Social Worker - Kaimahi Toko i te ora

Tai Poutini Polytechnic Campus

Fixed Term, Full Time 12 Month Contract (funded by TWONZ funding agreement)

Mō Tēnei Tūranga Mahi – About the Role

The Registered Social Worker (RSW) will work collaboratively within the Student Support team and wider TPP staff  to provide social work services to TPP students and contribute positively to their student experience, engagement, and success. This includes providing culturally informed, safe, and clinically effective patient/client assessments, developing, and delivering educational workshops, being involved in promotional events, and actively building and maintaining professional relationships with essential external services and government agencies. The RSW will work flexibly across campuses, i.e., Greymouth and Westport sites, to meet the students’ needs in the delivery of social work services. The RSW will also participate in evaluations and planning of services to ensure services are aligned and sufficiently reach the full spectrum of our learner community.

Ngā Pūkenga Me Ngā Wheako - Skills/Experience
  • Demonstrated experience providing social work services to a diverse range of clients including youth
  • Highly developed therapeutic assessment and intervention skills
  • Excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills
  • Research skills
  • Knowledge of crisis intervention models
  • Ability to appropriately apply tikanga Māori and draw on Mātauranga Māori to inform and shape practice and ways of engaging learners into the services available.
  • Skill in analysing and evaluating human behaviour including the ability to interpret unspoken or partially expressed thoughts or concerns
  • An understanding of human development and relationships
  • Ability to work confidentially with clients
  • Strong understanding of child protection related legislation and regulations
  • Well-developed relationship building skills and the ability to establish working relationships with agencies, voluntary groups, and individuals
  • Resourceful and solutions focused
  • Proven experience successfully engaging with students and communities from diverse backgrounds and identities, in particular Māori, Pacific, Youth, Rainbow community, and people with disabilities.
  • Proficient user of Microsoft Office packages and other relevant business software.
Mō Mātou – About us

Tai Poutini Polytechnic is a business division of Te Pūkenga, providing tertiary-level education throughout the West Coast region.

As a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga, TPP is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivering services in a manner that responds with excellence to the needs of Māori learners and their whānau, as well as the aspirations of iwi and Māori communities throughout our catchment (including Māori employers). To deliver effectively on this commitment, TPP recognises the need for a culturally competent and confident workforce vertically and horizontally across our organisation.

All positions at TPP are covered by the TPP Vaccination Policy (the Policy), which is based on a risk assessment conducted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The Policy is currently not in force; however, you need to be aware that should the policy come back into effect at a future point in time, it may become a requirement of your role that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  TPP will consult with you should this eventuate.

Tono Ināianei - Apply now

Please apply using the application form below. For further details contact HR on hr@tpp.ac.nz

To be eligible for his position, you must hold a NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa. Police vetting will be undertaken.

View the full position description.

Rā Katinga - Applications close: Sunday 10 December 2023

Application for employment

You will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in New Zealand if you are successfully appointed to a position with TPP. 

Are you a New Zealand or Australian citizen or permanent resident? If no, please answer the visa questions below.
Do you hold a visa which entitles you to work in New Zealand?
Visa options text
Do you live with the effects of injury, long term illness or disability?
If you have a disability, do you require any reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, including if you are invited to interview for the position?
Have you been found guilty of any offence against the law or do you have any charges pending (apart from minor traffic offences such as parking infringements)?

If you are invited to an interview and intend on bringing Maori or Pacifica whanau support can you please notify us when arranging the interview. 

  • I understand that all information provided by me will be treated as confidential.
  • I give my permission for Tai Poutini Polytechnic to contact any person or organisation identified in my CV or application form regarding this application. I understand that all enquiries will be conducted confidentially and that Tai Poutini Polytechnic is required to maintain confidentiality of this information.

    N.B. If you are currently employed, we will not approach your employer without first discussing this with you. A request for us not to contact them will be respected.

  • I understand that I may access personal information about me held by Tai Poutini Polytechnic and request correction of that information. This access to information excludes reference checks undertaken by the Polytechnic and all material compiled by Tai Poutini Polytechnic for the purposes of assessing my suitability, eligibility and qualifications for employment.
  • I declare that I have truthfully disclosed to Tai Poutini Polytechnic all information reasonably having a bearing on whether or not Tai Poutini Polytechnic might employ me. I shall, when requested, provide verification of this information. I understand that if I am employed and have withheld any such information or provided false information, my employment may be terminated for that reason alone.