Terre des hommes Foundation
Job Title: Psychosocial Officer
Job ID: 20230505-
Category: Collaboration
Working time in %: 100%
Location: Dadaab, Garissa
Reports to: Psychosocial Senior Officer
Number of subordinates: Assistant counsellors, Lay Counselors, Center
Animators and CFS Supervisors.
Context: Terre des hommes Foundation is an independent,
neutral, and impartial Swiss organization founded in 1960, dedicated to
bringing about significant and lasting change in the lives of children and
young people, especially those most at risk.
Tdh ensures their well-being
and the effective implementation of their rights as defined in the Convention
on the Child's Rights and other human rights instruments. To make a difference,
Tdh focus our efforts on maternal and child health, children and young people
in migration situations, and access to justice.
Tdh promotes the active
participation of children and young people to empower them. We advocate for
their rights and support them in expressing their needs and interests. Tdh
works in fragile contexts and conflict zones, as well as in more stable environments.
Tdh is present in Kenya since
2011. Currently Tdh is providing protection services for children and families
affected by migration, natural crises and poverty in Dadaab refugee camps, in
Garissa County, and in Korogocho informal settlement in Nairobi.
The intervention in Dadaab
refugee camps is focused on prevention and response to child protection needs
while strengthening protection community-based mechanisms in the refugee
operation and its host communities.
In Korogocho informal
settlements, Tdh implements early child development activities and child
protection activities with a strong community-based approach aiming at
decreasing violence against children and strengthening child protection
mechanisms.
Tdh will complement the
Ministry of Health efforts to contribute to reduction in morbidity and
mortality by early detection, referral and provision of appropriate
treatment/management to severe malnourished children (6-59 months), pregnant
and lactating women (PLW). In complement, a WASH component will be integrated
in the activities.
The project will be implemented
in three sub-counties in Garissa County: Dadaab, Garissa Township and Lagadera.
Tdh will work with Community Health Volunteers at community level, in health
facilities staff and with Sub-County Health Teams to improve early detection,
management, and referral of SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) children
General description of the position: Reporting to his/her immediate supervisor,the
Psychosocial Officer provides psychosocial support to the refgee children and
families in Hagadera, Ifo, Dagahaley Refugee Camps and eight surrounding host
community villages, monitor the activities in the three child friendly centers
and girls safe play areas and provide technical support to the center
supervisors, Animators. Lay counselors and Assistant counsellors.
Specific Job Descriptions:
Responsibility: Psychosocial support
Aim: To ensure all
psychosocial activites are done in Hagadera camp.
Responsibility:
To provide psychosocial support to selected cases of
high risk or cases in need of specialized psychosocial support or mental health
interventions.
Participate in need assessments and project
evaluations aiming at contributing to the development of the child protection
programme strategy for the refugee community project in Dadaab Refugee Complex
and in eight villages of Dadaab and Fafi Sub-Counties host communities.
To support in the development of intervention
criteria for the psychosocial cases and design appropriate technical responses
to psychosocial and mental health cases.
Provide training and supervising the CP team and
community based structures on the management of children and families with basic
psychosocial and mental concerns.
Train CP team members on the child friendly
interviews techniques and implementation of psychosocial assessment.
Under the supervision of the Psychosocial Senior
Officer, coordinate with the Case Management and Empowerment Senior Officers on
assistance response to cases of children in need of psychosocial interventions.
Responsibility: Conduct Mobile monthly CFS and monitor the two
CFS in Hagadera and one CFS in Alinjugur.
Aim: Conduct mobile
monthly CFS. Ensure effective and efficient implementation of CFS activities in
the three CFSs.
Ensure monthly mobile CFSs are conducted in the
three camps and host villages.
Train and monitors lay counselors and CFSs animators
on the mobile CFSs activities.
Ensure children who can’t access the centres are
reached through various PSS interventions.
Ensure the centre activities are conducted
appropriately and they are safe and child friendly.
Provide technical support to the centre supervisors.
Monitor the two girl safe play spaces.
Plan the leave schedule for the center supervisors,
lay counselors and CFSs animators.
Ensure that children living with disabilities are
incorporated into centre activities.
Responsibility: Renovation and maintenance of the CFS.
Aim: Conduct situational
anaylsis on what the center requires.
Conduct and assessment on host community and refugee
camps CFSs and Girls safe play areas while ensuring the CFSs are safe and well
equipt with play materials.
Plan with the logistic team on what the centre
needs.
Train the community members who are willing to
volunteer on basic counselling skills and Psychosocial First Aid (PFA).
Ensure all the activities are carried out in the
center and they are safe for children.
Responsibility: Provide psychosocial support to the eight
neighnbouring villages of Dadaab and Fafi Sub-counties.
Aim: Ensure chidren in
the eight villages receive psychosocial services.
Provide group and individual therapy.
Identify and screen children with psychosocial
distress.
Work in close collaboration with other departments.
Provide mobile CFSs in collaboration with the Child
Protection Volunteers.
Liaise with the Sub-County Children’s Officer to
support high risk cases that need protection interventions.
Responsibility: Report writing
Develop unit reports.
Work closesly with the MEAL Officer and Assistants
for efficient documentation of psychosocial work.
Develop referrals for high risk cases and ensure
regular follow up of the cases.
Participate and represent Tdh in relevant working
group meeting at the camp level.
He/she will conduct his or her duties in respect of
the Charter of Terre des hommes and the Tdh Child Protection Safeguarding
Policy.
Terre des hommes expects that its staff professional
conduct reflects proper behaviour in accordance with local culture and
traditions. He/she assures the moral protection of the name of Terre des hommes
and defends in all circumstances the interests of the movement.
Tdh intervenes without any affiliation for politics,
religion or financial profit. He/she will direct his or her activities and
engagements without preoccupation of political, racial or religious
affiliation.
Child protection policy
Commit to respect the Child Safeguarding Policy.
Commit to ensure the best implementation possible of
the Child Safeguarding Policy in Kenya, including participation in annual
audit, and reviews and updates of action plan.
Commit to inform the Country Representative and/or
the Field Coordinator to deal with any case of any allegations or possibility
of transgression, even potential, of the Child Safeguarding Policy.
Abuse Prevention Policy - Operational Risk
Management
Commit to respect Tdh Risk Management Policies
including: Child Safeguarding Policy, Safety and Security Policy and
Anti-Fraud/Corruption Policy, Code of Conduct, Whistle Blowing Policy.
Commit to ensure the best implementation possible of
the Tdh Risk Management Policies.
Commit to inform supervisors and to deal with any
cases, allegations, or possibility of transgression, even potential, of the Tdh
Risk Management Policies.
Competencies
This position requires
personal, social and leadership competencies, technical and methodological
competency.
Skills:
Good facilitation skills.
Problem solving skills.
Competency in computer applications and packages.
Skills in involving children in various PSS
activities.
Requirements
Minimum bachelor Degree in Psychology. Clinical
Psychology or Counseling Psychology from a recognized university, clinical experience
is a plus.
Experience in use of community based approaches for
the management of psychosocial and mental health issues.
Experience in application of innovative/creative and
evidence based psychosocial and mental health issues.
Minimum of three years’ experience with prominence
in psychosocial and mental health assignments.
Experience in case management including management
of case conferences.
A good understanding of MHPSS framework and
guidelines.
Project reporting and evaluation experience.
Staff supervision experience.
Fluency in English and Kiswahili. Knowledge of
Somali culture, language and traditions is a plus.
Languages: Fluent in English and Swahili.
Other: Knowledge of Garissa and Dadaab Refugee Camps or similar
context.
Application Modalities:
Interested candidates who meet
the criteria above are encouraged to send their applications letter and
detailed CVs to KEN.recruitment@tdh.ch.
Candidates are required to
indicate the position title on the subject line of the email when applying.
Kindly note only applications
sent to this email address will be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates
will be contacted.
Female candidates are encouraged
to apply.
Closing date for the
application of this position is 20th May 2023.
Tdh’s recruitment and selection
procedures reflect our commitment to protect children’s rights, which includes
the prevention of all forms of child abuse.
Tdh is an equal opportunity
employer
