GBV Social Worker Needed

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 in order 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 Social Worker who will assist in the provision of social interventions and assistance to the most at risk and vulnerable refugee women and girls especially Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic that focus 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. The incumbent will be involved in the provision of social interventions and assistance for women and girl survivors identified and linked from the UNHCR toll free hotline for refugees. The social worker will be required to conduct assessments, case management and referral including follow up to ensure survivors receive appropriate services.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.) Case work and management:

• Identify and provide post GBV services to women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence or any other form of trauma as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Identify refugee women and girls in need of social support such as financial assistance, medical assistance, and legal protection. Carry out social assessments and keep track of socio-environmental risks faced by refugee women and girls to ensure timely mitigation of risks.
• Identify refugee women and girls who require psychosocial referred from the hotline and community and any another support and link them with the counsellors for timely support.
• Review all social and psychological assessments reports generated and link to the MHPSS department for further support
• Conduct one on one remote interviews with refugee women and girls to understand the prevalence of existing and emerging issues affecting them during COVID-19
• Implement a safe and remote reporting mechanism, which allows women and girls to report GBV incidences through WhatsApp messaging allowing access to critical support without risking personal safety
• In collaboration with community outreach workers conduct regular assessments of the needs and progress of the refugee women and girls.
• In collaboration with the GBV team, conduct training to HIAS staff on safety and capacity to respond to GBV incidences during COVID -19 pandemic.
• Participate in remote GBV response, outreach and community dialogue activities to enhance community response and prevention of violence against women and girls.
• Conduct referrals of vulnerable refugee women and girls to partner agencies and follow up with clients to facilitate access to external services.
• Monitor GBV trends through data collected from Hotline, and prepare summaries for presentation in psychosocial panel, effect subsequent panel decisions.
• Prepare a monthly analysis on GBV key issues based on case trends to disseminate information on available services and referral pathways.
• Open files for clients and ensure that case management is in line with HIAS SOPs and other sector standards.

2.) Community outreach and community activities

• Assess, identify, and analyze community sensitive intervention geared towards building resilience and self-reliance among Refugee women and girls.
• Conduct one on one remote interviews with refugee women and girls to understand the prevalence of existing and emerging issues affecting them during COVID-19.
• Strengthen community participation and accountability by engaging community outreach workers and community leaders to assist in identifying and selecting beneficiaries most in need within the community.
• Conduct remote focus group discussions (FGDs) with representatives of refugee-led CBOs
• Establish and maintain networks with existing community structures and other partners for referral and networking purposes.
• Support in conducting a remote link and learn forum targeting beneficiaries of the project, refugee led CBOs and other stakeholders.

3.) Reporting

• Update client’s information into the data entry sheet and provide a periodic analysis of the data.
• Prepare periodic reports on client’s progress and prepare a final report of all the activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Qualification Required

• The applicant should have either a University Degree in Social Work, Community Development or Gender and Development Studies
• At least 1- 2 years working experience in the field of Social Work.
• Experience in working with NGOs involved in humanitarian work will be an added advantage

Skills and Competencies

• Knowledge in UN Convention on the Refugee Act, Prevention and Responses to Sexual Abuse
• Experience in capacity building including facilitation of diversity and inclusion, community-based training and awareness raising
• Good knowledge of Nairobi and its environs
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of Computer Applications
• Ability to work in a demanding and high-pressured environment
• Knowledge of Accountability to Affected Populations is an added advantage