Background

HelpAge International (www.helpage.org) is the secretariat to the HelpAge Global Network, which brings together a wide range of organisations and individuals working together to ensure that older people lead dignified, active, healthy and secure lives. HelpAge International’s secretariat is based in London, UK but works in 75 countries across the world through its’ 148 partners. HelpAge has been operating in Ethiopia since 1992 and has been engaged on thematic sectors including social protection, health and wellbeing, emergency response and capacity building of partners.

HelpAge International is currently responding to the needs of drought affected population in selected woredas of Gambela Region. As part of emergency response program, we NCA would like to invite interested applicants for the following position:

Summary of the Role

Under direct supervision of the Project Coordinator and the Team Leader as well as technical support from Protection & Inclusion, health and nutrition, and livelihood officers; the Social Welfare Supervisor will be responsible for refugee camp level implementation of project activities of HelpAge International in Gambela, particularly Pugnido I & II Refugee Camps. The social welfare supervisor will oversee community based care providers and incentive workers, directly assists mapping, proper targeting, and effective participation of older person refugees and other target communities. The tasks of the Supervisor will also involve negotiating provisions, set up in new and complex systems, dealing with grief and loss and the effect of trauma, and adjustment to the refugee situation and interaction with host community. Using effective communication skills, the social welfare supervisor serves as key educator of other camp level service providers about the specific/special needs of older person refugees. Tasked with direct involvement/support of older persons and with facilitation of collaboration with other service provides at camp level, the social welfare supervisor helps ensure the needs and strengths of older person refugees are understood and addressed.

• Undertake beneficiary mapping and gathering of data necessary for identification of older persons and their specific needs for intervention,
• Work in synergy with Old Person Groups/Old Citizens Monitoring Group, Home-Based Care Providers and community volunteers in the camps where the project is implemented and ensure effective integration at camp level,
• Supervise the activities of home based care providers and incentive workers and ensure quality;
• Responsible for representation of HelpAge at camp level coordination meetings and advocate with evidence for inclusion of older persons needs in exiting response interventions,
• Responsible for supporting the  target older people and other beneficiaries,  follow up and provide support to OPAs, community volunteers and  ensure referral linkages with other services providers,
• Facilitate intergenerational dialogue session and identify and report incidence (neglect of older person’s needs) violations of entitlement of older people through established networks of community volunteers, Old Person Associations, Persons with Disabilities, Refugee Central Committee  and other actors,
• Responsible for community education and awareness raising activities which includes facilitating celebration of key international commemoration days,
• Using the M&E tools developed for the project, the social welfare supervisor is responsible for maintaining documentation of day-to-day execution of project activities and generation of lessons learned from the project,
• Participate on periodic internal review and reflection meetings of the project and other project progress update events,
• Facilitate processes for quarterly camp level stakeholder review
• Ensure effective utilization of  older friendly multi-purpose centers and  community based counselling  
• Empower older persons and their families through information sharing and other appropriate means to explore and use services available within the Gambella refugee response context,
• Work in collaboration with  partner organizations, ARRA, UNHCR, as well as other service providers and the refugee community to harmonize HelpAge response with the overall humanitarian assistance  and  ensure that unmet needs of older person  and PWDs given proper attention,
• Adhere to organizational codes of conduct and demonstrate optimum accountability and transparency in dealing with project implementation.     

Minimum Requirements

• First Degree in community development, social work, public relation, sociology, psychology, public health, nursing,
• Relevant work experience of 2 years in refugee response projects,
• Interpersonal skills and effective communication and cultural sensitivity and social respect for differences in beliefs, values and perceptions of the refugees,
• Direct working experience with persons with special needs,
• Experience in NGO setting is an advantage,
• Commendable facilitation and negotiation skills,
• Excellent analytical, documentation, report writing skills
• Knowledge of Neur Language is must