Facilitator

Background

War Child (WCH) is an independent and impartial international non-governmental organization investing in a peaceful future for children and young people affected by armed conflict. WCH strives to empower children and young people, while enabling adults to bring about positive and lasting change in the lives of conflict-affected children and young people. 

The Research and Development department at WCH has developed a multi-year research agenda that combines work towards evidence-based, socio-ecological, integrated and multi-level care services with validated quality implementation standards. The research agenda therefore goes beyond simply demonstrating evidence for implemented interventions, but improving the understanding of how such interventions can be implemented with sufficient quality in real-world low-resource settings. 

In support of the quality of programs, WCH is involved in a platform called EQUIP to develop and test assessment tools to test the competences of practitioners working with children and their caregivers. WCH is intending to conduct testing of the tool with facilitators implementing a psychosocial intervention with children, using the Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) methodology.

Purpose of the EQUIP Research Study

WCH will test the use of the competency assessment tools with EASE Facilitators. EASE is an intervention developed by the World Health organisation, with input from War Child Holland.  The intervention aims to reduce distress and improve wellbeing for young adolescents (aged between 10-14 years old) that are experiencing some difficulties with their thoughts and feelings at the moment.  The reason for this intervention is because in most of the settings where we work, there are no services available for children with severe emotional difficulties. And especially in areas or conflict, we expect the levels of emotional problems to be higher – hence the need for an easy-to-access psychological intervention.

EASE is comprised of seven group sessions for young adolescents and includes evidence-based techniques: psychoeducation, stress management (slow breathing), behavioural activation, problem solving and relapse prevention. There are also three group sessions for caregivers which include the following discrete strategies: psychoeducation, active listening, stress management (slow breathing), quality time, praise and showing interest in their child, caregiver self-care and relapse prevention for their child.  It is delivered by trained, non-specialist providers (i.e. people without a specialist degree or qualification in the mental health or health field).

In this phase 2 of the EQUIP research training an enhanced EASE training is pilot tested. In this EQUIP based EASE training there is a bigger focus on competencies of the facilitator, and there will also be intermediate assessments on competencies. This to inform, test and further develop the EQUIP based EASE training, that will be compared in phase 3 of the EQUIP study (March-August 2020) with the regular EASE training with a new group of facilitators in both study groups.

Main Tasks

EASE facilitators should have enough information and commitment to child safeguarding policy, sign the code of conduct, and all policies related to the respect of children rights, WCH will provide the necessary training and support regarding that.

• Attend and participate in a 9-day training to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver both child and caregiver sessions
• Attend competency assessment days, before and after the EASE training, and after implementing a cycle. On this day the EASE facilitators will perform a roleplay with a theatre group, and at that moment the competencies of the Facilitator will be observed and assessed by the Competency Raters.
• Work within a team and have a professional and ethical attitude towards all involved
• Use feedback provided by supervisors to improve practice
• Use the set guidelines to document sessions delivered, supervision sessions attended, and any adverse events occurring in the course of the intervention
• Reflect in the notes taken a high level of objectivity and professionalism that portrays the real situation on the participants without possible impact of personal prejudgments or opinions.
• Attend and participate in reflection meetings when needed

Knowledge and Experience

• Fluent in Arabic.  Skills in English are a plus
• At least 1 year of previous experience in facilitating PSS groups in Lebanon
• At least 2 years’ experience working with children (teaching, tutoring, scouts, summer camps, or any other relevant activities)
• At minimum must have completed high-school education. Completion of a bachelor-level degree is desirable.

Timeframe – EASE facilitators

• Training- 9 days of training scheduled in early January 2020
• 3 Competency Assessment days  (Day 1: end November/Early December; Day 2: January; Day 3: February)  )
• Part time work, facilitating 1 or 2 EASE groups with adolescents and caregivers from approximately mid-January to  end of February 2020