Christchurch | Full-time | Four-year funded initiative
Lead with purpose. Support people. Create lasting change.
Are you an experienced leader passionate about supporting people, strengthening practice and improving outcomes for children and families? This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a new initiative supporting tamariki, rangatahi and whānau experiencing complex challenges across Waitaha Canterbury.
This innovative, kaupapa Māori initiative brings together a multidisciplinary team to provide coordinated, culturally grounded and trauma-informed support to children and families who need it most.
We are looking for a relational, people-focused leader who can champion workforce wellbeing, develop practice capability and help establish a positive, reflective and supportive team culture from the ground up.
About the role
As Kaihautū Tū Manawa Ora | Practice and Pastoral Lead, you will play a key role in developing the practice framework, supervision approach and workforce culture for a new initiative supporting tamariki and rangatahi aged 5-13 and their whānau.
The programme supports children and families experiencing complex challenges, including the impacts of parental imprisonment, school disengagement and intergenerational care experience. Support is delivered through a combination of hub-based and home-based services, with a focus on relationships, wellbeing and sustainable positive change.
Working collaboratively within the leadership team, you will help translate the programme's model of care into everyday practice, ensuring kaimahi feel supported, confident and equipped to deliver high-quality, whānau-centred services.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing practice leadership, coaching and supervision to promote safe, reflective and trauma-informed practice.
- Facilitating reflective practice sessions, team debriefs and collaborative learning.
- Championing workforce wellbeing and fostering a psychologically safe, supportive team culture.
- Supporting the development and implementation of practice frameworks and shared service delivery standards.
- Strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration and coordinated support across hub and home environments.
- Contributing to workforce coordination, rostering, onboarding and sustainable workload management.
- Building positive relationships with whānau, community networks, education providers and partner organisations.
- Contributing to shared leadership, continuous improvement and the successful establishment of the initiative.
You are an approachable and capable leader who understands the importance of strong relationships, reflective practice and supporting people working in emotionally demanding environments.
You will bring:
- Demonstrated leadership experience within health, social services, education, community services or a similar environment.
- Experience supporting staff through supervision, coaching, pastoral leadership, practice development or workforce wellbeing.
- A strong understanding of trauma-informed, relational and whānau-centred practice.
- Experience working within multidisciplinary teams or integrated service environments.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to navigate complexity, balance competing priorities and adapt within a developing service.
- An understanding of kaupapa Māori and culturally grounded practice, alongside a genuine commitment to continuing to develop your cultural capability.
- A full New Zealand driver's licence and the ability to meet police vetting and relevant safety-checking requirements.
What's on offer?
- The opportunity to help establish a meaningful, innovative initiative from the ground up.
- A collaborative leadership environment with a strong commitment to kaupapa Māori and whānau wellbeing.
- Four weeks of annual leave, plus eight additional mental health leave days annually after 12 months of service.
- Annual practising certificate renewal costs covered for relevant professional registrations.
- Professional development support available after four weeks of employment.
- Monthly individual supervision.
- Basic NIB health insurance.
- Full-time, Monday-to-Friday hours, with some flexibility required to support occasional evening and weekend programme activities.
This is an opportunity to bring your leadership experience to a programme that places relationships, cultural grounding and whānau wellbeing at the heart of its work. If you are passionate about developing people, strengthening practice and creating better outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau, we would love to hear from you.
Know someone suitable? We offer a $500 referral bonus for successful referrals.
For a confidential discussion or to apply, contact:
Chloe Finucane
Principal Consultant – South Island
�� 0290 235 3292
✉️ chloef@rwrhealth.co.nz