Speech Language Therapist For Intellectual Disability Service

Location: Ratonga Rua-o-Porirua Campus

Contract:  Permanent, Full time (1 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

Are you ready to make a real difference? We’re looking for a Speech-Language Therapist to join our passionate team supporting people with intellectual disabilities who require a high level of care.

This is a brand-new role, giving you the opportunity to shape how speech-language therapy is delivered in a forensic setting. You’ll:

• Assess and support communication and swallowing needs
• Develop strategies to improve communication access in inpatient and community settings
• Provide therapeutic input and guide staff to tailor care for individual needs

If you’re dysphagia-trained and committed to improving lives, we’d love to hear from you!

 About the Team/Service Location

We’re a collaborative, multidisciplinary team delivering specialist forensic services for adults and youth with intellectual disabilities. Our work spans inpatient units, step-down cottages, and community services. We value innovation, teamwork, and a strong commitment to tangata whaikaha and their whānau.

 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

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• 2-5 years clinical practice.
• Clinical experience applicable to role.
• NZ recognised speech –language therapy qualification, NZSTA membership and APC
• Dysphagia training, strong collaboration and consultation skills

Someone well-suited to the role will place a high value on the following:

• Focus on delivering high quality care for the tangata whaikaha /whānau.
• Self-motivated in developing clinical and professional practice.
• Collaboration and consultation skills

We are also looking for,

• A commitment and understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi (and application to health) and a willingness to work positively in improving health outcomes for Maori.
• Current full NZ driver’s licence with ability to drive a manual and automatic car (required for roles based in the community or where the role may be required to work across multiple sites).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Internet resources and e-mail.
• A high standard of written and spoken English.

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 by 26^th November. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Marianne.Lovgren@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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