Orphan & Child Welfare Monitor At Islamic Relief

ISLAMIC RELIEF SOMALIA

Job title: Orphan & Child Welfare Monitor

Department: Orphans and Child Welfare

Location: Burtinle, Puntland

Grade: C

Contract period: 9 months

Report to: Senior Child Welfare Officer

Line Management Responsibility: None

JOB SUMMARY

The holder of this position will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Orphan and Child Welfare Program in the field by providing support to orphan operations, facilitating good practice, and ensuring legal compliance to applicable implementation processes of Child Welfare interventions in Puntland. The Orphans and Child Welfare Monitor will work closely with the Child Welfare Team to promote orphan children’s access to education, feasible income generation, and employment strategies and ensure equal access for women and men to contribute to meeting basic and other livelihood needs to improve the wellbeing of targeted communities. The Orphans and Child Welfare Monitor will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety, well-being, and development of orphaned and vulnerable children under the sponsorship scheme of Islamic Relief in Burtinle District of Puntland, Somalia. This position involves assessing and reporting on the general living standards of IRS-sponsored orphan children. The Child Welfare Monitor will also provide advice, awareness, and orientation on child rights to caregivers and communities.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Regularly monitor orphans’ progress by participating in new registration processes and visiting their families.
• Collect and compile field data for annual progress reports.
• Support with quarterly disbursements to sponsored orphan children.
• Assist in distributing gifts from sponsors to orphans.
• Involve project beneficiaries in discussions on organizational rules, procedures, child protection, and welfare.
• Attend seasonal and general food handouts for disadvantaged orphan families.
• Work closely with IR-sponsored orphan families by communicating with their office.
• Take part in SHG formation activities.
• Regularly attend SHG meetings to track progress.
• Facilitate the procedure of creating bank accounts for orphans.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Child Welfare Assistant.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Monitoring and Assessment:
   • Conduct regular home visits to the families of sponsored orphan children.
   • Assess the overall well-being of each child, including physical health, emotional state, and educational progress.
   • Identify any vulnerabilities or challenges faced by the children and their caregivers.
   • Document specific observations related to nutrition, hygiene, and living conditions.
   • Monitor the utilization of sponsorship funds allocated for each child’s welfare.
2. Individualized Support:
   • Provide guidance and support to caregivers and families of orphaned children.
   • Assist in seasonal programs like Qurbani and Ramadan food distributions for the orphans.
   • Ensure that children have access to essential services, including education, healthcare, and nutrition.
3. Child Rights Advocacy:
   • Raise awareness about child rights within the community.
   • Organize awareness sessions on child abuse prevention, child labor, and child trafficking.
   • Promote community-based child protection mechanisms and encourage reporting of any violations.
   • Educate caregivers and local communities on child protection and welfare.
   • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to promote child-friendly safe spaces.
4. Reporting and Documentation:
   • Maintain accurate records of each sponsored child, including their background, progress, and challenges.
   • Prepare regular progress reports for internal and external stakeholders.
   • Highlight success stories, case studies, and areas for improvement.
   • Ensure data confidentiality and compliance with data protection regulations.
5. Emergency Response:

• Be prepared to respond to emergencies affecting sponsored children (e.g., natural disasters, health crises).
• Coordinate emergency relief efforts and ensure children’s safety during such situations.
• Advocate for additional support when needed.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS:

• A hard worker, enthusiastic, and quick learner with excellent communication, interpersonal, leadership, coaching, and organizational skills.
• Possess solid knowledge and demonstrable understanding of childcare activities.
• Have the ability to provide childcare guidance services to ensure effective, efficient, and accurate work.
• Possess excellent team-playing ability with the ability to liaise effectively with beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders
• Possess excellent command in both written and spoken English and native Somali language and excellent narrative report writing skills.
• Independent worker understanding community dynamics and able to work under stressful conditions.
• Possess solid problem-solving skills and conflict-resolution experience.
• Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into considerationspecial assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources, and multiple reporting relationships
• Plans, coordinates and organizes workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines
• Establishes, builds, and maintains effective working relationships with staff and clients to facilitate theprovision of support

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Development Studies, Community Development, or any other relevant field of study
• Minimum of TWO years of experience in child welfare, community development, or any other sector in social work.
• Experience in child protection, community mobilizing, and livelihood
• Knowledge of child protection principles and best practices.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Sensitivity to cultural and religious contexts.
• Good in English writing, speaking, and reading
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office is essential

BENEFITS:

• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of vulnerable children.
• Collaborative work environment.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.

Islamic Relief is committed to creating a safe and nurturing environment for orphans and vulnerable children.

If you are passionate about child welfare and want to contribute to positive change, we encourage you to apply for this rewarding position.

Equal Opportunities: Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Child Safeguarding: The position holder interacts with children and hence requires utmost compliance when dealing with children.