ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW

At Ara Poutama Aotearoa (the Department of Corrections) our goal is to reduce re-offending, and underlying this is a strong commitment to public safety.

Our people care about our communities and want to make New Zealand a safer place to be. We do this by helping people lead crime-free lives, which means fewer victims and safer communities.

Corrections’ core role of managing the custodial and community-based sentences imposed by the Courts gives us the opportunity to change lives and shape futures. Of the 8,000 people who work at Corrections, the majority work directly with offenders in a variety of roles including probation officers, corrections officers, case managers, programme facilitators, nurses, community work supervisors, instructors and psychologists.

The Department of Corrections manages 18 prisons located from Northland to Invercargill and 160 Community Corrections sites in towns and cities across New Zealand where probation staff manages people serving non-custodial sentences and orders such as community work, home detention or parole.

The vast majority of the offenders the department works with live in the community, and most of those sentenced to a term of imprisonment will be released at some stage. Therefore it is in all our interests to ensure that when people leave Corrections they have the support and skills they need to live a crime-free life. We do this through targeted rehabilitation and reintegration, treatment, education and trade-training opportunities for offenders that will reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

You can help change lives and shape futures too.

ROLE CONTEXT

The Department devotes significant time and resources into caring for those people who are vulnerable to self-harming behavior or suicide. People in prison identified as being vulnerable to self harming behavior or suicide, who may also suffer from complex mental health problems, are currently managed in At Risk Units with a focus on their immediate safety. The Department has identified an opportunity to take a more holistic and long-term approach to improve the well-being of these people by developing and piloting a new model of care to transform the intervention and support provided to those vulnerable to self-harming behavior or suicide.

Role Purpose

The primary purpose of the role is to work as part of the multi-disciplinary team providing assessment, planning and interventions with those who present with a range of complex physical and psycho-social needs. The Social Worker’s role includes providing support and enhancing the wellbeing of those who are vulnerable to self-harming behaviour or suicide.

This role involves a range of social work practice which will require the ability to exercise sound professional judgment, particularly relevant to the mental health area and the provision of social support.

Key responsibilities are:

Social Work Practice

• Takes professional responsibility for managing a caseload with increasing complexity and isable to independently adapt and make decisions regarding social work intervention.Utilises the information available to prioritise needs and activities to support the allocation ofreferrals and activitiesCarries out comprehensive assessments of those identified as at risk (including whānauwhere appropriate). This may include use of triage and standardised assessments to assistin assessment and intervention planning.
• Formulates and delivers individualised social work intervention using comprehensiveanalytical and reasoning skills. This takes into account the person’s goals and the views ofthe wider multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrates effective communication, to establish positive relationships and is able to setexpectations with both internal and external stakeholders. This includes relaying complexand sensitive messages.
• Assesses the person’s understanding of assessment, interventions and goals and gainsinformed consent for intervention, taking into consideration communication orcomprehension concerns.
• Regularly reassesses and evaluates the person’s progress against identified goals andadjust intervention as situations change.
• Works with the multi-disciplinary team to develop integrated plans, including for triage, carepurposes, transition and discharge.
• Makes referrals to other services when required in line with the plan
• Works with the multi-disciplinary team to complete t regular risk assessments takes action toeffectively manage identified risks, seeking support where appropriate.
• Demonstrates provision of culturally safe and bicultural practice
• Attends clinical meetings and case conferences to enable the delivery of a coordinatedmulti-disciplinary service and to integrate social work interventions into the overallintervention.
• Applies recognised social work models and adheres to relevant policies and practiceguidelines.
• Actively works towards empowering people to make decisions in their best interests andadvocates on their behalf to address any unmet need.
• Adheres to their professional code of conduct

Service Improvement

• Participates in quality improvement activities to develop and improve service delivery,practice or professional standards. This may include care pathways / treatment protocols,standards of practice etc
• Develops and /or participates in regional / sub regional professional networks as appropriateto area of work.
• Establishes working partnerships with external organisations to promote integrated working
• Contributes to annual planning process, including identifying gaps in service and participatingin work / projects that may result from the planning process. Applying knowledge of theMental Health (Compulsory Assessment & Treatment) Act 1992, The Privacy Act 1993 andother relevant Acts and regulations, in clinical practice.
• Discuss and develop innovative work with managers and prison staff
• Take innovative approaches to arrange and facilitate activities and/or processes that willcontribute to the desired outcomes for the person who is at risk.

Documentation

• Completes documentation that meets all legal requirements, in accordance with Departmentpolicies and protocols.
• Complete documentation that is accurate and maintains confidentiality of information.
• Identifying and documenting clients’ individual needs
• Completes files notes that are concise, accurate and objective.
• Liaising with client’s family/whanau where appropriate.

Multi Disciplinary Practice

• Taking part in a multidisciplinary team, providing a social work perspective and taking intoaccount the perspective of other disciplines.
• Regularly attends, and contributes to meetings.
• Undertakes joint work with other members of the Team.
• Carrying out intake duties and urgent duties as required.
• Working to the best interests of the patient with other members of the team.
• Undertaking special projects as required.
• Assists the Clinical Manager Mental health in clinical assurance activities as requested.

Relationship Management and Communication

• Maintain relationships by developing and implementing a quality orientated, timely servicefocused approach
• Proactively build networks and positive working relationships with key stakeholders andservice providers (both internal and external).
• Effectively interprets and communicates information
• Be inquisitive and ask probing questions
• Provides high quality advice and is able to adapt to different audiences

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Code of Conduct and Department Policy

• Familiarity and compliance with the Department’s Code of Conduct and related documents;and with Department policy and procedures relating to the functions of the position held.

Health and Safety

• Help maintain a safe working environment within Corrections by adhering to Departmentpolicy and procedures relating to the position held.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• All employees are expected to perform other such other duties as can reasonably beregarded as incidental to their job description, and other such duties that fall reasonablywithin their experience and capabilities as may be assigned from time to time to meetbusiness requirements.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

To be successful in this position you will need:

• To be successful in this position you will need:
• Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Minimum of 2 years social work practice in mental health.
• Good knowledge and experience in of social work models
• Flexible, safe and creative approaches in supporting vulnerable people
• Operates effectively in a Māori cultural setting and has an understanding of the Treaty ofWaitangi.
• Ability to make sound professional judgements tailoring solutions to individualcircumstances.
• Effective written skills including the ability to write clear and meaningful records for differentaudiences.
• Have effective communication skills, including being able to communicate verbally in arespectful and non-threatening manner that is tailored to the audience
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of people tofacilitate the accomplishment of work goals
• Ability to be flexible and adapt behaviour to reflect diverse situations and people, and dealpositively with difficult situations and people
• Experience in goal setting, developing and reviewing plans
• Knowledge and experience in working with at risk patients.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively to provide quality information while followingprocesses and procedures
• Demonstrate ability to access and use available information systems.Understanding of different cultural, religious and ethnic needs
• Ability to work independently and be a team member
• Demonstrates patient and whanau centred care
• Ability to handle sensitive information in strict confidence.
• Ability to cope with work pressure and stress ( eg. Deadlines, challenging workloads).
• Demonstrates resilience in challenging work environments

Qualifications

• Must be a registered social worker with a current practising certificate
• Member of Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers – Professional Association(desirable).

Other requirements

• Hold a clean and current drivers licence
• This is a rostered position across 7 days