Social Worker

Location: based at Wellington Regional Hospital, with community working for some roles

Contract: Permanent roles as below – please see position descriptions for further details. Please state on your cover letter which role(s) you are applying for.

Neurosciences Social Worker (0.8 FTE / 32 hours per week)
Paediatric Oncology Social Worker (1.0 FTE / 40 hours per week)
Acute Care Social Worker (0.8 FTE / 32 hours per week)

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

We have vacancy within our Social Work and Psychology team, and the opportunity to bring on board people with the right skills, experience, and mind-set to complement our team.

As an experienced social worker you will work in your clinical area to provide care to patients and their whanau to support them in their healthcare journey. There will be opportunity to support and develop both yourself and team members, as well as contribute to the growth and development of students. These roles provide opportunity to undertake service development, clinical audit, teaching, and training

We are currently keen to hear from candidates who have the skills and passion to work in one of the following clinical areas. As mentioned, please indicate in your cover letter which role(s) you are applying for.

Neurosciences

Based on our Neuroscience Unit, 7S ward cares for patients with acute neurological needs, including head injury, stroke, neurosurgery, spinal surgery and medical conditions impacting the nervous system.

Wellington Hospital provides assessment, diagnosis, stabilisation and treatment, and rehabilitation of these patients. You will respond to a range of referrals including addressing complex social issues, discharge planning and transition into further rehabilitation facilities or appropriate residential care.

Paediatric Oncology

This role is based at Te Wao Nui, our child health building, for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau accessing the services at Wellington Regional Hospital. The clinical caseload includes, inpatient, outpatient, community and day case patients. Travel will be required to undertake care for patients in the community, therefore it is essential you have a full drivers licence. You will work closely with the oncology teams to provide support to children receiving oncology treatment for cancer. When child protection concerns are identified you will work in partnership with whānau to complete a risk assessment and safety plan to address these issues.

Acute care

This role is based on the acute short stay medical ward of 4S and the gynaecology patients in 4S. Patients in these areas will be presenting with a range of medical and surgical conditions. Wellington Hospital provides assessment, diagnosis, stabilisation and treatment, and rehabilitation of these patients. You will respond to a range of referrals including addressing complex social issues, discharge planning and transition into Aged Residential Care.

In all roles you will you will complete psychosocial assessments and work alongside patients and their whānau, the relevant health multi-disciplinary team members and external agencies to improve patient’s health and wellbeing outcomes.

The successful applicant will assist patients and their whānau during their hospital stay and/or health journey to support them with the impact of their admission, diagnosis, treatment and discharge. The role holder will complete psychosocial assessments with patients and their whānau and work in partnership with their multi-disciplinary colleagues as well as their nursing and medical colleagues to facilitate supportive care and improve patient’s health and wellbeing outcomes.

These roles provide cover into other inpatient areas at Wellington Hospital as needed and social work on Saturday’s across inpatient services on a roster basis, approximately 3 -4 times per year receiving penal pay rates.

About the Team/Service Location

We are a team of 23 social workers based at Wellington Hospital who provide a service to patients and their whānau across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. We complete psycho-social assessments across the age range and provide holistic social work interventions. Each role is well supported by members of the broader team in overlapping and collaborative clinical areas. Come and join our friendly experienced team in a supportive workplace environment.

About you

As the successful candidate you will have a passion for working in your clinical areas and be highly motivated to support patients and whānau navigate their health journey. You will be able to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team and with external agencies. Working with a diverse group of patients with significant health needs the post holder will require excellent documentation, communication and time management skills. This is a great opportunity for someone who is keen to work in this clinical area.

You will have an understanding of grief, loss and adjustment as it relates to health and a commitment to Te Tiriti o te Waitangi. You will have excellent communication, documentation and time management skills. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds with the right skills and experience who share our values to apply and would greatly value seeing more applicants from our Māori and Pacific Peoples communities.

The successful applicant will have the following skills and attributes:

NZ Registered Social Worker with current annual practicing certificate
Minimum of 3 years social work practice
The ability to complete psycho-social needs assessment
Navigating and working within the legal requirements of health care and social work
A clear understanding of the health needs of Māori and Pacific Island communities
Therapeutic social work counselling experience (desirable)
Previous work in a health setting and a good understanding of health social work (desirable)
Full drivers licence, valid for 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 Philip.Adamson@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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

Apply now