Allied Health Assistant - Occupational Therapy

Full job description
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Whanganui District
Occupational Therapy
Fixed Term, up to 1 FTE/full-time and will consider part-time

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are looking for a motivated Allied Health Assistant to join our Occupational Therapy Team at Whanganui Hospital on a Fixed Term basis.Allied Health Assistants are an integral part of the healthcare team. These roles are aimed to support our Occupational Therapists, when working alongside patients and whanau/family during their journey at Whanganui DHB.

The ideal candidate ideally has experience and knowledge in the use of personal functional equipment e.g. bathing and toileting equipment, manual handling and patient care. They will need to have excellent communication skills, being able to work within an MDT to assist effective client/patient care planning and effective discharge and promoting an empowerment model of care and maintain great working relationships with key members of the team.

This role will be predominantly based on Medical or Surgical ward depending on the skills of the applicant. You will be under the daily direction of the ward Occupational Therapist and report to the Clinical Manager of Occupational Therapy. You will also work closely alongside Physiotherapists and their Allied Health Assistants. The role will involve some interviewing and information gathering from clients, issuing basic equipment, liaison with ACC as required, handling and mobilisation of patients as directed, administrative work and assisting the Occupational Therapist as required.

This allows you to work with a wide range of people across their health journey with varying determinants of health and wellbeing. You will be supported by an integrated multi-disciplinary team.

You will be located on the Whanganui Campus. Whanganui is a great little progressive city with a friendly chilled vibe. Great café culture, schools and sporting opportunities with some of the best all year-round weather in the country. The rugged west coast beaches on your doorstep allow for all year surfing, fishing or just walking for miles. Skiing and hiking on mount Ruapehu just an hour up the road, Whanganui has all your bases covered for a family friendly lifestyle.

For more information on living and working in Whanganui click here

About you

Our ideal candidate will have:

Excellent communication skills – both written and oral.
Demonstrate initiative and reliability
Have computer skills and be able to competently use basic computer systems required by the hospital.
Have experience or demonstrate potential for working in a hospital/healthcare setting
Hold the legal right to work in New Zealand
Physically fit and able to lift (as per patient handling guidelines)
Motivated to maintain high level of knowledge and skill
Hold a Full New Zealand Driver's License
Enjoy working alongside other MDT members with a transdisciplinary team approach.
Able to build strong relationships with the clients and whanau and community networks.
Be flexible and willing to learn.
Motivated to maintain high level of knowledge and skill
Cultural sensitivity
Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 12th June 2025. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Stacey at jobs@wdhb.org.nz or phoning +6463488+11 or Emma Fowlie, Clinical Manager OT, SLT, Physiotherapy and Dietetics: 021 308 815 emma.fowlie@wdhb.org.nz
Please specify your preference for full-time or part-time/hours
We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.