Social Welfare Officer (8)

Ana ndi Achinyamata Patsogolo Activity (ANAPA), a PEPFAR-USG funded Project implemented by Project HOPE Namibia in Malawi (PHN-MA), has recently been reevaluated and re-aligned following the US Executive Orders. The project Scope of Work (SOW) will now focus on Life-Saving HIV Service Provision for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) under Comprehensive HIV service delivery. The SOW covers the following:1) Care and treatment services for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and children living with HIV (CLHIV) that directly impact clinical outcomes; 2) service to address early identification, treatment, linkage/continuity, and viral load suppression for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and 3) Provide leadership in focused data and systems maintenance activities in support of the lifesaving service provision areas ANAPA project will continue to be implemented in nine high HIV burdened districts in Malawi (Blantyre, Chikwawa, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Phalombe, Thyolo and Zomba). Please take note that Project HOPE Namibia will only undertake activities within the scope of the award; and will not extend to activities related to abortion services, family planning, programs centered on gender, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or transgender surgeries.

It is against this background that PHN-MA, seeks qualified Malawians to fill various positions for the ANAPA Activity as follows:

Social Welfare Officer

Reporting to: District Team Lead with dotted line to the Technical Specialist
Duty Station: Blantyre, Chikwawa, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Phalombe, Thyolo & Zomba
Number Required: 8
Supervises: Community Linkage Coordinators.
Minimum Hours of Work: 40 hours per week

Job Summary

Reporting to the District Team Lead, with dotted line to the Case Management and Clinical Linkages Specialist, the Social Welfare Officer will be responsible for providing technical and strategic leadership in the design and successful implementation of HIV sensitive child protection case management with focus on life-saving HIV services and humanitarian assistance and Early Childhood Stimulation (ECS). This position involves ensuring identification, enrollment and assessments of C/ALHIV and HEI/HEU needs, developing care plans, delivery of need based high quality HIV services, connecting them to other appropriate services, and advocating for their health well-being. The Social Welfare Officer works closely with community level Community Linkage Coordinators, Child Protection Workers and Community Case Workers, caregivers families, and community resources to address a range of health, social and emotional challenges and improve the health and clinical outcomes of CLHIV/ALHIV, HEI/ HEU and PLHIV.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the development and implementation of district work plan, case management training, assessments, materials development and ensuring the planned activities are timely implemented, outputs are accomplished and delivered according to the approved work plans.
• Support the development and overseeing implementation of case management and referral and linkages standard operating procedures, tools, job aids and guidelines
• Support the overseeing, planning, and coordinating HIV sensitive case management to ensure delivery of high quality integrated comprehensive services for C/ALHIV and HEI/HEU in the OVC cohort.
• Provide technical guidance in addressing early case identification, treatment linkage, continuity and treatment adherence, viral load monitoring and attaining viral load suppression including VL suppression for HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding women to prevent mother to child transmission (PMTCT).
• longitudinal tracking for mother-baby pairs for early infant diagnostic testing until the final outcome at 24 months.
• Lead the development of strategies for tracing of C/ALHIV, PLHIV and mother-baby-pairs with interruption in treatment (IT) and return them back to care.
• Provide oversight and coordination support for implementation of the Bantwana-ECS Model in the ANAPA supported districts high HIV burdened clinics.
• Participate in the development of project annual, quarterty, monthly and weekly work plans and scheduled ECS capacity building activities at facility/ community level.
• Ensure the PLHIV & CLHIV under the OVC cohort are accessing care & treatment services to improve their health and clinical outcomes.
• Provide leadership and technical guidance for HIV Sensitive Child protection case management in C/ALHIV and HEI/HEU households based on identified needs.
• Support monitoring of viral load to ensure viral load suppression among
  C/ALHIV and HEI/HEU and people living with HIV including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
• Support and strengthen identification and linkage of C/ALHIV and PLHIV through intensified clinic and community case finding, index testing, and contact tracing.
• Support and addressing bottlenecks in Identification, enrolling C/ALHIV and HEI/HEU in case management.
• Provide supportive supervision, mentorship and coaching to Community Linkage Coordinators in Case Management principles and ensure the same is cascaded to CPWs, ECS Facilitators and Community Case Workers
• Support Roving Social Welfare Officers (RSWO) to provide technical supportive supervision, mentorship and coaching to CPWs, in Government led HIV Sensitive Child Protection Case Management supported health facilities.
• Work with M&E to ensure household case files are put in place and filed according to the filing SOP and regularly updated and analyze the reported data for compliance and quality assurance before reporting.
• Support to strengthen the collaboration and coordination on the bidirectional referral and linkages with the clinical and social services partners and ensure referral tracking and completion.
• Work closely with the CMCL Specialist and OVC Program Officer to support case management, PMTCT, clinical-community referral coordination and ensure fidelity of implementation.
• Strengthen bi-directional facility/community linkages towards improved C/ ALHIV and HEI/HEU, continuum of care with focus on optimizing health and social services
• Collaborate and coordinate with Department of Social Welfare, MoH, clinical partners to ensure case conferencing takes place to support C/ALHIV with HVL to achieve Viral Suppression.
• Monitor data through weekly updates/trackers on case management and clinical referrals and linkages and completion of referrals
• Liaise with the M&E team in tracking and reporting related targets
• Support with compilation of quarterly and annual progress reports and submit to the District Team Lead.
• Attend district level relevant technical working group (TWG) meetings
• Attend district level relevant technical working group (TWG) meetings
• Coordinate services and collaborate with external agencies to ensure clients receive comprehensive HIV care and support that will promote viral suppression
• Any other responsibility assigned by the District Team Lead.

Minimum Qualifications, experience and required skills

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, social sciences, health sciences or a related field
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in HIV sensitive child protection case management.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven leadership qualities and maturity, depth and breadth of technical expertise skills.
• Ability to work in collaboration with diverse stakeholders and with team building skills.
• A good level of written and spoken English.
• Able to speak the local language largely spoken in the district of choice.

MODE OF APPLICATION

Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications and experience are requested to submit their Curriculum Vitae with 3 traceable referees, cover letter together with copies of certificates to the email address below not later than 12:00 noon on 2nd May, 2025, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Note: Please clearly indicate the position title in the email subject and also district of your preference.

Email to: recruitmentmw@projecthope.org