Social Worker - Intellectual Disability Service

Location: Kenepuru Hospital,Porirua

Contract: Permanent, Full Time, 1.0 FTE

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence. 

About the Role 

This position is a key team member in the Intellectual Disability Forensic Inpatient Services.  Our forensic intellectual disability services are for people who have a diagnosed intellectual disability and have committed often-serious offences.  These clients are usually care recipients or special care recipients under the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 (IDCC&R) who have been convicted or found unfit to stand trial. Some clients are also in service under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 position

The Intellectual Disability Service is an inpatient service that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and provides assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of the above-mentioned client group.  The service is staffed with medical, nursing, allied health clinicians, mental health support workers, managers and administrators.  The nursing and mental health support worker staff all work rostered and rotating shifts.  This role typically works across the adult and youth inpatient services. The salary for this role is $77,087 – $107,600.

The maximum number of clients in inpatient services is 31 people. The length of stay for each client varies and in more recent year's orders have been for an average of two years.

Social Worker is responsible for providing safe and clinically effective client assessment and intervention and goal setting with clients within the Intellectual Disability service, this includes treatment and rehabilitation plans developed together with clients their whanau and the multi-disciplinary team.

This role will:

• Provide comprehensive assessments and plan treatment and rehabilitation collaboratively with the client and their Whanau 
• Provide Case Management to clients under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.
• Role model and provide sound clinical and cultural considerations in the multidisciplinary team process as appropriate
• Assist the client and his/her family/whanau to achieve optimal health, well-being and safety through provision of appropriate assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and education. 
• Work closely with community agencies to achieve the outcomes agreed by the multidisciplinary team process.
• Participate in, and contribute to, professional development activities in social work.

The Social Worker reports operationally to the Team Leader and is professionally accountable to the Professional Leader for Social Work (Mental Health). At Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley District we have a Clinical Career Pathway (CCP) which sets expectations for professional practice within our organisation 

About the Team/Service Location 

Intellectual Disability Forensic Services has adult, youth and community services. 

The inpatient services include Haumietiketike, a regional intellectual disability adult secure forensic unit which has eleven beds. There are two step-down Cottages with a total of eight adult beds and are located next to Haumietiketike which is on the Ratonga Rua-o-Porirua campus in Porirua. Manawai is the national facility for adults with an intellectual disability and/or mental illness who have conditions of such severity that they have been subject to long-term hospital level care compromising their quality of life. It has six apartments situated alongside Haumietiketike. Hikitia Te Wairua is the national intellectual disability secure forensic youth unit which has six beds. Hikitia Te Wairua is co-located with the Youth Acute Inpatient Mental Health Inpatient Unit (Rangatahi) and the National Secure Youth Forensic Unit in the Centre of Excellence at Kenepuru Hospital. 

The Community team provides two functions: as a Mental Health Intellectual Disability Team which provides assessment and treatment services in the Wellington region and consultation/liaison and training in the central region; and as a Consultation Liaison team which provides assessment and support in the central region to patients whose behaviour has resulted in legal proceedings.

About you 

Knowledge, Skills & Experience: 

• Mental health and disability rehabilitation frameworks
• Minimum of 2-5 years clinical practice.
• Clinical experience applicable to role.

Essential Professional Qualifications / Accreditations / Registrations:

• NZ Registered Social Worker with current annual practicing certificate.
• Current Full NZ driver’s licence with ability to drive manual and automatic car
• Member of Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers – Professional Association (desirable).
• Working at Health New Zealand 

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community. 

How to Apply 

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Marianne.Lovgren@tewhatuora.gov.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advertisement.