Alternative Care Advisor at SOS Children’s Villages

Alternative Care Advisor  

SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania is a local non-government organization affiliated to SOS Children’s Villages International, a worldwide child care and protection organization that provides orphaned and destitute children with a permanent home and educational opportunities. Established 60 years ago, SOS Children’s Villages International the umbrella organization, currently has Children’s Villages and other projects in 135 countries around the world. Globally, it runs the SOS Children’s Village Programme which has two main arms, i.e. Family Based Care based at SOS Children’s Villages and Family Strengthening Programmes supporting families in local communities. SOS has been working in the United Republic of Tanzania since 1991, and implements its programs in the following locations Zanzibar, Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Iringa. SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania seeks to recruit suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant positions.

Job Title : Alternative Care Advisor (1 Post)

Duty station : National Office – Dar es Salaam

Reporting to : National Program Director

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES.

• Ensure that every child in care receives the highest quality of services and the best interests and well-being of every child is taken into consideration during admission, while participating in the alternative care programme at the time of re-unification and dis engagement.
• Support location Alternative Care Coordinators to develop and implement quality Alternative Care programs and ensure organization and government standards are met.
• Monitor and supervise the implementation of Alternative Care programs in the MA.
• Ensure that service planning is integrated with the community based child welfare models including community case management system.
• Develop and maintain an effective team process by scheduling regular team meetings amongst directly reporting staff; and, provide support to team members by advising, planning and coordinating all Alternative Care Services.
• Ensures that case assignment and consistent departmental supervision to team members occurs and that comprehensive supervision notes are maintained for performance management.
• Develop and implement the department work plans outlining the respective departmental goals to achieve service outcomes and address organization strategic directions and planning.
• Keeps staff informed of current and changing legislation, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines relevant to the Alternative Care departments.
• Monitor, report and evaluate the Alternative Care departmental budgets and provide recommendations when required.
• Conducts and completes written performance evaluations for directly- reporting staff and provides recommendations for salary increases, permanent appointments and performance enhancement where required.
• Serves as resource to the National Programme Director, Programme Director Zanzibar and locations programme Managers by providing recommendations and technical support related to designing and implementing Alternative family based Care Programmes.
• Facilitate designing of training manual and guides on different options of alternative care implemented by SOS Tanzania and Zanzibar Support the National Programme Director to ensure regular supervision visit to SOS Families, foster parents and SOS-mothers/Parents are conducted on regular basis and recommendation from audits, monitoring reports, and investigations are implemented.
• Regularly review Government policies and SOS children’s Villages Policies in implementation of alternative care Programmes to identify changes that would impact existing programme and forward the recommendations to the national Programme Director.
• Facilitate the rollout of SOS children’s Villages international policies and Guidelines on implementation of alternative care.
• Collaborates with Programme Managers and departmental Heads to identify and meet training needs of Core Care Co-workers.
• Provides narrative and statistical summary reports as requested to the Executive Director on the programs managed including caseloads, service statistics, customary care program updates, placement statistics, planning and evaluation, work plans, and performance targets.
• Participate in the preparation of the Strategic Plan and Annual Plan to ensure the strategic plan and Annual plans are aligned with government policies and strategies on alternative care and Most Vulnerable children.
• Establishes and maintains a collaborative relationship with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development
• Plan and implement community sensitization programmes on foster care parenting, protection of children in alternative care arrangements
• Ensure local government leaders, community leaders and Faith based Organization leaders in SOS Children’s Villages Programme locations are oriented and trained on alternative care for children in need of alternative care.
• Ensure Programme managers have plans to engage local government leaders, community leaders and faith based organizations leaders to work as champions of foster care parenting and ensuring community based support systems and structures for foster care parents are in place.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCES:

• Degree in Social work, Masters in Child development or Community development will be added advantage.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience at management level.
• Experience in working with children/youth environment.
• Ability to work independently, self-organize, use initiative, keeps commitments and meets deadlines.
• Matured candidate with good analytical skills.
• Strong interpersonal and team skills.
• Fluent in English and Swahili Computer literacy.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, send your application letter by email describing how your experience, qualifications and competencies make you the right candidate for this position. Enclose ONLY detailed and updated CV with telephone contacts, email address and details of at least 3 referees. Only contacted candidates for the interview will submit copies of academic, professional certificates and passport size photo.

To apply please send to;

The National Director SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania [email protected]

Please Note: SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania is an equal opportunity employer and committed to keeping children safe from abuse and harm, therefore candidates applying for this post will be subject to child safeguarding recruitment procedures and checks.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted

The deadline for submitting the application is 21 February, 2021