Latest Vacancies at The International Rescue Committee (IRC)

In the Child Protection sector, the IRC has concluded arrangement to scale up its intervention in MMC/Jere LGAs. The child protection response has a main focus on psychosocial support for children, youth and parents through the Safe Healing and Learning Spaces (SHLS), parenting groups, case management for Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) and working with Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms on awareness raising. As part of its activities, IRC will also support relevant Local Government Departments and partners.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Brief description of the position’s role within the Project(s):

The Case worker will conduct all steps of the case management process for a specified number of individual children vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence (especially UASC, Children at risk of other protection concerns and Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups (CAAFAG) and their families.

Position objectives:

• To ensure that children harmed or at risk of being harmed are identified and receive individual case management support by documentation, assessment, care plan, direct service provision, referral and follow up for an assigned number of children.
• To provide support to families (particularly foster and alternative care givers) in the process.
• To liaise with other case workers and social workers  on management of caseload and referrals

Who this position reports to:

The Case Worker reports to the Case Management Assistant.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Quality

• Provide individual case management for children in communities to be specified in relation to all case management steps, tools and procedures.
• Provide support for families, foster and alternative care systems.
• Ensure regular communication with the CP/CM manager for updates on achievements and challenges 

Grant Monitoring and Reporting

• Provide input for weekly and staff activity reports. .

 Coordination & Representation

• Effectively communicate with other caseworkers, government social workers and service providers as part of providing individual case management.
• Regularly attend case management meetings at field level 

Program Development

• Contribute to the development of proposal activities in relation to case management.
• Coordinate with other IRC sectors staff (e.g. WPE, Protection, Health and Livelihoods) at field level

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and  liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs 

Professional Standards

All IRC staff is required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Uphold the IRC Child Safeguarding Policy and ensure the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the workplace and communities of intervention

Qualifications

• A minimum qualification of Technical diploma or degree in social work of any of the social sciences.
• At least 1 year experience in implementing child protection programs, preferable social work or case management, in humanitarian or development settings
• Demonstrated understanding of working with children and particularly vulnerable children
• Personal qualities: Team player, flexible, network-builder, able to handle pressure well.
• Fluency in English required and in Kanuri, Hausa and Furfurde preferred

WORK ENVIRNOMENT:

The situation in Mubi is currently calm.

Travel and other requirements: Frequent travel and relocation can be a requirement for this position.

 IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

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Sector: Child Protection

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

The IRC is currently intervening to the emergency situation in Monguno resulting from the high influx of persons displaced from recent attacks in some parts of Borno through a multi-sectoral approach. The Child Protection Sector has secured funding to provide Psychosocial Support case management to Unaccompanied, Separated Children, and Children with other protection needs and to also support their caregivers. The CP team will also be working with adolescent boys, girls and their caregivers using the Supporting Adolescents and their Families in Emergencies resource package.  

Scope of Work

Adolescent girls and boys are gravely underserved in humanitarian emergencies, particularly during the acute phase of response. They are often inserted into programming designed for younger children or into adult programming, where their age-specific needs are not understood or met. The Adolescent Protection Assistants will act as focal points for adolescent girls (younger) and boys within Child Protection programming in Monguno emergency response.

Technical Quality

• Provide support for adolescents and their families and link them to specialized services where needed.
• Ensure regular communication with the CP Officer and manager for updates on achievements and challenges 

Grant Monitoring and Reporting

• Provide input for weekly and staff activity reports. .

Coordination & Representation

• Effectively communicate with other caseworkers, government social workers and service providers as part of providing individual support to adolescents and their families.
• Regularly attend all CP related meetings at field level 

Program Development

• Contribute to the development of proposal activities in relation to case management.
• Coordinate with other IRC sectors staff (e.g. WPE, Protection, Health and Livelihoods) at field level

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and  liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Professional Standards

All IRC staff is required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Uphold the IRC Child Safeguarding Policy and ensure the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in the workplace and communities of intervention

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Child Protection Assistant will work within a Child Protection emergency response team, providing case management and psychosocial support services to adolescents and their care givers.
• Work as part of a Child Protection team in a safe space to provide support to children as part of broader response services
• Participate in identifying facilitators and an initial SAFE approach training and engage in ongoing skills building using SAFE materials.
• With support from supervisors, mentor and coach the community volunteer responsible for co-facilitating sessions with adolescent girls (younger) or boys
• Lead community engagement activities to introduce SAFE activities to female and male community leaders and caregivers
• Conduct initial assessments to identify the risks and needs of adolescent girls and boys
• Work closely with other project staff to identify adolescent girls(younger), adolescent boys, and female and male caregivers to participate in SAFE learning activities
• Act as lead facilitator to deliver sessions twice a week for adolescent girls or boys together with a community volunteer facilitator
• Facilitate sessions once a week for female or male caregivers
• Provide psychological first aid and support to adolescent girls(younger) or boys who disclose experiences of violence and support referral to access required services
• Facilitate feedback meetings with adolescent girl(younger)s and boys, female and male community stakeholders and caregivers and share feedback with supervisor
• Complete weekly reports on project activities, including documenting feedback from participants of SAFE sessions and proactively sharing back lessons learned whilst facilitating the curricula
• Participate in weekly team meetings.

Qualifications

• Candidates are desired who have:
• A bachelor’s degree in social sciences, education, economic, another human development related field or equivalent of experience preferred
• At least two years’ experience working to support children, adolescent girl and boys, women  or parents and caregivers
• Experience with facilitation of group work with relevant populations
• A high level of motivation to assist adolescent girls and boys affected by humanitarian crisis
• A commitment to child protection and gender equality
• A learning attitude and willingness to increase skills and knowledge in the protection of adolescent girls and boys
• Experience as an active participate of social groups, with an understanding of group dynamics and processes.
• Capacity building, facilitation or training experience
• The ability to adapt and work under pressure and strong interpersonal skills
• Fluency in English and Kanuri
• Basic competency in computer skills

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Security level is red. The situation in Monguno is currently calm.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability

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WPE program implement prevention and response activities to address gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious human rights and public health issue affecting women and girls around the world. It impacts all aspects of women and girl’s physical, emotional, psychological and social well-being. It has harmful consequences for the individuals who experience it, their families, and communities as a whole. 

The IRC Women Protection and Empowerment  Program is a multi-sectorial prevention and response program involving multiple organizations and actors from the IDP and NGO community, UN agencies and all sectors of IRC.

The focus of this program is to provide good quality health and psychosocial response services to conflict-affected women and girls in Yobe, North-Eastern Nigeria in a timely manner. 

 SCOPE OF WORK

The Case Worker will provide psychosocial support, basic case management support to survivors of gender-based violence through individual counselling follow up support, referrals and dissemination of information on available GBV services to encourage access to services. She/he will in collaboration with the Response Officer oversee provision of   psychosocial /group support, skills building, information sessions and other recreational activities that promotes social support networks and cohesion with women and girls at the women and girls centres/safe spaces

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

The responsibilities of the Case Worker include but are not limited to the following:

MAIN DUTIES:

GBV Case Management

• Provide direct support and care for adult and child survivors of gender-based violence, including counseling and basic case management. Case management services will include:
• Assessment of needs of clients
• Developing an action plan with clients
• Implementing the plan with clients
• Provide physical accompaniment to GBV survivors if requested  to access medical and other services according to their wishes, choices and decisions
• Conduct direct and regular follow up of GBV survivors through home visits and based on survivors wishes and consent.
• Case closure (if and when appropriate)
• Conduct direct follow up of GBV survivors through home visits and regular follow up visits based on survivors’ wishes and consent.
• Ensure proper documentation of reported GBV incidences through utilization of GBVIMS case intake, action, follow up and other case management forms appropriately.
• Provide physical accompaniment  to survivors of GBV to access other services in accordance with their wishes, choices and decisions
• Follow GBV guiding principles of respect, confidentiality, and safety/security and non- discrimination while providing services to women and girls.
• Monitor how the GBV referral pathway is working through making direct follow ups with other organizations that are providing services to survivors.

Psychosocial/Group Support/Safe Spaces

• Conduct and help plan and organize psychosocial/ group support activities with women and adolescent girls to meet the emotional needs of survivors, build support networks among women/girls, and promote social integration of survivors and other vulnerable women.
• Work with women and girls in the community to identify their needs, interests and priorities, and where possible, adapt activities according to these to ensure activities offered are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of women and girls.
• Ensure that vulnerable women and girls including GBV survivors are engaged on psychosocial activities of their choice that will support their healing and recovery.

Outreach and Community Mobilization

• In collaboration with the WPE Assistant Community  Mobilizers, conduct awareness raising activities on GBV and its health consequences, promoting available services to women and girls, and addressing the stigma preventing women and girls from accessing support and services with activities for female only group.
• Identify and refer extremely vulnerable women and girls to access services and material support in accordance with their level of vulnerability and needs
• Lead sessions to increase awareness on the consequences of GBV, promote available services to women and girls and address stigma preventing access to services at the women centers.
• In collaboration with the WPE team, participate in meetings with community leadership structures when necessary  to advocate for the needs of women and girls, and encourage their participation in GBV prevention and response activities in the communities
• Identify and form women action groups in communities of intervention to ease prevention and response activities.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Support  mentorship and trainings to IRC and other NGOs  outreach workers/volunteers to improve their skills and capacity to support and refer survivors to services and adhere to guiding principles
• Assess gaps on how the referral pathway is functioning through direct follow ups with service providers and make suggestions for improvement to the supervisor.
• Support community mobilizers in facilitating EMAP (Engaging Men Through Accountable Practices) women weekly session as a key prevention strategy, behavioral change and also involving men ending violence against women in girls in community of operations
• Ensure that GBV survivors, vulnerable women and girls are assessed, registered and distributed with dignity and/or household kits base on the WPE criteria
• Ensure supplies/resources for counseling spaces, women centers and other program activities are requested on a timely manner and are efficiently utilized.
• Adherence to the IRC code of conduct (IRC WAY) that ensures transparency, services and accountability to beneficiaries and reports any abuse of beneficiaries by other IRC staff, including sexual exploitation and abuse in accordance with the IRC reporting procedures.
• Track  and keep information and records of psychosocial activities  taking place at the centers to strengthen monitoring of program achievements
• Perform  any other duties as required by the supervisor from time to time
• Adherence to the IRC Security Policy.
• Maintain positive coordination and relationships with partner and other IRC sector staff.

Qualifications

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients at all times is essential.
• Positive and professional attitude, able to organize, maintain composure and prioritize work under pressure, work overtime when necessary and be able to coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Ability to work as a member of a team essential.
• Excellent listening  and observation skills, including ability to create trust, support, respect and interact with survivors of all ages, background and diversity
• Counseling and training experience, including experience working with women and girls preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to women’s empowerment and protection through  current/ previous volunteer work in women’s group, girls  clubs  or other relevant experience is an added advantage
• Ability to facilitate trainings and sessions, including group support activities with women and girls.
• Ability to communicate in English, Kanuri, Hausa and or local dialects spoken in the location
• Ability to keep records and write simple and basic reports of activities would be an added advantage.
• University Degree in Psychology, Sociology, Health or equivalent is a requirement.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.