Inclusion Social Worker

Première Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI) is a non-profit, non-political and non religious humanitarian NGO. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive response, in line with humanitarian principles and applying both needs based and rights based approaches, to conflict affected populations. PU-AMI promotes humanitarian access and dialogue with all components of the civil society and reinforces the capacity of each vulnerable community (refugees, vulnerable host community) to become self-reliant and resilient, by responding to immediate needs and strengthening their socio-economic empowerment.  

Today, PU-AMI is intervening in 21 countries in Africa, the Near East, Caucasus, Asia and the Caribbean to cover the needs of populations affected by conflict, natural disasters or economic crises.

PU-AMI in Lebanon has been implementing emergency and recovery projects in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, in Shelter Rehabilitation, Health, Protection and in Livelihood Recovery sectors.

Under the direct supervision of the Community and Inclusion Manager and technical supervision of both Health and Protection Project Managers, the Inclusion Social Worker is in charge of the social support to Persons with Disability and their families, whether Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian or of other nationality, roving between PHCCs in the zone of intervention.

S/he identifies needs, barriers and protection risks at both individual and household levels and closely liaise with PHCCs’ medical staff to provide the most comprehensive response, s/he and refer them to adequate medical and non-medical services.

Role and Responsibilities                   

As a member of PU-AMI supported PHCCs Multi-disciplinary team, composed of GP, Nurse (and eventually Midwife, Physiotherapist, Pediatrician, Psychologist, etc, depending on the PHCCs), the Inclusion Social Worker respectfully works with other medical, paramedical and psycho-social and focuses on the social component of the prevention and response. S/he identifies Persons with Disabilities and provide social counselling, case management and psychosocial support within PHCCs and through home visits, as well as undertakes referrals to both medical and non-medical services (other PU-AMI departments such as Protection, Shelter and Livelihoods and other partners’ services including child protection, gender based violence, legal, education). S/he updates mapping of organizations providing services and activities for Persons with Disabilities, including children, women at risk, elderlies, and liaises with local community based structures. S/he promotes inclusion at community levels in collaboration with PU-AMI Community health team. S/he supports PHCC and PU-AMI teams in mainstreaming inclusion principles in all interventions.

Specific objective and linked activities

IDENTIFICATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES’ SOCIAL NEEDS

• Ensure regular drop-ins in several PHCCs supported by PU-AMI;
• Conduct a social assessment with patients with disability in order to identify vulnerabilities, social needs, barriers to access services and risks, with a special attention to the most at risk profiles: persons with specific needs, women heads of household and women at risk, persons at risk of discrimination and marginalization, etc.;
• Assess the needs of the beneficiaries and their household members giving particular attention to protection concerns;

• Support PHCCs staff to identify patients with disability.

PROVISION OF SOCIAL COUNSELLING, INCLUDING ASSESSMENT, ACTION PLAN’S DESIGN AND FOLLOW-UP, IN AND OUT PHCCS

• Listen with respect and attention, and provide psychosocial support at the individual and family levels;
• Design an action plan with the person, his/her family, and the member of MDT;
• Receive informed consent to undertake any further action or referral;
• Keep a file for each person to note the family situation, plan of intervention, follow up and updates, in respect of data protection and confidentiality principles;
• Promote the resilience and empowerment by ensuring beneficiaries’ full participation to the process;
• Ensure a proper social follow-up, including home visits when necessary.

REFERRAL AND COORDINATION WITH INTERNAL DEPARTMENT AND EXTERNAL ACTORS

• Based on the person and his/her household’s needs, refer to PHCCs services, other PU-AMI sectors (protection, shelter, livelihoods) or to external actors (Child protection, GBV, education, legal, etc);
• Be aware of the services provided in the area of intervention by both INGOs, local organizations and institutions relevant to persons with disabilities and contribute to updating the service mapping in coordination with the referral officers;
• Provide information on the services available to refugees and vulnerable host communities;
• Identify the need of referral to specific internal or external services and provide required information and documentation;
• Follow up the referred cases with referral officers weekly, through the receiving organization and/or the beneficiary, until receiving the positive or negative feedback on the provision of the service.

COMMUNITY-BASED INCLUSION

• Organize outreach activities with Community Health Workers;
• Participate to relevant sessions on Inclusion organized within Community Health Clubs;
• Develop innovative, relevant, adapted and appropriate awareness material with the Community Health team and support them in delivering related messaging;
• Propose and organize community based events, in coordination with other teams and partners, aiming to raise awareness.

 CAPITALIZATION AND SYSTEM STRENGTHENING

• Contribute to the production of guidelines and tools related to inclusion for PHCCs;
• Promote inclusion mainstreaming in PHCCs and support the preparation and facilitation of related trainings;
• Participate in the creation of any material needed for the activities of social workers;
• Raise any gap and need identified at PHCC and community levels in a timely manner.

 REPORTING

• Keep records, statistics and files updated, report on all activity, in order to prioritize and develop appropriate programs or projects;
• Provide weekly and monthly activity reports to the project manager;
• Report on any trend related to health and protection and propose adaptation measures.

The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are non-exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project’s needs.

 PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT

• Identify and provide social support to persons with disability and their families, within PHCCs, and refer them to relevant medical and non-medical services;
• Mainstream inclusion and protection in PHCCs;
• Liaise with community-based structures and raise awareness on inclusion.

Mandatory requirements

• Language skills: Fluent in Arabic and good command of English (speaking, reading, writing)
• Education degree: Social Sciences License, Social-medical degree or equivalent diploma
• Work experience: 2 years in a similar position, preferably with NGOs
• Knowledge and skills:

• Strong experience in working with persons with disability
• Experience as social worker
• Good understanding of the Public Health system, public health organizations and especially the PHCCs structures      
• Good understanding of protection principles and of inclusion and protection mainstreaming
• Service oriented
• Ability to communicate and to listen
• Good analytical skills

• Capacity to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team

• Good organizational skills
• Respect of professional confidentiality

• Computer skills: Good command of Word and Excel
• Driving license

 assets

• Interests: Work in humanitarian context and commitment to PU-AMI principles.
• Transversals skills

• Patience, conflict resolution and diplomacy skills
• Understanding of the political situation in the area
• Reliability
• Ability to take initiative to deal with difficulties encountered in daily work
• Ability to adapt or change priorities according to the changing situation within a mission or the organization   itself
• Ability to analyze and suggest improvements of the activities
• Able to manage stress and pressure
• Ability to remain neutral and put interest of beneficiary population first

Good knowledge of inter-agency referrals mechanisms (IARF, RIMS)