Casual Residential Youth Worker - Youth Justice Residence

Take a step away from doing work that is the same day in and day out.
Start a job that makes a difference for young people and builds your career.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Join the team at our Te Puna Wai Youth Justice Residence as a Residential Youth Worker and take pride in knowing that the work you do every day makes a real difference to the lives of our tamariki.

A Youth Justice Residence a place where 13-17-year-olds accused of an offence stay to await court proceedings or serve a sentence. This means they are not free to leave. However, a residence is not a prison. We prioritise the safety and security of our tamariki and staff on site, however, we are committed to ensuring that the time tamariki spend in our residences will improve their prospects for the future. Our Residential Youth Workers are there to keep our tamariki safe, but they're also mentors, role models and coaches.

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 from pigs, alpacas, goats, sheep, and a pony!) 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 healthcare, psychology, education, sports, music, or art.

• 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.
• You must be reliable and consistent in your work attendance.
• You must be able to present at work free from the influences of drugs and alcohol.
• You must be available to attend an initial three week induction, which consists of 40 hours per week Monday - Friday.

As a Casual, you will be required to cover the shifts of our Residential Youth Workers. This is not a 9 to 5 job and our Residences are a 24/7 operation - the successful candidate would be required to provide cover as and when needed to support our permanent Residential Youth Workers staff. You could be asked to work any day/evening/night of the week from Monday to Sunday, including Public Holidays.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

This position pays $26.00 per hour + 8% holiday pay on hours worked. There is a variety of shifts available as residences operate 24/7.

Our casual Youth Workers receive two weeks of full-time, paid training before they cover rosters on the floor. 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!

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply.

Apply to do a job that makes you proud! It's an exciting time to join our team, we've got a lot planned for this year!

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. We'd love to hear about your experience, passions and interests that have attracted you to youth work.

If you have any questions about role, please contact Info_recruit@ot.govt.nz.

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.

Oranga Tamariki is committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities and welcome applications from everyone who can meet the requirements of the role. We also support flexible working arrangements.