Case Management Assistant (Child Protection) at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict—away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Case Management Assistant (Child Protection)

Location: Maiduguri, Borno (North-East Nigeria)

Position Summary

• A Case Management Assistant that will support the direct implementation of the “Supporting the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Groups including the Civilian Joint Task Force in North East Nigeria” program through direct case management support. This will ensure an adequate case management response is delivered to select beneficiaries to support their well-being and protection.
• The Case Management Assistant will work closely with all team members including the Case Management Officer, Community Mobilisers, Education Officers, Enterprise Officers, in addition to the Deputy Program Manager and Child Protection Manager
• Reports to: Case Management Officer. Functional Line Manager: Deputy Program Manager. Direct Line Manager: Child Protection Manager.
• Direct Reports: The Case Management Assistant will have no direct reports.

About the Project
In the past decade, states in the North East region of Nigeria have faced frequent attacks by Boko Haram militants leading to widespread displacement, violations of national laws, international humanitarian and human rights laws, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Children, who are the most vulnerable members of society, have suffered the worst impacts as pre-existing problems of access to social protection, education and healthcare increase, new threats emerge, and the systems to protect children fails.

This project aims to ensure that children verified and separated from CJTF receive a comprehensive child protection package including counselling, psychosocial support and socio-economic reintegration and that their communities understand the importance of their separation and reintegration. Search will work closely with the children, their families and communities, and CJTF to address the psychosocial and economic needs of the children and to influence the attitudes of communities and CJTF so they understand the negative impact of associating with armed groups on children and prevent the CJTF from using children. By increasing the resilience of children associated with CJTF and increasing their employability, this project will facilitate lasting reintegration of these children and amplify positive narratives around their role in communities as productive civilian actors and agents for peace.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Undertake case management steps to provide tailored support to children in need of protection.
• Uphold core child protection principles including the best interest of the child, do no harm and confidentiality.
• Identify and assess the specific needs of the child. Develop and implement individual case plans for children taking in to account social, emotional and physical needs holistically.
• Ensure regular follow-up on the implementation of the case plan for each child.
• Engage caregivers, parents and other key relations of the child in the implementation of case planning to ensure a protective environment is cultivated for the child.
• Provide basic psychosocial support to the child and family to support in returning to normalcy after adversity. Use a strengths based approach to promote resilience and build on positive individual, familial and communal dynamics.
• Carry out case referrals or transfers to relevant service providers as needed. Follow up with actors to ensure timely response
• Build strong relationships with service providers to understand coverage areas.
• Complete and maintain a hard and soft copy case management records and ensure that they are stored in a safe and confidential manner. Experience using CPIMS (Child Protection Information Management System).
• Submit weekly and monthly case management reports.
• Support in gathering case studies as required including seeking consent and drafting the study.
• Prepare necessary financial documentation to support the implementation of project activities. Ensure these are submitted in a timely manner.
• Maintain clear, professional communication with children as well as the project team.
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably assigned by Case Management Officer, Deputy Project Manager or Child Protection Manager.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications
Education:

• University Degree or equivalent in Social Work, Psychology, Law or Sociology.

Required Experience:

• Minimum of 1 year case management experience in Child Protection.
• Experience working with Child Associated with Armed Groups
• Knowledge of types of child abuse and their impact (violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation)

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Familiarity with referral pathways in and around Maiduguri
• Understanding of psycho-social support
• Experience working in emergency settings
• Experience working in different communities in Borno State
• Experience working with refugees, host communities, and other vulnerable populations
• Experience in Community Based Protection programming
• Experience using CPIMS (Child Protection Information Management System)
• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• Excellent ability to develop positive helping relationships with children and caregivers.

Desirable:

• Strong reporting skills capturing case management information.
• Ability to work individually and within a team with limited supervision.
• Knowledge of risk assessment to ensure changing protection concerns captured.
• Good analytical, problem solving and project planning skills.
• Community oriented and respect for local culture.
• Good IT skills, particularly with MS Office - Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint.
• Strong command of both written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of a local language (Hausa, Kanuri) a must.
• Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour.
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism/integrity.
• Provides good administrative and logistical support to the team.
• Actively seeks support in addressing difficulties in the execution of duties.
• Strategic thinking and effective contribution to own work and organizational development.
• Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations.
• Strong emotional intelligence including self-awareness.
• Leads by example to motivate high performance of others.
• Strong commitment to continuous learning.

Application Closing Date
11th November, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Procedures
Interested candidates should send the following:

• Current resume
• Cover Letter (which includes expectations of compensation and projected start date)

Note

• Please note that the system only has the functionality to upload two documents per application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.