga.
• Having a current NZ driver licence is essential.
• Understanding of Oranga Tamariki as an organisation.
• Appreciation of Pacific peoples' culture and cross-cultural practices.

Responsibilities

• Engage with whānau and others involved in the rangatahi's plan.
• Spend time with the rangatahi and relate to young people.
• Support the mahi of bringing to life the Care Standards and positive outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.
• Attend meetings with rangatahi and professionals from agencies (Police, Education, Health, community).
• Make and coordinate appointments for rangatahi.
• Involve in activity-based and recreational programmes with rangatahi.
• Help rangatahi learn independence skills like shopping and budgeting.
• Support rangatahi at Family Group Conferences.
• Record and perform administrative tasks to support the team.
• Assist rangatahi to attend visits with mental health and education services.

Skills

Te Reo Māori & Tikanga familiarity

NZ driver licence

Oranga Tamariki understanding

Experience with traumatised rangatahi

Cross-cultural practices knowledge of;

Job description

Make a Difference in the Lives of Rangatahi

Do you have the passion, energy, and life experience to inspire young people to thrive?

Are you motivated by helping tamariki and rangatahi build confidence, independence, and the skills they need to succeed in life? Do you want to share your culture, interests, talents, and strengths to empower young people and make a genuine difference in your community?

If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

• 1x permanent, fulltime Youth Worker position available!
• Role will be based at our Hamilton Site
• We're offering a competitive salary starting from $57,760 to $65,334, depending on experience

Mō te tūnga | About the role

At our Hamilton Youth Justice site, we're taking a fresh and collaborative approach to supporting tamariki, rangatahi, and their whānau. As a valued member of a multidisciplinary team, you'll play an important role in helping bring positive outcomes to life.

No two days are the same. You'll build meaningful relationships with rangatahi, support them to achieve their goals, help strengthen connections with whānau, and work alongside Social Workers and partner agencies to create positive pathways for the future.

This position will see you involved in all aspects of supporting the team to implement the non-social work components of the young person's plan. The scope for development in this role is great and you will be a valued member of the team.

• Engaging with whānau and other people involved in the rangatahi's plan
• Spending time with the rangatahi and relating well to young people
• Working alongside Social Workers to support the mahi of bringing to life the Care Standards and positive outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi
• Attending meetings with the rangatahi and other professionals from a range of different agencies e.g. Police, Education, Health and the community
• Making and coordinating appointments for rangatahi
• Involving in activity based and recreational programmes with our rangatahi
• Taking young people to appointments that do not require a social workers presence
• Helping rangatahi to learn independence skills such as shopping and budgeting
• Supporting rangatahi at Family Group Conferences
• Recording and other administrative tasks to support the team
• Supporting rangatahi to attend visit e.g. with mental health and education services
• May be required to attend visits to the home or with other whānau

These are just examples; a lot will depend on the special skills you bring to the team and how these can contribute to better outcomes for our rangatahi.

You will be involved in the planning for the rangatahi and provide valuable feedback to the team from your involvement.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

Key requirements of the role include:

• Familiar with Te Reo Māori and Tikanga
• A full, clean, current New Zealand driver licence (historic convictions may be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• An understanding of Oranga Tamariki as an organisation
• Experience working with traumatised rangatahi
• Understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural practices in particular; knowledge of tikanga Māori, and Pacific peoples' culture

Mō mātou | About us

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do.

Our vision is to ensure New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child. We are also committed to ensuring Oranga Tamariki partners with hapū, iwi and Māori organisations to find appropriate solutions for tamariki in need.

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment of putting tamariki first, we believe aroha is vital, we respect the mana of people, we are tika and pono, we value whakapapa and we recognise that oranga is a journey.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

In return we provide a fascinating, rewarding and committed team environment where we offer a competitive salary and generous benefits -

Oranga Tamariki offer an impartial remuneration package, that offers progression annually for experience through tenure. Annual remuneration for this position starts between $57,760 to $65,334 dependent on experience. We offer the opportunity to work in a diverse, supportive and committed team alongside a range of professional development opportunities.

Applications close: Tuesday 6th October 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.