Team Leader – Allied Health Early Response Team

Location:  Wellington Regional Hospital 

Service: Allied Health Early Response Team – ED

Contract: Fixed Term (1 May 2026 – 1 December 2026), Part Time (0.5 FTE / 20 hours per week), Rostered and Rotating 

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 

The team leader provides day to day leadership, operational management and planning for the team in order to deliver a sustainable, high quality service that contributes to enabling acute flow through the Emergency Department and rapid assessment units. 

This role will:

• Support Allied Health clinicians working in ED and MAPU to provide rapid assessment of Allied Health need and expedited intervention (within 2 hours) where this facilitates discharge 
• Embed a discharge-first perspective for Allied Health clinicians across ED and MAPU, through supporting clinical practice that enables early identification of clinical criteria for discharge and key enablers to returning home
• Identify further opportunities for improvement and strengthening the Allied Health workforce through supporting data collection and capturing unmet need for allied health intervention
• Support development of skills and knowledge for Allied Health clinicians in rapid assessment and discharge planning 
• Be a key point of contact for stakeholders across the department 

About the Team/Service Location 

Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley Allied Health teams work across the continuum of care – in community settings, in outpatient clinics, and inpatient wards, to support and enable people to live well. 

The Allied Health presence in the Emergency Department (ED) has been limited to social work and physiotherapy, with service provision from other Allied Health disciplines being provided on an in-reach basis by profession-specific inpatient teams, and by AWHI (Advancing Wellness at Home Initiative). The setup of this new ED based team across the winter period is to support the ongoing development of the Allied Health Response in ED and respond to the Shorter Stays in ED targets. 

Our team is committed to early intervention, safe and efficient patient flow, and ensuring every person who comes through our Emergency Department or acute services receives compassionate, timely, patient centred care. You’ll join a supportive, forward thinking team that values innovation, professional growth, and shared problem solving. The team includes two Allied Health ED Flow Co-ordinators and three new roles of Social Work, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. The service works extended hours (7 am to 8 pm) over a 7 day a week service.

About You 

You are an experienced allied health professional with strong leadership capability. 

You will have:

• A relevant professional qualification and current registration/APC (or equivalent professional membership) (essential).
• Advanced clinical experience with demonstrated leadership of teams.
• Experience contributing to service improvement or practice development 
• Experience leading, motivating, and developing staff.
• A commitment to quality improvement, clinical governance, and patient safety.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively within teams including understanding and promoting interprofessional practice model (IPP)
• Understanding of the wider health system and different models of care.
• Postgraduate qualifications or working towards further study (desirable).

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.

Position description Apply now

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