Residential Youth Worker

Are you a great communicator with genuine care and compassion?
- Are you determined to be there for tamariki in need?
- Are you able to listen without judgement and build trust and respect?

Mō te tūnga | About the role
Join us as a Youth Worker and change lives for the better. One moment, one milestone, one meaningful interaction at a time
The mahi of our Youth Workers provides our tamariki at a youth justice residence with the environment, services and care that keeps them safe, promotes their dignity, preserves their mana, and respects their individuality.
What is a youth justice residence? A youth justice residence is a place where 13-17-year-olds accused of an offence stay to await trial or service a sentence. This means that they are not free to leave. However, a residence is not a prison.
Our Youth Workers take pride in offering our tamariki support that will help them to get their lives back on track. We are committed to ensuring that the time tamariki spend in our residences will improve their prospects for the future.
At our Te Puna Wai residence, we have a school, sports field, visitors' suite, gym, and whare on site. We also have a small farm (complete with friendly farm animals) that offers our tamariki valuable life skills and experience. Our Youth Workers use these facilities to help enrich the lives of our tamariki and set them up with the skills they will need to meaningfully contribute to their whānau and community.
Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring
Our Youth Workers join us with a broad array of experiences, perspectives, and passions The most important thing that they all have in common is that they are determined to be there for our tamariki. To succeed in this role, you need to be able to listen without judgement to build trust and respect.
You might have worked with children previously (this could be as part of your job or in your social life i.e., coaching sports, mentoring, tutoring etc) Alternatively, you might have experience in customer service, healthcare, psychology, education, sports, music, or art.
Our best Youth Workers are those who are passionate about sharing their interests, culture, and what matters to them with our tamariki and being a positive, consistent role model
- You must be willing to work a roster that covers mornings, evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
- You must be physically willing and able to play sports and interact with our tamariki safely.
- You must be able to pass a Vulnerable Childrens Act check and Police vetting.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you
Our Youth Workers receive six weeks of full-time, paid training. We are committed to ensuring that our kaimahi have the best possible preparation and support to prepare them to work in our unique environment.
We also provide ongoing training and development for our people. Oranga Tamariki is an organisation with great career development opportunities, in meaningful lines of work. A lot of our leadership team started with us as Youth Workers themselves
Oranga Tamariki offer an impartial remuneration package, that offers progression annually for experience through tenure. We welcome diversity and are committed to working in an inclusive and respectful way.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply
Kick off the New Year with a new job that embraces your passions and interests We are running a new staff induction on our Te Puna Wai site on the 22nd of January.
Our mahi requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.