Support Worker - Whanganui ##
Open Home Foundation · 51-200 employees
What the role involves
- Supporting children
- Transporting children
- Mentoring visits
What they ask for
Certificate in Health and Wellbeing preferred; experience with young people and residential care; full clean driver's license; First Aid certified; availability for evenings, weekends, and overnight care; alignment with Christian Kaupapa.
- Professional licence or registration
- Driver licence
About the job
Support Worker - Whanganui
Casual Position
“Supporting Families, Caring for Children”
The Open Home Foundation (OHF) is a Christian Community Response and has a vision that every child and young person has the opportunity to grow up in a secure, loving family and receive a depth of care which will bless them throughout their lives.
Integral to our ongoing success are our Support Workers who ensure the needs and safety of our Tamariki are paramount. The Support Worker role plays a very important part in families’ lives, helping stabilize the placements of children with specific needs—all while demonstrating a lot of care, empathy and professionalism. This role could also involve transporting children, mentoring and supporting supervised visits.
The successful applicant will have the following:
- Ideally have a Certificate in Health and Wellbeing.
- Experience working with young people.
- Experience or willingness to undertake training in providing physical, emotional and therapeutic care of vulnerable children/young people with disabilities and / or autism spectrum disorder in a residential setting.
- Have experience working in a residential setting and a desire to work with children with disabilities and/ASD.
- Be excellent at quickly establishing confidence, rapport and routine with the child and their family.
- Have their own transport and a full clean driver’s license is essential.
- Be First Aid certified.
- Be available to work evenings, weekends, and provide overnight care of young people, alongside transport and general support.
- An in-depth understanding of how the role recognizes the special relationship between Māori and Tauiwi and strong empathy with the organization's special character.
- An alignment with the Open Home Foundation’s Christian Kaupapa.
- Hours as agreed ~ Candidates must be available to work outside school hours, with some overnight work, afternoons/evenings.
Download Position Description
Download Application Information Sheet
Download OHF Mission, Vision and 'We Will Statement'
If you would like more information on the role, please:
- Contact: vacancies@ohf.org.nz
Applications close: 5th December 2026 (Applicants may be appointed prior to closing date)
Applying for this job
What to show on your CV
- It needs a professional licence or registration. Put yours near the top, with its number if the profession uses one.
- It asks for a driver licence. Say which class you hold, and whether it's full.
- For the work it describes, like "Supporting children", give an example from your own experience, with a result you can talk about at an interview.
Our guides to the New Zealand CV format, cover letters and interview questions cover the rest.