Social Worker Caregiver - Greymouth (Fixed Term Until September 2026)

Job description
Social Worker Caregiver - Greymouth (Fixed Term until September 2026) at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, West Coast
Fixed term/secondment opportunity until September 2026.
This role is based primarily in our Greymouth Site, West Coast.
Specialised role, focusing on recruiting, assessing and supporting caregivers to provide the best possible care.
Champion the protection, wellbeing and best management of tamariki in safe families.
Mō te tūnga About the role

Caregivers take on a critically important role in the lives of tamariki who cannot live safely at home. As a Caregiver Social Worker, you will partner closely with our caregivers to help them understand the role they play at each stage of a child's journey through care. With your strong relationship management skills and commitment to providing tailored support, you will ensure that our caregivers are well prepared with the resources, skills and information that they need to provide nurturing, safe and stable homes for tamariki. As part of your work, you will build relationships with and support whānau and non-whānau caregivers, emergency and respite caregivers and long-term caregivers.

The role of a Caregiver Social Worker is varied and deeply rewarding, with the opportunity to deliver tangible and meaningful benefits to your community. You will work as a team with the child's Social Worker to identify key or underlying issues and develop creative, individually tailored strategies that provide cohesive support from all angles to facilitate great outcomes for tamariki who need caring for. Where required, you will also work with other agencies, community groups and providers to ensure the needs of our caregivers are met.

Our close-knit and supportive team are fully committed to achieving positive change for tamariki, whānau and caregivers. We also understand and have experience in managing the challenges you may face in this role. We work from a strengths-based perspective and proactively share knowledge, learnings and insights across the team to ensure that all our members feel heard, supported and well prepared to deliver their best. You will receive a full induction into the role, regular training and supervision, and have the benefit of a strong peer and leadership group.

As this role is a Social Worker position, not Caregiver, you must hold a Social Work qualification and be registered with SWRB.

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do. In our work, we aim to demonstrate these values:

We put Tamariki first
We respect the Mana of people
We value Whakapapa
We recognise that Oranga is a journey
Minimum Requirements:

A recognised Social Work qualification by the Social Worker Registration Board (SWRB)
Full registration with New Zealand's Social Worker Registration Board and an annual practicing certificate (or the ability to gain registration with the SWRB)
Demonstrated resilience, critical thinking and problem-solving techniques
Upholding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and demonstrating this in practice
Having a good understanding of section 7(AA) of The Oranga Tamariki Act
A good understanding of the Oranga Tamariki National Care Standards 2018
Passion and vision for caregivers and what they need to succeed
Excellent relationship management skills
Well-developed written and verbal communication skills
A valid and clean New Zealand's driver's license
Nōu te rourou What's in it for you

Oranga Tamariki offer an impartial remuneration package, that offers progression annually for experience through tenure. Annual remuneration for this position starts between $81K - $+7k dependent on experience, with tenure-based progression steps above this range.

We offer a vibrant and supportive team, flexible work options and a genuine commitment to wellbeing. We offer significant training and professional development so that you can thrive and grow. We welcome diversity and are committed to working in an inclusive and respectful way.

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.

Me pēhea te tuku tono How to apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter, please include in your application your work availability. If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee already, please ensure you apply with a log in using your Oranga Tamariki email address. If you have any questions about the role, please contact info_recruit@ot.govt.nz.

Applications close: 28th January 2026

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