Reporting to: BID Specialist
Liases with: Child Protection Officer
Duration: 1-year contract with possibility of extension
HIAS seeks to recruit a Social Worker who will assist in the provision of social interventions and assistance to the most at risk and vulnerable refugee clients and children. The Social Worker will be required to conduct through assessments and case management including follow up to ensure clients and children are receiving appropriate services. The Social Worker will be expected to track the impact of the assistance provided to clients and children. HIAS operates field offices in Kawangware, Kayole and Eastleigh and conducts outreaches in Kasarani, Kitengela, Rongai where the Social Workers will be placed depending on the need.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Case Work and Management:
Identify refugee children who are unaccompanied and separated children, survivors of sexual and gender based violence or any other form of trauma
Assist in identification of refugee children in need of social support such as financial assistance, medical assistance, birth registration, legal protection and family tracingAssist in the social assessments and keep track of socio-environmental risks faced by refugee children to ensure mitigation of risks
Identify children who require psychosocial support and link them with the counsellors for timely support
Make regular home visits to assess the needs and progress of children under the UNHCR Child Protection Project within Nairobi
Assist in outreach and community dialogue activities on issues related to child abuse and children with special needs
Make referrals to partner agencies on behalf of vulnerable refugee children and follow up with clients to facilitate access to external services
Prepare summaries for presentations in the internal HIAS Psychosocial Panel, enter data into the case management data base and give feedback to refugees
Monitor impacts of social assistance for vulnerable refugees and childrenOpen files for all clients (soft and hard) and ensure that case management is in line with HIAS SOPs and other sector standards
Community Outreach and Community Activities
Mobilize and organize target communities in the respective site office coverage area to form community structures that will be responsible for spearheading child protection activities in line with the approved project description and work plan
Organize and train established community structures on all child protection acts, covenants and charters/agreements, local, national and international
Carry out weekly and monthly identification of potential foster parents, assess and train those who meet the criteria in readiness for assigning of foster children
Conducting awareness and sensitization campaigns in the communities
Assess and analyze community sensitive interventions geared towards building resilience and self-reliance
Conduct support groups, committee meetings and participate in community forums
Establish and maintain networks with existing community structures and other partners for referral and networking purposes
Conduct a mapping exercise for all sector agencies and link with them for collaboration and support in provision of child protection services – these will include Area Advisory Councils
Reporting
Provide weekly and monthly reports to the Child Protection Officer and other technical officers highlighting individual performance, progress against targets and client needs as instructed by the Child Protection Officer
Perform other related duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
A University Degree in Social Work, Community Development, Gender and Development Studies or another related area of study.
At least 3 years working experience in the field of Social Work. Experience working with an NGO that deals with refugees is an added advantage.
Skills and Competencies
Excellent writing skills
Fluency in English is MANDATORY
Knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (PSEA)
Experience in capacity building including facilitation of community based training and awareness raising
Good knowledge of Nairobi and its environs
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Knowledge of computer applications
Working experience with refugees an added advantage.
Ability to work in a demanding and high pressure environment
