Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Southern – Hamilton, North Island Permanent Full time / 40 hours per week / 1 FTEMonday to Friday 7:30am 4pm 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 This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified practitioner to join the Acute Social Work services and undertake a permanent full‐time (1 FTE) position within Waikato Hospital.
The position is within the Acute Social Work Team (Physical Health), supporting our Surgical wards.
There will also be an expectation to cover across the Acute Social Work team as and when needed.
If you are interested in working in a fast‐paced environment and have a passion to focus on health equity for Māori and the Pacifica population, we would love to hear from you.
A wide range of education, training and learning opportunities are offered to our allied health staff, for more information click here.
Click here to view the position description.
About our Service Our Social Work team covers the Emergency Department, Critical Care, Medicine, Surgery, Women's Health, Paediatrics, Older Persons & Rehabilitation, Renal, Oncology and Community.
Although our team works within a range of health services in hospital and community‐based settings throughout the Waikato district, we report professionally to a manager within our Allied Health Service.
About you At least 3 years of professional social work experience, ideally in health or related settings.
Current registration with the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB).
Current New Zealand Annual Practising Certificate (APC).
Full New Zealand drivers licence.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work under pressure and adapt to a fast‐paced environment.
Ideally Skilled in comprehensive social assessments and delivering tailored interventions.
Ability to identify and respond to family violence concerns with appropriate screening and support.
Knowledge and experience in child safety and safeguarding vulnerable adults.
Confidence in connecting patients and whānau to community resources and support networks.
Strong commitment to bicultural practice and equity in healthcare.
Understanding of the psychosocial impact of illness and changing health status.
Competence in crisis response and de‐escalation strategies.
Effective case coordination and advocacy skills to ensure patient‐centred care.
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 online or apply via our Waikato Careers website by clicking here.
All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before 11:59 pm on 14 April 2026.
