Independent Living Coach - Burwood Spinal Unit

About the Role 

An opportunity now exists for person with lived experience to work within the inpatient’s services at Burwood Spinal Unit.

In this role you will work with acute inpatients provide education and sharing experiences on the spinal injury journey. You’ll work with clients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and need to bring your holistic skills, enthusiasm and passion to achieve the best outcome for your patients.

You will need to demonstrate your excellent communication skills and build rapport with patients and their whanau.

 In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Establishing rapport with patient and whanau to have open conversations to share experiences
• Providing education and resource, where appropriate, to the client and their family/whanau
• Prioritising, organising and managing the tasks / interventions as requested by therapy staff

About the Service 

As one of two national spinal units in New Zealand, we support people living with Spinal Injuries from Invercargill to New Plymouth.  

This role is working with acute spinal cord injured patients who have been admitted to Burwood Hospital. This role requires you to share your appropriate experiences with people who have experienced a life changing event and support a return to the community.

About You

As an Independent Living Coach, you will have:

• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively, to develop positive interpersonal relationships, and work flexibly within the team, with a team player attitude
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• A positive attitude and enthusiasm for this area of work
• Computer literacy skills

Working at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. 

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal by Monday 21st September 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Courtney Bell at Courtney.Bell@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Applications sent via email will not be accepted. We encourage you to apply early as we will be reviewing applications as we receive them and reserve the right to close this advertisement early.