A staff member at Te Kamo High School (TKHS) will work as a team with the Leader of the Student
Support Centre (SSC) to support student wellbeing from Years 9-13.
It is an expectation that all staff at TKHS assist in building learning experiences in a way that gives learners choice and agency, while supporting them to still gain necessary skills and knowledge to support them both in school, outside of school and beyond school. The Student Wellbeing Youth Worker will provide targeted, relational, and culturally grounded youth work support to students who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education.
The Youth Worker is responsible for delivering early intervention, pastoral mentoring, attendance support, and transition pathways. The role partners with students, whānau, school staff, and external support agencies to remove barriers to learning, foster resilience, and support learners to engage confidently in school life.
Qualifications and experience:
● Certificate or Diploma in Youth Work is an advantage
● A clean, full driver's licence is an advantage
● Demonstrable experience working effectively alongside rangitahi and whānau.
Key Relationships:
● Students and whānau
● Student Support Center team (Counsellors, Youth Worker, Social Worker, Pathways, Nurse,
Administrators).
● Pastoral Team (Iwi and Horizontal Deans) including attendance.
● Senior Leadership Team
● Wider school services and personnel
● External providers (Such as Oranga Tamariki, Te Ora Hou, Man Alive, Alternative Education, Youth
Space, Youth Services, etc)
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
1. Targeted Mentoring & Student Engagement
● Establish trusting, professional relationships with assigned students (caseload) based on their
tier-of-support level.
● Develop collaborative, strength-based action plans that foster problem-solving skills, emotional
regulation, and personal resilience.
● Provide active presence and pastoral supervision during break times (interval and lunch).
● Connect students with co-curricular opportunities, clubs, and sports to enhance their sense of
belonging and connection to school culture.
● Track milestones, celebrate progress in attendance and academic engagement, and advocate for
student needs with classroom teachers.
2. Attendance Intervention & Whānau Engagement
● Collaborate proactively with the Attendance Team, Iwi Deans, and SLT to identify root causes of
chronic absenteeism.
● Formulate and monitor individualized Attendance Improvement Plans within set timeframes.
● Conduct home visits and family meetings in response to referrals to build trust, assess
home-school barriers, and improve engagement.
● Coordinate practical attendance interventions where appropriate, such as targeted transport
support (pick-up/drop-off) and holiday check-in programmes.
● Maintain regular liaison with external partners, including Truancy Services and Te Poari o Ngātiwai,
to coordinate community-level interventions.
3. Transition & Student Support Initiatives
● Facilitate, monitor, and adapt the 6-Week Transition Programme for mid-year arrivals (enrolling
from Term 1, Week 3 onwards).
● Assist in delivering and coordinating the SSC Peer Support Programme and related student
wellbeing initiatives.
● Support high-needs learners and whānau to navigate external social service systems, address
socioeconomic challenges, and access healthcare.
4. Professional Practice & Administration
● Maintain comprehensive, objective, and timely case notes using the school’s Student Management
System (KAMAR) in alignment with privacy standards.
● Prepare a termly summary report for the Deputy Principal outlining caseload trends, intervention
outcomes, and program evaluations.
● Attend wrap-around support meetings, ensuring student confidentiality and information-sharing
protocols are strictly maintained.
● Participate in regular professional supervision, growth coaching, and professional learning opportunities.
5. School Culture & Team Collaboration
● Embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and a bicultural perspective across all youth work practices.
● Model school values and professional ethics across all interactions with staff, students, whānau,
and community stakeholders.
● Communicate actionable intervention plans clearly to Deans and Middle Leaders to ensure
coordinated classroom and pastoral care.
6. Knowledge & Attributes
● Bicultural Competency: Understanding of Tikanga Māori and a demonstrated commitment to
upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
● Relationship Management: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to de-escalate tension, build
rapport with reluctant learners, and maintain clear professional boundaries.
● Collaboration: Ability to work autonomously while integrating smoothly into a multidisciplinary
pastoral team.
● Integrity & Compliance: High standard of ethics, sound judgment around student safety, and
compliance with the Children’s Act 2014 and privacy legislation.