Recreate NZ - Programme Coordinator and Facilitator - Christchurch

Recreate NZ is a youth-based organisation looking for a Programme Coordinator and Facilitator to join our team based in Papanui, Christchurch.

Recreate NZ provides a wide range of services and programmes for youth with intellectual disabilities and neurodiversity. The successful applicant would align closely with Recreate NZ values (as below) and work well within our small passionate team.

The ideal applicant will have:
• Relevant qualifications such as a Sport and Recreation Degree, Psychology/Health or Social Science degrees or similar; and
• Demonstrated youth leadership and experience working collaboratively with volunteers; and
• Demonstrated experience working with young people with intellectual disabilities and diverse needs; and
• Demonstrated experience following health and safety standards and procedures; and
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering adventure, recreation, social, life-skills, and work-skills programmes for groups of youth with intellectual disabilities.
 
This is a full-time role, at least 30 hours per week, comprised of:
• 20 hours per week of office-based coordination, plus
• 10 hours of programme delivery/facilitation per week (on average), including facilitation of one full-day midweek programme during term time.
• Potential additional hours for weekend, camps, and holiday programmes.

Programme delivery for this role will range from delivering multi-day adventure/weekend programmes (including overnights), holiday programmes and social events on Friday or Saturday evenings. All our programmes are for groups of young people with a variety of mild to moderate intellectual disabilities (for a full range of our programme offerings check out our website). Additionally, a key responsibility of this role is the delivery of one full-day midweek work experience and life skills programme each week during school term.

The core responsibilities for delivery of this midweek programme in this role are the following:

1. Programme Coordination
• Plan and coordinate a varied term programme focused on developing participants’ life skills, work readiness and independence through practical and experiential learning opportunities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local businesses, community organisations and work-experience partners to create meaningful opportunities for participants.
• Programme administration, including programme information, bookings and resources, participant communication, risk management documentation and evaluations.
• Manage programme delivery within allocated budgets and organisational timelines.

2. Programme Facilitation
• Facilitate one full-day midweek programme each week during term time for a small group of up to 7 Recreate NZ participants, creating a positive, engaging and inclusive learning environment.
• Facilitate practical learning across areas such as cooking, budgeting, shopping, household skills, horticulture, community participation, communication, teamwork and workplace skills.
• Support participants to work towards individual goals by adapting activities and tasks to different abilities, learning styles and support needs, while encouraging decision-making, problem-solving and increasing independence.
• Provide appropriate behaviour and emotional support while maintaining clear professional boundaries and expectations.
• Lead and support programme volunteers and safely transport participants to and from programme activities where required.

3. Work Experience and Community Engagement
• Identify meaningful opportunities for participants to develop real-world life skills, work experience, and transferable employment skills within the community.
• Support participants to develop workplace skills and expectations, including communication, teamwork, time management, following instructions, completing tasks and taking responsibility.
• Build positive relationships with businesses and community partners to ensure opportunities are appropriate, accessible and meaningful, and support participants to engage confidently within their community.

This role would suit someone with a genuine passion for supporting young people to participate, develop and thrive in their communities, alongside demonstrated experience supporting young people in group, residential, educational or community-based settings. The successful applicant will be confident leading small groups, building positive relationships and adapting practical learning opportunities to develop participants’ confidence, life skills, work readiness and independence.


We are looking for self-motivated applicants who can help with our regular schedule of programmes to address the demand we are experiencing for our services in this area. This may also include meeting with schools, youth, volunteers and families.

All our Programme Coordinators and Facilitators require excellent administration and communication skills, good spoken and written English, plus solid ''attention to detail'' event planning skills. Additionally, we are looking for great leadership skills, adequate cooking skills, a full driver's license, and an ability to think on their feet when out and about our marvellous country.

We are a strongly values-based organisation and hold the needs of our young people as our highest priority. The person for this role will need a passion for youth and a background in youth or disability care work. Below are some of our key values.

Key values
• Young people being supported by young people'' creating an age-appropriate environment and learning from each other which leads towards a more inclusive New Zealand. All our staff are young with energy and enthusiasm for youth work!
• Recreate NZ focuses on experiential learning and creating meaningful personal growth opportunities for participants. A young person's progression towards emotional and mental health, physical well-being and progress towards independence is key to what we do.
• Our programmes have a strong focus on personal development where young participants develop confidence, self-esteem, friendships, support networks and life skills all in a supportive and encouraging environment.
• All programmes have a practical educational focus and are intentional about increasing a young person's skill base and readiness for living independently out in the community.
• We agree with the social and rights-based model of disability. We see that disability doesn't lie with the person, but in society's attitude toward them and people with disability have the right to the same opportunities as everyone else.
• We encourage young people to continually work towards a healthy lifestyle, this includes food choices, educating around healthy food, being active and positive healthy relationships.
• Recreate encourages the practice of self-direction on programmes and through this see young people guided to make positive decisions for them and their peers.
• Our programmes are done in groups and see this a way for young people to develop friendships and a sense of teamwork.
• We use a strengths-based, client-centered approach that puts our young people at the heart of everything we do.

Please send your CV and a Cover Letter detailing your experience and what you can bring to the role, to ella@recreate.org.nz