Job Advertisement – Social Worker

WHO IS HIVSA?

HIVSA is a not-for-profit company established in 2002 and is a strategic partner of the Gauteng Provincial Departments of Health and Social Development. We innovatively transform and empower individuals, community workers and organisations by developing their capacities to effectively respond to the socio-economic and health challenges that burden communities.

THE PHVP PROGRAMME

The CSS programme implements the Preventing HIV/AIDS in Vulnerable Populations (PHVP). The goal of the PHVP programme in Gauteng is to contribute towards HIV epidemic control by enhancing the quality, comprehensiveness and sustainability of care and support services to improve resilience, health and well-being of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Adolescents and Youth (OVCA&Y) and Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), in line with the South African Government (SAG)’s strategic goals for health and social development. HIVSA’s implementation model is embedded in capacitating and strengthening Department of Social Development (DSD) funded Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to utilise a robust case management system and structured evidence-based interventions to provide holistic services to communities, OVCA&Y and AGYW. HIVSA implements the PHVP programme in Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Sedibeng.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION

With guidance and support from the Project Manager and Team Leader, the Social Worker is responsible for the QUALITY implementation of programme activities including ensuring that the expected C/ALHIV proportion is verified and enrolled into the programme. The Social Worker need to ensure the smooth implementation of the three programme modalities at the sub-partner level, namely OVC Comprehensive, OVC Primary Preventive and OVC DREAMS Family Strengthening. This includes programme and organisational (institutional) capacity building aligned to SOPs, Policies, SIMS guidance and other relevant programmatic guidance. The Social Worker needs to actively conduct verification and validation of programme beneficiaries to ensure quality data is reported into CBIMS. The Social Worker must have strong communication, teamwork, networking, and problem-solving skills for the smooth execution of all related programme activities.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

1. Validating and verification of C/ALHIV, DREAMS AGYW, PrEP and other OVC population segments – as a requirement at reporting intervals at all stages of the programme. Including weekly file reviews and home visiting verifications, using the standardised guiding documents. Ensure correct use of the case management guides and tools (provide capacity building regularly).
2. Ensure timely and accurate programme implementation by managing, developing, setting up and implementing strategies to ensure that sub-partners meet their age and gender-disaggregated targets aligned to the three programme modalities (OVC Comprehensive, OVC Preventive and OVC DREAMS Family Strengthening) and comply and support AP3 objectives to find at least 35% C/ALHIV and ensuring effective treatment literacy to improve viral suppression as well as ensuring 100% AGYW and their primary caregivers enrolled in OVC DREAMS Family Strengthening attend and complete Let’s Talk sessions within 10-12 weeks of enrolment.
3. Provide continuous/weekly sub-partner capacity building, mentorship, and support to increase skills to ensure the provision of high-quality case management that bolsters the community-facility continuum of care, employs a family-centred approach, improves holistic beneficiary management, and ensures equitable access to health and social services.
4. Provide documented supportive supervision reports, mentorship plans and reports, on a weekly basis.
5. Provision of Supportive Supervision and capacity building to facilitators at the sub-partner level by conducting weekly programme session observations (Vhutshilo 1, 2, 3, and Kidz Alive) to improve quality service delivery and ensure development feedback is provided to facilitators through individual sessions, including regular group supervision (debriefing included) to improve and address gaps observed in allocated areas. Encourage peer-to-peer learning/ cross-organisational observation/learning of all cadres within your allocated sub-partners (CBOs).
6. Active maintenance of relationships with external stakeholders including South African Government Departments (Department of Social Development, Department of Education and Department of Health at National, Provincial and District Level), USAID/PEPFAR, USAID Implementing Partners (such as FHI360, CCI, PACT, EDC and NACOSA) and USAID Treatment Partners (such as Anova and WRHI) by networking, preparing, and reporting monthly/quarterly on progress and challenges. This includes timeous preparation and active participation in all platforms/meetings and linkages between sub-partner and stakeholders to improve bi-directional referrals.
7. Ensure sub-partners comply with the Site Improvement Monitoring Systems (SIMS) daily, this includes ensuring that Quality Improvement (QI) and Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) activities are done at your site on a regular basis with recorded evidence.
8. Effective and efficient use of HIVSAs resources through sub-partner compliance management ensuring that the expenditure allocated for your responsible activities is monitored/tracked i.e.., session/refreshment/voucher/food packs, and ensuring sub-partners have sufficient resources timeously to implement the programme.
9. Ensure internal interpersonal relationships are aligned with HIVSA values.
10. Compliance with HIVSA policies, procedures, and SOPs with special mention of remote working processes and systems designed to respond to challenges and threats – this includes sticking to SOPs to the letter, monitoring, supervising, and supporting allocated teams and sub-partners. The Social Worker will also be responsible for driving self and, in some cases, fellow team members, to sites and meetings using the HIVSA fleet.

Requirements:

• Degree in Social Work or equivalent qualification
• At least 2 years experience in community work and working with Community Based Organisations
• Good report writing skills.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team setting.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and excellent patterns of communication
• Strong supervision and mentorship skills
• Sound understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation requirements and reporting.
• Must have a valid driver’s licence (of more than 3 years) and be familiar with driving manual vehicles, as they would be driving themselves and their team on a daily basis.
• Proof of partial or complete COVID-19 vaccination

Remuneration will be competitive, based on skills and experience.

What do you need to do to apply?

Candidates that meet the requirements and are interested in the position are to send a motivation letter and CV (not more than 5 pages), and three contactable referees to The HR Manager, e-mail:  hr@hivsa.com.  Closing date for applications: 8^th September 2023. (Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.)