Senior Social Worker: Protection and Cross-Border Case Management

Senior Social Worker – Protection & Cross-Border Case Management

Nairobi, Meru or Busia, Kenya

Shelter Manager

Consultancy Contract – 6–12 months, renewable subject to performance, organisational needs and availability of funding

The Senior Social Worker will provide professional social work and case management services to survivors of trafficking supported by the organisation.

The Social Worker will provide holistic, trauma-informed, survivor-centred and rights-based case management throughout the case management cycle, from intake and assessment to care planning, referrals, follow-up, recovery, reintegration and case closure. The position will support survivors with diverse and complex needs, including women, children, men and foreign nationals, with particular responsibility for cases involving cross-border trafficking. The Social Worker will work closely with the organisation's shelter, psychosocial, legal, safeguarding, programmes and MEAL teams and, where required, coordinate with relevant government authorities, international organisations, embassies and service providers.

The role requires a strong commitment to professional social work ethics, safeguarding, confidentiality, informed consent, survivor autonomy, non-discrimination, inclusion and the do-no-harm principle. 2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES A. Social Work Intake, Assessment and Case Planning

• Receive and support the intake of survivors referred to the organisation's shelter and victim assistance services. ● Conduct comprehensive social work assessments covering individual needs, family and social circumstances, strengths, vulnerabilities, safety concerns, health and psychosocial needs, legal and documentation needs, education and livelihood needs, and reintegration considerations. ● Conduct vulnerability and risk assessments and escalate urgent concerns through the appropriate organisational procedures. ● Develop individualised case management plans in consultation with survivors and regularly review these as circumstances change. ● Ensure assessments and interventions are age-, gender-, disability- and culturally responsive.
• Conduct assessments and interviews using trauma-informed approaches that minimise distress and avoid unnecessary repetition of traumatic experiences. B. Case Management and Survivor Support
• Manage an assigned caseload of trafficking survivors in accordance with the organisation's case management procedures. ● Provide structured follow-up and monitor progress against individual case plans. ● Support survivors to identify their own recovery, protection and reintegration priorities. ● Identify barriers to recovery and facilitate appropriate responses with the survivor and relevant service providers. ● Conduct case reviews and participate in multidisciplinary case conferences for complex cases.
• Support appropriate case closure and post-service follow-up where required. ● Promote survivor participation, autonomy and informed decision-making throughout the case management process. C. Referrals and Service Coordination
• Assess survivor needs and facilitate timely referrals to appropriate internal and external services, including:

○ medical and emergency health services; ○ psychosocial and mental health services; ○ legal assistance; ○ child protection services; ○ police and relevant government services; ○ documentation and civil registration services; ○ education and vocational training; ○ livelihood and economic empowerment programmes; ○ family tracing and reunification services; and ○ interpretation and other specialised services.

• Maintain knowledge of relevant service providers and referral pathways. ● Follow up referrals to confirm whether services were accessed and identify any outstanding needs or barriers. ● Ensure referrals and information sharing are undertaken with appropriate consent and in accordance with organisational procedures. D. Shelter-Based Social Work and Safeguarding
• Provide professional social work support to survivors residing in the organisation's shelters.
• Support the Shelter Manager to maintain a safe, dignified, inclusive and supportive environment. ● Orient new residents on shelter procedures, their rights, available services and case management processes. ● Identify and respond appropriately to emerging social, family, behavioural, protection and safeguarding concerns. ● Support survivors to develop practical plans for their transition from shelter. ● Identify risks of further exploitation, violence, abuse, neglect, retaliation, re-trafficking or other harm and support appropriate safety planning. ● Escalate safeguarding and high-risk protection concerns through the organisation's established mechanisms.
• Maintain professional boundaries and ensure that all interventions uphold confidentiality, informed consent, dignity and the do-no-harm principle. E. Cross-Border and Foreign National Case Management
• Provide specialised social work support to foreign national survivors and cases involving cross- border trafficking. ● Assess family, community, social and protection circumstances relevant to return, repatriation and reintegration.
• Coordinate, through established organisational mechanisms, with relevant stakeholders, including:

○ Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Secretariat; ○ National Police Service and Directorate of Criminal Investigations; ○ Directorate of Immigration Services; ○ Children's Services and other relevant government actors; ○ IOM and other international organisations; ○ relevant embassies and consular representatives; ○ legal service providers; and ○ organisations providing services in countries of origin or destination. ● Support family tracing and verification where appropriate and assessed to be safe. ● Support the preparation and implementation of appropriate repatriation and reintegration plans.

• Coordinate, where applicable, documentation, interpretation, travel arrangements, reception services and continuity of care. ● Document relevant risks, decisions, coordination actions and case outcomes. ● Support follow-up with receiving organisations, families or service providers following cross- border movement, where appropriate. F. Recovery and Reintegration
• Support survivors to develop realistic and sustainable recovery and reintegration goals. ● Facilitate access to education, vocational training, livelihoods and other appropriate empowerment opportunities. ● Support survivors to strengthen safe family and community support systems. ● Develop transition and reintegration plans jointly with survivors.
• Monitor reintegration progress and identify cases requiring additional support. ● Where appropriate, facilitate linkages with the organisation's survivor-led and survivor empowerment initiatives. ● Document reintegration outcomes and relevant lessons for programme learning.

Case Management System, Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain accurate, complete and timely case records in the organisation's Case Management System (CMS). ● Record assessments, case plans, referrals, follow-up actions, case reviews, risk assessments and case closure information. ● Ensure case notes are factual, objective, professional and relevant to the provision of services. ● Document consent and relevant information-sharing decisions. ● Ensure sensitive survivor information is stored and shared securely in accordance with the organisation's data protection and confidentiality procedures. ● Regularly review assigned case files to ensure records are complete and up to date. ● Prepare regular case management updates for the Shelter Manager.
• Contribute anonymised information to programme and donor reporting and to analysis of emerging protection concerns, service gaps, referral challenges, reintegration barriers and cross- border case trends. H. Professional Practice and Team Collaboration
• Work collaboratively with the organisation's psychosocial, legal, shelter, safeguarding, programmes and MEAL teams. ● Provide professional social work input into complex cases and multidisciplinary case reviews. ● Participate in relevant supervision, mentoring, training and professional development activities. ● Maintain current knowledge of social work practice, human trafficking, safeguarding and survivor assistance.
• Contribute to improvements in the organisation's case management and referral systems based on professional experience and emerging case needs. 3. KEY CONSULTANCY DELIVERABLES

The Senior Social Worker will be expected to deliver:

Case Management

• Quality social work assessments and individualised case management plans. ● Timely case follow-up and documented interventions. ● Appropriate referrals and documented follow-up on service access. ● Case review, transition and closure documentation. Protection and Safeguarding
• Timely identification and escalation of significant protection and safeguarding concerns. ● Appropriate safety planning for survivors requiring additional protection measures.
• Participation in multidisciplinary reviews of complex cases. Cross-Border Cases
• Documented coordination and case management for foreign national and cross-border cases. ● Appropriate support for family tracing, repatriation, reintegration and continuity of care where applicable. ● Documentation of outcomes following cross-border interventions. Documentation and Reporting
• Accurate and up-to-date CMS records. ● Monthly anonymised case management updates. ● Identification of emerging case management trends, service gaps and operational challenges. Professional Contribution
• Participation in agreed case conferences, technical discussions, mentoring and capacity-building activities. ● Practical contributions to strengthening the organisation's case management and referral systems. 4.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work from a recognised institution. ● A Master's degree in Social Work, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Human Rights, Psychology or a related field is an advantage. Professional Registration
• Registration and/or membership with the relevant recognised professional social work body in Kenya, where applicable. Experience
• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in social work and case management. ● Demonstrated experience providing direct social work services to vulnerable individuals, families or communities.
• Experience working with survivors of human trafficking, exploitation, gender-based violence, child protection or other forms of vulnerability is highly desirable. ● Experience in a shelter, residential care, humanitarian or victim assistance setting is an advantage. ● Demonstrated experience managing complex cases and coordinating multidisciplinary referrals. ● Experience working with foreign nationals and/or cross-border cases is highly desirable. 5. TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong professional social work and case management skills.
• Strong knowledge of trauma-informed and survivor-centred practice. ● Understanding of human trafficking and its impact on survivors. ● Knowledge of relevant Kenyan trafficking, safeguarding and child protection frameworks. ● Strong assessment, interviewing and case planning skills. ● Ability to identify protection risks and appropriate support needs. ● Strong referral and service coordination skills. ● Understanding of confidentiality, informed consent and professional boundaries. ● Strong case documentation and report-writing skills. ● Experience using digital case management systems or databases. ● Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information. ● Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds. ● Strong organisational skills and ability to manage a caseload effectively. 6. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili is required. ● Working knowledge of Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya or Somali is highly desirable. ● Additional regional languages are an advantage. 7. CONSULTANCY TERMS AND PAYMENT

Duration

Initial consultancy contract of 6–12 months, renewable subject to performance, organisational requirements and availability of funding. Performance Review An initial performance review will be conducted after two months, with subsequent reviews undertaken in accordance with the consultancy agreement.

Remuneration

The Consultant will receive a monthly professional consultancy fee, payable upon satisfactory completion and approval of agreed deliverables by the Shelter Manager. Payment will be subject to the terms and conditions of the consultancy agreement. 8. SAFEGUARDING AND CONFIDENTIALITY

The Senior Social Worker will have access to highly sensitive information concerning trafficking survivors, including children and other vulnerable persons. The Consultant must comply fully with the organisation's safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, child protection, code of conduct and information-sharing procedures. The Consultant must maintain professional boundaries and report any safeguarding concern, suspected abuse, exploitation, inappropriate conduct, conflict of interest or breach of confidentiality through the organisation's designated reporting mechanisms.

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