Social Worker

SAWA for Development and Aid is a Civil Society Organization founded initially as a spontaneous initiative in December 2011 to respond to the arrival of the first 40 Syrian families displaced from Syria into the North of Lebanon.
This initiative then grew to include individual activists, locals and internationals, who worked together (literally meaning ‘SAWA’ in Arabic) to share their knowledge and exchange their experiences in order to support Syrians, internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries, united by their belief in their right to live in dignity, freedom, and to be active individuals in their communities and wherever they are.
SAWA sees itself as part and parcel of the society, and that it is on a continuous learning journey based on a participatory relationship at all levels with the communities that it works with, whether host or displaced, as well as with local and international partners.
SAWA believes that humanitarian, developmental, and civic work has to always strive to achieve social justice, and so it aims to work with individuals and communities through holistic interventions towards a society based on democracy, pluralism, and the values of citizenship and human rights. 

Objective of the Role:

The objective of the Social Worker is to work with individuals, families, or whole communities and empowering them to identify their needs, rights, and responsibilities. S/he will help them plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action, as well as develop activities and services to generate aspiration and confidence. H/she will work in communities perceived to be culturally, economically, or geographically disadvantaged, and thus, act as a link between the community and other sector providers as deemed necessary. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•    Work on projects tackling specific issues with groups such as the homeless, the long-term unemployed, families with young children, or ethnic minorities.
•    Monitors services delivered to the client to ensure that individual needs are met.
•    Interviews beneficiaries and prepares statements: summarizing the patient’s perception of the problem.
•    Collects information from the family’s beneficiaries, community agencies, and others to be used by treatment team staff.
•    Seek to actively engage communities in making sense of the issues which affect their lives.
•    Set goals for improvement and respond to problems and needs through empowerment and active participation.
•    Identify community skills, issues, and needs.
•    Develop new resources in dialogue with the community and evaluate existing programs.
•    Build links with other groups and agencies.
•    Meets with representatives of community agencies and others NGOs to assist in the development of community support services. 
•    Help to raise public awareness on issues relevant to the community.
•    Mediate in matters of conflict.
•    Offering information and counseling support to beneficiaries and their families.
•    Liaising with, and making referrals to, other agencies

•    Attend and coordinate meetings and events on topics such as child protection and mental health.
•    Encourage participation in activities.
•    Maintains records and prepares reports and correspondence related to work as assigned under the supervision of the project manager.
•    Carry out general administrative duties.

Competencies and Skills:

•    Must have excellent communication, interpersonal and team-building skills.
•    Good listening, advocacy, and networking skills.
•    Research and report-writing skills, and the ability to interpret or present data.
•    Knowledge and understanding of community and social issues.
•    Non-judgmental and positive attitude.
•    Creative thinking and problem-solving ability.
•    An understanding of how public sector bodies work.
•    Compassionate and has the ability to empathize with people's life experiences.