• Job Type:
• Category: Psychology, Counselling and Social Work
• Location: Auckland (Tamaki Makaurau)
• Date Advertised: 06-JAN-21
• Job Reference: APA/1504722
• Job Title: Social Worker
• Business Unit:
• Division:
• Summary:

Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility (ARWCF) is in Manukau, south of Auckland. It was the first purpose-built women’s prison in the North Island. The operational capacity is 462 Wahine and the facility caters for those on remand, along with minimum and maximum security classifications. There is also a mothers and babies unit. 

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is committed to providing an approach for the Wahine in our care that recognises their complex and entwined histories of severe trauma, mental health issues, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships and poverty that have often contributed to their offending.  The Women’s Strategy (2017-2021) forms an integral  part of how of we care for our Wahine and focuses on providing women with interventions and services that meet their unique risks and needs and managing women in ways that are trauma-informed and empowering. 

Mō te tūnga | About the role

The primary purpose of the Social Worker role is to support and enhance the well-being of women in prison, particularly vulnerable women and mothers. The role is part of a multi-disciplinary team including corrections officers, case managers, programmes and health staff who all work to guarantee women’s wellbeing in prison, and assist them to navigate their time in custody and build a better future for them and their children on release.

Specifically this position focuses on working with women who are mothers to support their continued parenting, navigate the statutory child protection processes and strengthen the relationships with their children; leading practice in the mothers with babies units; supporting pregnant women through their pregnancy in prison and planning for their child; supporting young women in positive youth development; supporting transgender men and women to access appropriate support services to assist with addressing their needs; working closely with the statutory child protection agency where the mother is in prison; and adopting innovative approaches to support women’s wellbeing in prison. 

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

• Knowledge of and experience in social work with women, including those with trauma histories
• Can operate effectively in a Māori cultural setting and has an understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi. 
• Knowledge and experience of trauma informed practice models
• Ability to make sound professional judgements tailoring solutions to individual circumstances.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of people to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries
• Ability to be flexible and adapt behaviour to reflect diverse situations and people, and deal positively with difficult situations and people
• Know when to seek guidance from others on matters of operational policy and procedure
• Effectively manage time and workload, taking responsibility for learning and development, while maintaining a balance between work and personal life
• A Social Work qualification recognised by Social Workers Registration Board is essential – we are open to graduates who have provisional registration with SWRB

Mō mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu. 

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy – Hōkai Rangi (https://arapoutama.page.link/Eit5).

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter (PDF) describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success – we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

It is an exciting time to join us and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau.  All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at careers@corrections.govt.nz.