Job Opportunity: GBV Caseworker

HIAS is an international non-profit organization that stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and opportunity. HIAS’ operation in Kenya was established in 2002 with the mission to serve the most vulnerable refugees through community-based protection including psychosocial support, resilience building and the provision of durable solutions.

Organizationally, HIAS is guided by its Refugee Rights Framework. This rights-based approach, based on international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law and practice, provides a programming framework for HIAS’ focus on refugee protection. This framework prioritizes programming impact that ensures forcibly displaced people realize their potential and become contributors to society, with this impact being achieved through the realization of legal and civil rights and social and economic rights including through 1) the right to protection from harm, violence, and discrimination, 2) the right to recovery from the shock of displacement, and 3) the right to economic self-sufficiency and inclusion.

The overall goal of HIAS’ global GBV Prevention and Response programming is for forcibly displaced refugee women, girls, sexual and gender minorities to pursue their potential and to access their human and legal rights, free from violence and oppression. This means HIAS GBV programming works to ensure:

1. Forcibly displaced women, girls, sexual and gender minorities face a reduced risk of GBV,
2. Survivors of sexual and physical violence have access to coordinated psychosocial, health, and legal services,
3. Family, community, and institutions support refugee women, girls, sexual and gender minorities in accessing and using their rights.

HIAS uses a survivor-centered, community-based approach. Our programs consider the voices and needs of survivors and prioritize their leadership in program design and implementation. HIAS works with communities’ natural systems to optimize support for survivors, building partnerships to promote and protect the rights of survivors, women, girls, sexual and gender minorities. This approach enables HIAS to meet the safety, psychosocial, economic, and justice needs of survivors; facilitate their access to appropriate care; and empower communities to lead efforts that challenge beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate or condone violence against women, girls, sexual and gender minorities in the community.

HIAS seeks to recruit a GBV caseworker who will support the UNTF COVID-19 project that focuses on strengthening HIAS’ EVAW/G (Ending Violence Against Refugee Women and Girls) response to new and more pronounced challenges faced by refugee women and girls as a result of the pandemic through contributing to the timely and quality implementation of GBV related activities and GBV case management for the urban refugee community during the COVID-19 Pandemic that has led in increase of GBV incidences.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive calls from the UNHCR toll free call center and initiate action of case management and response to GBV survivors identified through hotline.
• Provide tele-assessments and refer cases to relevant partners to ensure a multi-sectoral approach in handling survivors of GBV.
• Conduct case assessments in coordination with other HIAS staff and keep track of socio-environmental risks faced by women and girls GBV survivors.
• Strengthening existing community networks in responding to GBV incidents during COVID-19.
• Process referrals for social workers support services for GBV survivors to other agencies.
• Conduct timely follow up on referrals and support services provided to GBV survivors, ensuring that the survivors receive the assistance recommended.
• Work with stakeholders to strengthen referral networks and monitor the implementation of the referral pathway and survivors’ access to confidential, safe GBV services in a timely manner
• Implement and monitor merit based social and financial assistance informed by vulnerability assessments for individual cases in accordance with HIAS’ Standard Operating Procedures
• Collect and input GBV data into the Gender Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS)
• Evaluate beneficiaries’ progress and work on an exit strategy aimed at supporting client’s self-reliance
• Open files for clients and ensure that case management is in line with HIAS SOPs and other sector standards
• Support in distribution of dignity kits and PPEs to identified vulnerable refugees
• Conduct assessments and support in provision of transport facilitation of GBV survivor to access post-GBV services
• Liaise with community outreach workers to strengthen referrals and support in responding to GBV cases among refugee women and girls
• Contribute to the development of project proposals, concept notes and sector publications
• Perform other duties as and when required

Required Qualifications

• Applicant should either have bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Gender Studies, Community Development Studies and/or other related fields of study

Desirable Experiences

• Minimum of 1-2 years’ previous job experience related to GBV response.
• MUST have in-depth knowledge on GBV and responding and EVAW/G in emergency settings
• Demonstrated experience working directly with refugees who are survivors of GBV
• MUST have a demonstrated understanding of a survivor-centered approach.
• MUST have experience with operationalizing GBV principles, knowledge of international humanitarian standards for GBV prevention and response.
• Experience working with GBVIMS preferred (Gender Based Violence Information Management System)

Required Skills and Competences

• Proficiency in English and Swahili.
• Computer literacy is a must, with strong knowledge of Access, Excel, and Word.
• Ability to work in a team, maintain confidentiality and respect for diversity, uphold integrity, respect, and accountability.
• Self-starter with an ability to work with minimal supervision in a culturally diverse team.
• Excellent Analytical, Communication and Report writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with local staff, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain one’s composure while under pressure.
• Knowledge of Accountability to Affected Populations is an added advantage