Job Description

Support Worker, Intensive Support Service

• Casual: no guaranteed number of hours or shifts per week, work offered on an "as and when required" basis

• Service operates, Monday – Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm (casual shifts are 6-7 hours long; please note that no work is available on weekends or evenings in this service)

• Position is based from our New Lynn service.

• Ember Support Worker Pay Rates: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour (depending on qualification held and its equivalence to the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing L4, with stepped increases based on tenure)

Ember Korowai Takitini | Nga Matapono

Ember Korowai Takitini blends professional expertise and lived experience to offer a range of services and supports for anyone with mental health, addiction or intellectual disability needs

At Ember we support people to live the lives they choose and we challenge the systems that hold them back.

We desire a society that better understands and responds to mental distress, addiction and intellectual disability

Ember offers:

• Additional leave, including recreation days and study leave

• A comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme, including health checks, flu vaccinations, and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and more

• Training opportunities for upskilling, personal & professional development, and career progression.

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day in a values-led organization

The Service | Ko Te Whare O ISS

ISS provides tailored, person-centred support for whaiora with high and complex needs, particularly those with intellectual disabilities and forensic mental health backgrounds.

ISS focuses on enhancing clients' quality of life through structured day programmes that develop life skills, foster community participation, and promote independence.
Support Workers collaborate with clients to set and achieve personal goals, employing behavioural interventions and strength-based approaches to facilitate reintegration into the community.

We work in partnership with residential services to provide an all-encompassing array of supportive services to facilitate the client on their pathway to rehabilitation.

Role | Nga mahi

Support Workers deliver personalised life skills and day services tailored to each client's unique needs, blending client-led goals with behavioural support strategies. They are expected to provide both individual and group-based community support, as well as facilitate day programmes that build practical and social skills. The aim is to help clients develop a strong sense of identity, confidence, and the ability to lead meaningful lives within their chosen communities.

Key responsibilities include:

• fostering the development of skills that encourage community involvement and support entry into the mainstream workforce

• identifying needs, setting goals, offering guidance, modelling positive behaviours, and applying measurable outcomes to track progress

• designing, delivering, and evaluating high-quality programmes, including core ISS initiatives delivered each term

• Providing or coordinating one-on-one and/or group support and training that assists an individual with high and complex needs to develop interpersonal and pre-vocational skills

• Being comfortable with physically active duties, including participation in sports and, when necessary, the use of safe restraint techniques.

You will have | Nga Pukenga

• A New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4), or equivalent, or be working towards this (strongly preferred)

• A Full NZ Drivers Licence (Required)

• A valid/current work visa, residency, or citizenshi (Required)

• Experience working with intellectual disability and complex behaviours (preferred)

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to relate, adapt to and engage a wide spectrum of people with diverse backgrounds, ages and cultures

• The ability to actively listen, recognise early signs of escalation, respond calmly with clear options, and follow safety plans with strong awareness of environmental risks

• A calm, empathetic, and resilient approach, with strong professional boundaries

When applying please have | Kia Whakauru

• An up-to date CV

• Cover Letter detailing

  • Why you’re interested in the role?

  • What skills, competencies and experience you bring to the role?

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Maku e ki atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata”

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people

Ember is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all. We particularly welcome applications from our Māori, Pacific and Rainbow communities.

We will interview candidates as applications come through rather than waiting until the advertisement closes. The vacancy may be filled earlier if a suitable candidate is identified.