Social Worker

TERMS OF REFERENCE     Background SDC supports through humanitarian cash assistance Lebanese families hosting refugees from Syria.  The project is located in the north-east of Lebanon’s Akkar District and covers meanwhile all 19 municipalities/villages of Wadi Khaled and Akroum.   This project is implemented in partnership with the NGO, Mada Association, which has seconded staff to SDC for this project. The project office is located in Kobayat and staffed with a Swiss international expert and 9 national staff.   Cash disbursements to Lebanese families hosting displaced families started in September 2012: families continuously hosting Syrian refugees for more than 2 months and not asking for rent or any other compensation from them, receive a monthly cash assistance to contribute to the costs for hosting. The support is based on an assessment of additional costs for hosting e.g. such as water and electricity. The project pays cash assistance of USD 100 per month/host family, respectively USD 150 if there are more than 10 refugees hosted. In addition the project provides a basic Livelihood support to the host families as their incomes decreased as a result of the border closure and increasing costs of living due to inflated prices for goods and services as a result of the crisis in neighbouring country; each host family receives a flat unconditional amount of USD 100 per month.  The project is now in its 2nd phase covering the time span from April to September 2013. An extension of the project is in the planning. An important challenge concerns the need to address protection and psycho-social counselling issues in the work of the project team. In particular there are four thematic areas to be addressed:                     i.            Sensibilisation of project team for the especially difficult circumstances of refugee life.                    ii.            Addressing protection issues of especially vulnerable refugees.                   iii.            Referral of protection cases to specialised organisations working in the area.   Objective: The project assumes specific capacities to work in stressful and sometimes hazardous environments and to react appropriately to various protection issues arising out of the relationship between host families and refugees.   Role and responsibility The role of the social worker is to help the project assistants to cope better with the problems resulting from the stress of their work with the beneficiaries when registering and verifying beneficiaries. This person should ideally dispose of a toolbox of methods including teaching teamwork, cooperation, and respect for people living in especially difficult situations, to assist the three teams of project assistants who are challenged by working in a stressful environment.Depending on the available professional background and experience the role of the social worker is to work with the project team in implementing a suitable programme of activities raising the teams’ sensibility for refugees and their hosts in the project area. The social worker will plan and lead discussions that could include issues such as health, violence, rights of the women and children and work with traumatized people in general.   Specific Responsibilities and Tasks:   -To work closely with the project team, in particular the Project Manager and MADA’s Knowledge Management Coordinator, advising on all issues relevant to implementing the project’s regular activities with registering beneficiaries and refugees hosted by them. -Providing support for the project team to implement regular programme activities, i.e.assist in registrations and verifications of beneficiaries. -Develop relationships with local authorities such as mukhtars, mayors, imams, teachers, parents, children, and other relevant stakeholders. -Network with other organisations working in the project area (UN, INGOs) and participate in relevant meetings with them.  -Monitoring and evaluation are important responsibilities as well as providing supporting material for reports, including case studies and also produce reports on psychosocial activities undertaken (Maintain case history records and prepare reports). -Developing and managing a referral system for vulnerable women, children and traumatized persons. -To accompany the project teams during registration and verification of beneficiaries and support the teams in routine tasks.  -Conducting interviews with beneficiaries and their families to assess and review their situation  -To participate in team meetings -To organise and facilitate community events and outreach courses (which may be scheduled on evenings and weekends). -To travel to classes, attend meetings with the communities, and conduct workshops in different geographical locations throughout the project area.   Applicant’s Profile: -A mature personality, preferably a woman -Solid professional background in Social Work, psycho-social counselling  or related field -At least 3 years of experience in a similar role -Experience with refugees/vulnerable populations essential -fluency in Arabic and English (knowledge of French is advantageous) -Strong computer skills -Strong communication skills -Proficient team working experience -Willingness to live and work in Akkar -Experience in trainings and facilitation of workshops in typicaltopics such as human rights, acceptance of others,...   Timeframe The assignment will commence as soon as possible and be conducted in the framework of a contract with a limited duration to be specified.   Basic information sources [1]Project document Phase II „Support to Families and Communities hosting Syrian Refugees“   Kobayat, 17 July 2013