This is home. And you belong here.
Long-term residential care and 24-hour support for people living with disability in Canterbury and Wellington.
A place of genuine belonging
Our residential homes are places of genuine belonging. Not facilities. Not placements. Homes. We support people with a wide range of physical and neurological disability, including spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, and complex care needs. Our care is grounded in one principle: every person deserves a life rich in meaning, choice, and connection to community.
We believe care should be driven by your potential: what you can do, and what you would like to do next. Not by assumptions based on your diagnosis. Each person has a personalised care plan built around their own story, preferences, aspirations, and whanau. Our kaimahi are present 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Our in-house team includes registered nurses, clinical nurse specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, social workers, and support kaimahi with specialist health and disability qualifications. We operate two hospital-level certified residences in Otautahi Canterbury (60 beds at Halswell) and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (38 beds at Karori), alongside community-living homes in both regions.
What residential care looks like
Personalised planning
Support plans shaped by each person’s own goals, preferences, and whakaaro, not a standard template.
24-hour care
Trained kaimahi present around the clock, seven days a week, every day of the year.
Meaningful activity
Support to pursue what matters, community involvement, creative pursuits, and everyday life.
Whanau and community
Whanau are welcome and valued partners. We support people to stay actively connected to those they love.
The Enabling Good Lives approach
Everything we do is grounded in the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) principles: choice, mainstream first, ordinary life outcomes, mana-enhancing relationships, and self-determination.
EGL means we listen first. The person’s own vision for their life is the starting point for everything, not a pre-set model of care.
Donate to support people living with disability to do more in their community – Enabling Good Lives.
At St John of God Halswell, adults living with disability are supported to live full, connected lives. Your donation helps support increased participation and choice for the people who live with us: whether that is art classes, community outings, music sessions, and celebrations that bring fulfilment and belonging. Every donation creates moments that matter – moments that turn care into community.
Make a referral
Referrals are accepted from ACC, Health New Zealand, Disability Support Services, and by private arrangement.