Call For Migrants To Start A Healthcare Career In Support Work

One of New Zealand’s leading home support health and disability providers, Enliven Northern, is calling on migrants to join the healthcare sector and start a rewarding career as a support worker.

“Migrant workers have long made a valuable contribution to our organisation and often contribute many amazing qualities,” says Enliven Northern General Manager Wendy Hoskin.

“Support workers make a massive difference to clients, but importantly, support work provides huge work satisfaction – you are providing essential support to people to enable them to remain living a purposeful, fulfilling, and connected life, continuing to do the things they love. “It’s a rewarding career choice and there has never been a better time than now to join our team.”

Enliven has support worker vacancies right across its northern region from Whangārei to Auckland, Hamilton and Rotorua to Tauranga.

Currently, there is a big demand for carers in the early morning, early evening and over the weekends, particularly in the Counties-Manukau, Waikato, Rotorua and Taupo areas.

“The health support service sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increasing gap between the number of people needing support to continue to live in their own homes and a shrinking pool of support workers to provide support,” says Hoskin.

“We know migrant groups in New Zealand play an important role not only in our health system, but in our communities and wider society.

“For some people living alone, support workers are the only regular social contact with the outside world. Support workers help with everything from showering, grooming, dressing, supervising medication, preparing food, and doing light housework through to taking clients to social events, appointments, and grocery shopping.”

Hoskin says people don’t need previous experience to work for Enliven.

“We provide a caring and supportive working environment with an emphasis on training staff to provide quality services. All our staff are trained to Level 3 of the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing, Support Work, in the first 10 months of employment and are encouraged to achieve their Level 4 qualification. This is a point of difference as Enliven staff gain a Level 3 qualification within the first year and therefore get to the Level 3 pay scale faster.

“We provide a full induction into the organisation and ongoing training to refresh skills learned during the qualification process. We also provide internal support by qualified Learning and Development staff to walk alongside our people to support them in achieving qualifications. Support Workers also meet in a group with their Service Co-ordinator every month for continuing education, collegial support, and team building.”

Hoskin says that when it comes to pay, Enliven pays the living wage rate to start with, but this quickly goes up as workers reach their Level 3 and 4 qualifications. There are also generous travel allowance rates.

“Support work is an excellent career for young people. It can be a stepping stone to further qualifications in the health sector, for example, some people, after qualifying as support workers, go on to train as nurses and occupational therapists. It is also a great job for those who are studying, looking for part-time hours, or who are looking for a career change later in life.”

More than 100,000 New Zealanders are supported to live at home by 16,000 support workers though this workforce is largely unseen as many clients are protective of their privacy and dignity.

About Enliven Northern

Enliven Northern is a leading and innovative provider of at-home and community services for older people and people with disabilities. Most people want to stay at home as long as they can, which is a key focus for Enliven. Our focus is on working alongside people to achieve their independence goals. Enliven is the health and disability arm of Presbyterian Support Northern, a charity that also provides the well-known and trusted social services of Family Works, Lifeline, and Shine.

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