Position :                               Social Worker  (2 positions)

Duty Station:                          Hargeisa, Somaliland

Duration:                                One Year (possibility of extension)

Start Date:                              04  January  2025

Issue Date:                             26 December 2024

Closing Date:                         02 January  2025

Background

The University of Hargeisa was founded in 1998 and became operational in 2000. Today, it holds a paramount role in the educational landscape of Somaliland as the national university, established under a presidential charter. As a publicly chartered institution, it operates under the legal framework provided by this charter, signifying its magnitude and authority within the nation’s higher education sector.

The main objectives established at the university include teaching, research and community outreach services.  The Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit which is under the umbrella of the university of Hargeisa, was established in 2002 by the UNDP and today is the leading department that provides, university community outreach services, especially Legal aid services, GBV, Child protection  and community-based protection services to the Forcibly displaced persons , Host community and people with specific needs.

Legal Clinic was become a Partner for UNHCR in 2006. Since from that period Legal Clinic works with UNHCR as partner. This makes Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit one of the oldest local partners of the UNHCR Somaliland office today.  During that period, the Legal Clinic , Human Rights Unit have been committed to the community-driven protection throughout the regions of Somaliland.

In 2025, the Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit in partnership with UNHCR will implement the “Strengthening the Protection Environment for Refugees through Targeted Assistance” project. The project will focus on GBV, child protection, justice (legal assistance), community-based protection, and support for individuals with specific needs. This project aims to improve the protection environment for refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, IDPs (forcibly displaced persons), and stateless persons.

The University of Hargeisa Legal Clinic, Human Rights Unit, seeks applications from competent and experienced candidates for the following positions.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Peaceful Co-existing Centre (PCC)  Coordinator  and the overall supervision of the Program Manager  of the project,  the incumbent will undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Conduct clients Interview and data entry on daily basis at the Peaceful Co-existence Centre (PCC);
2. Provide psychosocial counseling and other appropriate advices for forcibly displaced population at the PCC or through outreach
3. Conduct communities needs assessments, vulnerability assessment for Cash-Based Interventions (CBI) and physical protection (shelter) assessments to Refugees and asylum seekers and file all the necessary reports,
4. Conduct regular home visit, follow up actions and community outreach services to identify and assess the needs of the forcibly displaced persons (FDPs)
5. Mapping community capacity, protection challenges and risks of the FDPs to respond and address their needs
6. Conduct population profiling to collect information on the prospectives, intentions and concerns of FDPs
7. Empowering FDPs including youth, women and people with specific needs (PSN) thought capacity building and contribution of their own protections
8. Proper identification and case management to extremely vulnerable cases such as GBV survivors, elderly, PSN who in need for  immediate protection support
9. Provide and connect FDPs to the available protection services through referral pathway
10. Conduct community protection risks assessments and reach selected communities/ cases with serous protection concerns that need to protection support.
11. Provide professional and confidential services to GBV survivors and other sensitive cases
12. Through systematic participatory engagement work with the communities in identifying gaps in service delivery and promote to community’s capacity, interventions and self protection through community based protection (CBP) .
13. Facilitate FDPs and host community awareness raising, training and information sharing to empower them sharing key protection concerns that need to be addressed
14. Strengthen and diversify communication and outreach mechanisms with displaced populations and host communities both in-person and remotely, with an emphasis on reaching the most vulnerable cases/individuals within the communities.
15. Conduct ongoing engagement and networking of the existing community representatives and structures (MENA & HECCA) such as traditional, religious leaders and women groups
16. Document client information through accurate filling of intake forms and ensure confidential and safe storage
17. Support the maintenance of the case management system by maintaining client confidentiality
18. Prepare all relevant reports regarding the case management, outreach, community awareness, training, coordination meetings, vulnerability assessment and psychosocial support activities.

Qualifications and Requirements

1. Bachelors degree in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or related field ;
2. 3 years minimum experience working with vulnerable communities, preferrable with forcibly displaced persons;
3. A certification in counseling or case management and working experiences for working with FDPs will be an added advantage;
4. Good interpersonal skills;
5. Familiar with community based approaches
6. Strong cross-cultural communication is very important. Including ability to lead and work with a team;
7. Excellent written and oral communication skill ;
8. Excellent command of English ;
9. Understanding of local context within the area of project implementation;
10. Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office, especially MS Excel and MS Word
11. Other languages mainly Amharic/ Oromo and Arabic is an added advantage .

COMPETENCIES AND BEHAVIOURS

• Delivers timely and appropriate results
• Plans, prioritizes and performs tasks well without needing direct supervision
• Understands the link between his/her work and the organization’s objectives
• Gathers the right information and uses critical thinking to make effective and timely decisions
• Knows when to involve others in a decision
• Simplifies processes and procedures wherever possible
• Delivers work that reflects a good knowledge and application of technical and professional standards
• Keeps up to date with trends in their work area
• Maintains ethical and professional behavior

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Qualified and interested applicants are encouraged to submit curriculum vitae, testimonials and a letter of interest stating suitability for the position to  vacancies.hr@uoh.edu.so   with the subject heading “ Social Worker” before or on 2 January , 2025.