Jobs in Cameroon: Case worker with Plan International in Douala
7 min read
Deadline: 20 March 2022
Location: Douala, Cameroon
Company: Plan International
The Organization
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
NB: The application link is at the end of this post written “Click Here to apply”
ROLE PROFILE
Title Case worker
Functional Area Urban refugees and mixed solutions
Reports to Project manager
Location Douala
Travel required Yes
Effective Date March 2022 Grade B
ROLE PURPOSE
[A concise statement, capturing the primary reasons that this role exists and a clear articulation of the context of the role. How will this role contribute to creating lasting change for children?]
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This role arises from the implementation of the project for assistance and protection of refugees and asylum seekers in urban areas who need actions to prevent the risks of vulnerability and to respond to cases. This case management follows standard operational procedures for the protection of children in emergencies and the fight against GBV. It also includes support for people with special needs and generally consists of 6 steps: identification, evaluation, development of the action plan, implementation of the action plan, follow-up and closure of the case. Case workers are responsible for case management in collaboration with all relevant state and non-state actors to whom referrals and case follow-up are directed. It is this role that ensures that cases are managed according to international standards and in accordance with the best interests of children.
The Case Worker is a social worker who follows up on individual cases of psychosocial distress in the community. The essence of its work consists in providing information and guidance as well as psychosocial support to individuals in social difficulty or with health problems, in order to promote their well-being and the success of their social integration. To do this, he listens, supports, accompanies, advises and guides people according to their requests and needs. The Case Worker intervenes on a more individual than collective level, within the framework of what we call the Social Intervention of Personal Interest.
In short, the work of the case worker is mainly based on the collection of the data necessary to understand the difficult social and/or health situations of refugees (critical cases), the analysis of the needs related to these situations, the establishment of an action plan submitted to his supervisor, its implementation after validation and the evaluation of the results of his interventions.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
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The case worker does not directly supervise other staff. He works in collaboration with the social worker and the educational assistant and reports to the Project Manager.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
[This section is critical for clarifying expectations of the role, providing the framework for its relationship with colleagues and providing areas of accountability against which performance can be managed.
This should include a series of brief statements that define the end results required. E.g. drive, contribute, identify, manage, responsible for, advise/coach, build, develop, provide, conduct, oversee, establish, participate etc.
Statements should ideally be worded so that they will lead to thoughts of measurement. For example, it is better to state something like “achieve maintenance standards” than “undertake maintenance”. The former leads to a measure against the maintenance standards.]
The case worker is responsible for:
• Identifying cases requiring individual follow-up and submitting them to his hierarchy;
• Listen, advise, guide, accompany cases requiring individual follow-up;
• Ensure the reception of cases every Wednesday and permanence on weekdays;
• Document and archive these identified cases and ensure their confidentiality;
• Assess and update the best interests of children in cases of children at risk identified;
• Support individual cases to promote resilience;
• Ensures the management of individual cases by assessing the process of adaptation in society;
• Facilitate the integration of the person accompanied into the family, the community;
• Report on observed changes in cases followed;
• Assess the risks of the family’s influence on people with Special Needs/SGBV…;
• Conduct psychoeducation sessions within the families of the cases followed;
• Monitors the implementation of the recommendations of the Children’s Best Interests Panel in collaboration with programme assistants;
• Ensure the referencing of identified cases to authorized structures on the basis of referencing sheets;
• Follow hospitalized patients;
• Ensure field visits to health facilities and remand prisons;
• Prepare social panel files;
• Reassess people with special needs (PBS) before each social panel;
• Design your weekly schedule and have it validated by your supervisor;
• Writes weekly reports;
• Performs any other duties as assigned by the supervisor;
• Ensures that Plan International’s Child and Youth Safeguard policy, Sexual Harassment Policy and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) policy are fully implemented in its work.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
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• Frequent contacts with the decentralized services of the State, the refugee community, girls, boys, men and women including those living with disabilities, as part of the daily implementation of the activities of the social programme;
• Frequent internal contacts with other members of the social programme team and externally with the UNHCR team to ensure an integrated response to the needs of the target;
• Low contact with Plan International Cameroon’s management team.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
[This section details the skills, knowledge and expertise the postholder will be required to demonstrate in doing the job well.
This should include clear levels of technical expertise and skills that support our work at national, international, and global level.]
Essential
Knowledge
• Have a degree in social sciences/social assistance;
• Have experience in supervising vulnerable people;
• Mastery of the computer tool and its applications (Excel, Powerpoint, Word) and Internet;
• Excellent command of the French language and very good notions in English.
• At least 2 years of experience in the social field;
• Familiarity with United Nations procedures is an additional advantage;
• Be available, flexible and able to work in a multifunctional and pressured environment.
Skills
• Team spirit;
• Highly effective networking and interpersonal skills;
• Timely and efficient delivery of project activities and other results (reports, etc.);
• Commitment to child protection, gender equality and participation;
• Demonstrate ability to evaluate best practices, document and disseminate lessons learned;
• Excellent computer skills (Words, Excel, Power Point, Internet etc.);
• Ability to network with basic structures;
• Flexibility in the face of changing circumstances;
• Proven competence in working with separated and unaccompanied children, case management;
• Participatory evaluation skills;
• Communication Skills: Well-developed written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders about the behavior of the social program.
Desirable
• Practical and relevant experience of operating in a humanitarian context;
• Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established international child protection standards is an asset;
• Commitment to and respect for humanitarian values and norms;
• Work with reliability and integrity;
• Clear commitment to Plan International’s values.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE
We are open and accountable
• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
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• Works intensively in the field: The case worker will spend at least 80% of his time in the field as part of the implementation and follow-up of cases.
• Periods of intense work at any time of the day.
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN
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Contact: High interactions with children.
Location: Douala
Closing Date: 20/03/22
Click Here to apply
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
