Allied Health Assistant

**Our Organisation**

Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral (MidCentral) is part of Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand and provides healthcare services to over 180,000 people across the Manawatū, Horowhenua and Tararua regions. With a large hospital campus in Palmerston North, it also provides key health care and support services to neighbouring communities.

We are looking for experienced Allied Health Assistants to join our growing team within the Older People's Assessment and Liaison Community Service (OPAL CS).

**What is the service?**

The OPAL community service complements the existing range of Te Uru Whakamauora (Healthy Aging and Rehabilitation) services provided to older people with a focus on reducing avoidable displacements from home. OPAL CS delivers home-based care for older people with complex age related physical, social, long-term conditions or mental health needs. This service aims to shift more health care from hospital settings closer to people's homes, and pivotally, incorporate Kaupapa Māori approaches in its service to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori kaumatua. The OPAL CS teams will be co-located in the community of the three key localities of the MidCentral Region: Palmerston North City/Feilding, Horowhenua, and Tararua.

**What is the role about?**

**This role is part time - 20 hours per week**

In this role, you will be working in the community alongside a supportive transdisciplinary team consisting of geriatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social worker, NASC, Māori connectors, allied health assistants.
The team will partner with general practices and community providers to identify older people with frailty in the community to provide comprehensive geriatric assessments and deliver therapy services to help them remain independent at home. The team will also be supporting people transitioning home from hospital settings and your work will be based in various clinical locations, visiting clients in the community, and in associated facilities.
We currently have a position open for the Tararua locality.
This role provides an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment where you can build on a variety of skills You will be a valued core member of the OPAL CS team. The tasks of this position are many and varied and you will work under the direction and delegation of registered Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Social Workers based in the community.

**What are we looking for in applicants?**
- Enthusiastic, energetic, resilient, with a ‘can do' attitude
- Experience and ability to work effectively within a trans-disciplinary team, utilising individual and professional skills.
- Able to work under pressure and direction
- Ability to adapt and flex to trial new ways of working
- Strong desire to help clients and whānau achieve their goals
- An understanding or willingness to learn about te reo Māori and tikanga Māori
- Effective written, oral and interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.
- Strong organisational and time management skills
- Basic computer, I.T and clinical documentation skills
- Completed or be willing to complete ‘Career Force' Health Assistant strand Qualification (level 3).
- A full, current, driver's licence
- essential

**How to apply**
- We strive to be a place where people love to work and learn. We aim to develop a diverse team that reflects the communities that we serve and we welcome people of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, socio-economic situations and accessibility needs._
- MidCentral actively seeks Māori into our workforce to reflect the community we serve._