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Healthier Homes Adviser

We are currently seeking fixed-term or contract Healthier Homes Advisers to help high risk households in Auckland, Waikato, and Northland.
No prior experience necessary: extensive training and on-the-job support will be provided.

Ability to interact with people in an appropriate, culturally sensitive, caring, and considerate way (including Māori and Pasifika, immigrants from many different ethnic communities, people of all ages and abilities) is a must. Foreign language and cultural skills would be very helpful. This year's project is to help Elderly People in Energy Poverty in Greater Auckland.

A normal day:

• Teams of two Healthier Homes Advisers go into elderly people’s homes to support and educate them in their own language if possible in a culturally appropriate way – we need to remove as many barriers to helping them as possible. We need clients to have a good understanding of why we are there, what we are going to do, what their rights are, and how we would like to help.
• Measure and assess the home for moisture, temperature, energy and water efficiency and healthy homes standards.
• Move through, under and above (ceiling and underfloor cavities can be dark, smelly, wet, dirty or dusty, and pests can be present) the home and take note of anything unusual.
• Take photos for evidential and education purposes.
• Fill in checklist and make notes.
• Have a respectful conversation about the occupant's home and their living habits and provide advice that will help save them money and keep them healthier.
• Back at home-office write a report.
• Refer the client to support services as required.
• Provide regular follow up support.

We need someone who:

• Is honest and asks for help and support. Good communicator. Has empathy.
• Is able to engage respectfully with elderly people and people of all ages and (dis)abilities.
• Has written and spoken foreign language skills – particularly for languages spoken by migrant or ethnic communities where some individuals can find it difficult to access services or understand written or spoken English.
• We will likely use Advisers as informal translators when we do assessments/ follow ups and also to make sure our written information/ resources make sense in other languages (currently we only have them in English but we need to make them more accessible).
• Has some concept/ personal experience of energy poverty, making do, poverty, low-income life experience, etc.
• Can attend an external short course(s) (probably 1-3 days) and pass a multi-choice test.
• Budgeting skills would be beneficial as well as the ability to read a power/ water bill but we can teach that.

We receive additional funding from MSD for Projects in the Community Flexiwage for eligible candidate placements, so we welcome applications from people who are on a main benefit (Job Seeker, Disability, Solo Parent...).

Please send your application to work@se.org.nz (and quote your MSD client number if you have one).

Job Details

• 5-30 hours per week
• Fixed-term or contract role, possibility to move to full-time over 12 months based on business growth and needs.
• Living wage
• Some training provided, including cross training opportunities.
• Remote work, on-site, office-based, and various other locations of work as required

Our People are:

• Ethical and honest, avoiding surprises,
• Supportive and caring,
• Collaborative, friendly and helpful,
• Proactive and accountable,
• Reliable and dependable,
• Committed to learning and cooperating,
• Conscious of their health and well-being, but available for occasional weekend work