Youth Support Workers – Dunedin/Ōtepoti

Community Care Trust Aotearoa is inviting compassionate Youth Support Workers to join the Youth Team in Ōtepoti Dunedin. The roles are available as both full-time and part-time positions and are based on-site in Dunedin. The company frames its work around empowering tamariki and rangatahi, strengthening whānau, and helping create great lives. They particularly welcome applicants from Māori and Pasifika communities who bring cultural knowledge and lived experience, including an understanding of Te Ao Māori and Pacific worldviews. This position offers the chance to make a real difference in the lives of young people by helping build safe, supportive, and culturally responsive environments where tamariki and rangatahi can thrive. The successful candidate will join a values-driven team that works to foster stability, connection, and positive outcomes for young people, with a shared commitment to respectful, client-centred care. A day in the Dunedin youth team As a Youth Support Worker, you’ll partner with tamariki and rangatahi who may have faced trauma or other complex life challenges. Through steady, positive relationships and encouragement, you’ll help them build confidence, pick up life skills, and work toward personal goals. You’ll help maintain a safe, structured setting that supports wellbeing and development, while staying attuned to each young person’s needs and working with the team to adapt supports as required. Experience in positive behaviour support and managing complex behaviours is highly valued and informs the way plans are implemented. What it takes to join the team Essential requirements

• Full New Zealand Driver Licence
• First Aid Certificate (or willingness to obtain one at the company’s expense)
• Eligibility to work in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Minimum 12 months remaining on a Work/Student Visa
• Availability to work rostered shifts, including weekends

Nice-to-haves Candidates who bring experience with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, Māori, Pacific, or diverse communities, and who have a grounding in Te Tiriti o Waitangi with culturally responsive practice, will have an edge. Knowledge of Te Ao Māori, tikanga Māori, and Pacific worldviews, plus culturally grounded approaches, helps in building positive, respectful relationships. The role benefits from strong communication, patience, resilience, and an understanding of strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches. Experience supporting tamariki and rangatahi with complex needs or behaviours is desirable, and the ability to work well within a team while keeping documentation and communication clear is important. Pay, benefits and logistics This on-site role in Dunedin is offered as both full-time and part-time work. The pay rate is an hourly figure, up to $30.06 NZD, depending on qualifications. The position includes meaningful, rewarding work that positively impacts young people, a supportive team environment, and ongoing professional development in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice, with opportunities to grow skills and advance a career in this field. Pre-employment checks are part of the process, including Police Vetting and Oranga Tamariki checks. Taking the next step Applications close at 5pm on Friday 30 October 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and interviews or appointments may occur before the closing date, so applicants are encouraged to apply early. For those ready to review the formal duties and requirements, the Position Description is available here: Position Description