Residential Assistant

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Residential Assistant is an essential service role in MBIE and contributes to the operations of the Refugee Quota Programme by providing pastoral care, home and personal hygiene education for the residents at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa.

The Residential Assistant is responsible for reporting maintenance issues, checking equipment functionality at accommodation blocks and reporting defects.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Good verbal communication and interpersonal skills, encompassing putting the other party at ease, active listening, questioning, and summarising.
• Good written communication skills to enable the presentation of ideas, information and advice in a way that is understandable and acceptable by a range of audiences.
• Previous experience working in a positive and sensitive way with all people of different cultural backgrounds, gender, and abilities.
• Ability to act professionally at all times and as a strong role model for residents.
• Ability to maintain a calming presence in case of emergency events to direct and assist residents safely and respond quickly in emergency situations.
• Ability to work effectively without direct supervision.
• Experience working in a residential environment.
• Ability to develop trust and credibility with managers and staff.
• Good computer including Windows experience (Word, Excel, Outlook,).
• Strong analytical skills and a demonstrated ability to exercise sound, reasoned judgement.
• Excellent organisational skills, with an ability to prioritise and manage high workloads in sometimes challenging situations and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to discreetly deal with confidential information.
• Knowledge of a language of a major client group of the Refugee and Protection branch and/or exposure to overseas travel or other cultures would be an advantage.
• Understanding of Treaty of Waitangi.
• Police vetting is required.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a NZ Permanent Resident class visa (if the role is located in New Zealand).

Qualifications

• A broad/general educational background with tertiary study and/or relevant experience working in a government administration environment.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Arrival and induction

• Check room allocation for intakes, and promote and communicate a safe and healthy environment between shared families.
• Ensure all accommodation units and rooms are tidy and ready for new arrivals.
• Prepare the welcome pack for new arrivals and distribute clothing and hygiene items to the newly arrived residents.
• Deliver the site induction and hygiene induction of newly arrived residents.
• Run site orientation and welcome presentations and report any change and modifications required.
• Provide support to residents in the use of appliances and demonstrate the correct use when required in the life skill house.
• Proactively provide resources to residents and address issues that have the potential to become behavioral problems in Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa.

Pastoral care

• Understand the residents needs and interests, and provide high level of service and care and support in adjusting to the new surroundings.
• Act as first point of contact and monitoring the health, safety and well-being of all residents, as well as information pertaining to changes in residents' functional status and personal needs.
• Participate in the 3 monthly inspection for accommodation blocks.
• Maintain housekeep of civil defiance room and other storages.
• Consistently and genuinely demonstrates the principles of service, teamwork, action, reputation and success in all activities and interactions.
• Participate in the daily toolbox talk.
• Maintain enough resources and supply at the storge and report all shortage in hygiene material ahead of time.
• Check the received linen is meeting the expected quality from the laundry contractor and reporting back to Residential Assistant lead.

Reporting

• Report as necessary all observed activities or behaviours of concern personnel & site security.
• Report all incidents/accidents, near misses in a timely fashion, including residents on site and ensure the facilities are safe for residents.
• Report all maintenance issues and deep cleaning activities and coordination with onsite contractors.

Wellbeing, health and safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Residential Assistant position reports to the Manager Residential Services within the Refugee and Migrant Services Branch. The Branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand group.

More information about MBIE's structure

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Ngā matatau – Our competencies

Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.

Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.

Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.

Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.

Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.

Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission