The Ugandan Jobline

 

Job Title:    Social Worker (2 Job
Vacancies)

Organisation: AVSI Foundation

Duty Station: 
Uganda

 

About US:

AVSI Foundation is an international non-governmental organization founded
in 1972 with a mission to promote the dignity of the person through development
cooperation activities. Since 1984, AVSI has been present in Uganda, reaching
80 districts across different regions delivering development and humanitarian
interventions in the sectors of Education, Protection, WASH, Livelihoods,
Social Protection, Psychosocial/Mental health, Food security and Nutrition,
Urban Development, Energy, Environment and Health.

 

About USAID Programme:

AVSI is implementing a 5 year USAID-Keeping Children Healthy and Safe
(KCHS) activity in Kigezi Region with the main goal of preventing new HIV
infections and reducing vulnerability among orphans and vulnerable children
(OVC), adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) through economic empowerment,
strengthened local government and community platforms to increase and improve
care services for OVC, youth, and their caregivers and improved coordination of
community based clinical and socio-economic services to strengthen the
efficiency and effectiveness of the continuum of care.

 

Job Summary:  AVSI
is seeking to recruit suitably qualified personnel for the position social
workers responsible for coordinating and delivering KCHS services in the
sub-counties and communities including supporting community structures such as
the Para social workers, Linkage facilitators and supporting community-health
facility linkages for children, adolescents living with HIV/AIDS, children
affected by violence and their families. Under the direct supervision of the
District Project Coordinator, the Social worker will be responsible for
supporting facility community referral linkages for comprehensive service
package to children and adolescent living with HIV/AIDS and their families to
improve layering of health, HIV&AIDS access and uptake of services to
achieve PEPFAR 90-90-90 (Uganda 95-95-95) UNAIDS goals for KCHS supported
beneficiaries.

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:  

Community – Facility Function.

·       
Work
with all KCHS community structures including Expert Clients and PSWs during
integrated Health outreaches at community level to ensure effective tracking of
newly tested positive (Tx_New) and complete linkage into the continuum of care.

·       
Facilitate
monthly referrals and linkages meetings among community and health facility
staff to review performance of uptake of services by clients referred from
community.

·       
Provide
technical assistance to Expert clients, select PSWs and other project
structures on comprehensive integrated technical support related to referral
and linkages and service provision between the community and health facility.

·       
Work in
liaison with expert clients and select PSWs to ensure PLHIV beneficiaries are
reminded of their clinic appointment.

·       
Prepare
weekly and monthly plans for activity implementation based on approved budgets.

·       
Participate
in regular field data collection through appropriate monitoring tools on program
intervention.

·       
Support
in the identification and mobilization of community support groups for program
support. (VSLA, school clubs, youth groups)

·       
Support
families access to essential services required to fulfil their children’s
development needs and rights.

·       
Participate
in developing weekly and monthly work plans and maintaining high standards of
stewardship and accountability for all project activity resources

Intra – facility Function

·       
Receive
new referrals from the community and guide referred clients through the health
care system at the facility.

·       
Support
in identification of new positives (Tx_CURR) to be linked and enrolled on the
OVC program.

·       
Provide
health education as needed for newly diagnosed HIV positive patients.

·       
Participate
in scheduling appointments, responding to provider questions regarding care
follow-up, providing appropriate clinical information (eg. on suppression) and
maintains ongoing patient tracking.

·       
Maintain
an up-to-date VL register of all KCHS supported beneficiaries with in his/her facility
of operation clearing tracking ART numbers, Appointment dates, VL test results,
due dates, suppression levels and services provided to clients with
unsuppressed viral load.

·       
Day-to-day
participation in HIV patient screening activities including the entry of data
and tracking of HIV testing services

·       
Follow-up
with re-engaged individuals/clients to ensure retention in care, and provide
additional supports as needed.

·       
Strengthen
documentation of referrals and linkages for different services to ensure a continuum
of care and maintain an up to date file for all referrals made and completed.

·       
Work
with facility-based staff to ensure project beneficiary files are up to date
and generate list of beneficiaries due for Viral Load Test for support.

·       
Compile
and share a list of beneficiaries’ not suppressing viral load for intensive
adherence support and follow up counselling at community level.

·       
Complete
a monthly cascade report for sharing with supervisor and collaborate with the
Monitoring and Evaluation team to ensure data collected is accurate and valid.

·       
Convene
Facility case conference with health workers to discuss complex issues on
referrals, non-adherence, non – viral load suppression, lost to follow up,
missing appointments and come up action points to address the barriers.

Facility – Community Function.

·       
Provide
feedback to expert clients, select PSWs and other community structures on
referrals made and services received.

·       
Keep an
up-to-date referral file and referral register for performance tracking.

·       
Follow up
with community structures (PSWs) on identified positive clients missing clinic
appointments for linkages back to care.

·       
Work
with program team and support identified Tx New for possible assessment and
enrolment in to the project.

·       
Link
positive beneficiaries to existing psychosocial support platforms (Young
positive, Family Support, PSS Groups) both at facility and community level.

·       
Act as
contact person between Health Facility and Community Level Structures for
referrals and linkages.

·       
Participate
in monthly case conference meetings with other child protection stakeholders
and share updates on referrals status.

·       
Conduct
weekly meeting with the field team

·       
Build
synergies with key stakeholders including Schools, local communities to support
roll out of the project at sub county level.

·       
Work
with the facility-based linkage facilitators and clinical team to update the
KCHS viral load suppression tracking register and share with the project team.

·       
Carry
out any other duties as assigned to you by your supervisors.

 

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

·       
The
ideal candidate must hold a Degree in Social Sciences, SWSA or Community
psychology or related field.

·       
Additional
trainings in child protection and psychosocial support is an added advantage.

·       
A
minimum of two to three years of experience working in NGO.

·       
Relevant
work experience in community-based children and adolescent health project
specifically HIV/AIDs, Livelihood and child protection programs.

·       
Ability
to ride a motorcycle with valid riding permit.

·       
Must be
willing to reside in the respective districts.

·       
Required
Language: English fluency with excellent oral and writing skills is required.
Knowledge of Rukiga/Runyankole is a MUST.

 

How to Apply:

All candidates should send their application letters, accompanied with updated
Curriculum Vitae indicating 3 work-related referees, plus copies of relevant
certificates, should be addressed to: The AVSI Country Representative, AVSI
Foundation, P.O. Box 6785, Kampala, Uganda and sent to hr.kampala@avsi.org indicating
the e-mail subject as ‘Application for Occupational Social Worker.’

 

NB: Only short listed candidates will be
contacted. AVSI Foundation is an equal opportunities employer and has a
functional Child Protection Policy by which all AVSI staff and Associates must
abide.

 

Deadline: 21^st January
2021

 

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