Case Management and Alternative Care Manager

ROLE PURPOSE: Following more than months of conflict that shows little to no signs of abatement, there are an estimated  million children in need. Children and their caregivers in Eastern Ukraine endure daily attacks against civilian infrastructure and the multiple impacts of war—displacement, destruction, family separation and the risks of violence and death. These threats to safety and wellbeing have highlighted the need for urgent protection assistance targeting the most vulnerable children and families. To this end, SC provide an integrated response that is child-focused, and works directly and with local partners, as well as in close coordination with the local authorities. The Case Management and Alternative Care Manager (CM & AC Manager) will be part of the CP & MHPSS program and Programme Operations team in East Ukraine, and will be responsible for the planning, implementation, monitoring/reporting and sustainable transition of the overall case management and alternative care portfolio that includes both direct and partner-led service delivery. The CM & AC Manager will ensure a high-quality case management response is provided by SC and its partners that is both contextually appropriate and responsive as well as aligned with interagency standards and SC common approaches. An important aspect of this position is overseeing the transition and day-to-day uptake of the CPIMS+ (Primero) system, in close coordination with the wider SC Ukraine CM program and CP AoR. It also includes an operational focus on the generation of evidence on CVA to achieve child protection outcomesand the oversight of SCI’s role as a ‘lead agency’ for the Better Care Reform initiative in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.The CM &AC Manager will prioritize continuous collaboration between case management and the range ofcommunity-level child protection & MHPSS programmes: these include static and mobile psychosocial support programs for children, adolescents and caregivers; UXO and mine-risk education, and a cross-cutting focus on gender equality. It also includes a focus on advancing family-based alternative care and contributing to de-institutionalization efforts, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection and other relevant stakeholders. KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:Case Management and Alternative Care Portfolio Management  Support the HoP and CP & MHPSS PM in scenario planning and trend analysis to capture the pressing needs of vulnerable children and families in the area of operation.  Work closely with HoP and other PMs in order to ensure an area-based approach is followed, with clear synergies among activities within CP CM and other sectors.    Contribute to master budget phasing at the area level for all CM and Alternative Care / Deinstitutionalization components with CP & MHPSS Awards  Contribute to decision-making on the organizational staffing structure and revision of roles/responsibilities in line with funding pipeline and technical/operational priorities  Provide operational perspective on discussions related to systems strengthening and sustainability/transition planning in relation to humanitarian case management, alternative careand the wider child protection system   Maintain (with CM IM Officer) real-time overview of entire CM portfolio (using CPIMS+ dashboard or other database) to inform planning, analysis and advocacy   With inputs from the AC & DI Coordinator, maintain overview of the gaps, challenges and opportunities for strengthening SCI’s leadership in alternative care and DI programming in EAO as well as entry points for great cross-sectoral integration.  Take on role of Award Focal Point (FP), if needed, for a specific award or project: understand overall objectives and outcomes; be able to represent Award during ‘Awards Review Meeting’ and track overall progress: primary focal point for partnership agreement unless otherwise delegated; coordinate with and resolve issues with relevant colleagues; take lead in reporting by coordinating inputs from fellow Coordinators and Officers as required.  In close coordination with the CP & MHPSS PM:  Review case management and AC/DI components of concept notes, project proposals(defining locations, targets, potential partners, integration, etc.) together with technical advisors  Work with Coordinators in development of CM & AC/DI components of Partner Agreement documents, such as budget, narrative and logframe  Contribue to kick-off processes for all new awards, including developing detailed CM implementation plan and procurement plan, as well as ensuring HR planning is on track with existing team succession planning and recruitments for new roles  As needed, work closely with Awards and Partnership team during kick off, implementation, and close out stages to ensure compliance requirements are met.   Track budget utilization with clear spending plans and PR trackers   Activate strong sense of cohesion and continuous collaboration between CP & MHPSS, AC& DI and CM teams in the field, including regular joint meetings and trainings as appropriate.    Review relevant elements of partner monthly financial, narrative reports and Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, and ensure that adaptive planning is followed in order to meet project objectives   Contribute to timely program and donor reports on CM and AC/DI activities and outcomes in compliance with internal Save the Children requirements and any relevant external donor requirements  Work with the Finance department to prepare financial and budgeting requests—with a focus on Emergency Case Management Fund (ECMF) (including cash transfers and petty cash utilization) as well Cash for Protection (CP)—and ensure the timely planning, documentation and reporting of expenditure for projects.   Continue with sensitization and implementation of updated CVA and CM SOPs and contributing to revisions/updates as needed and informed by operational considerations Establish and ensure the practice of regular coaching and supervision for all Case Management   Officers and Assistants, including a focus on case conferencing.  Monitor, guide and supervise CM Coordinators and their field teams and partners in day-to-day project implementation informed by conflict sensitivity and following a need based approach.   Monitor and advise the AC & DI Coordinator in their day-to-day work with the Coordination Center and other cross-cutting aspects of alternative care and deinstitutionalization.    Work with Education, Shelter/ NFI, FSL/ CVA, WASH PMs in order to ensure knowledge of and safe referrals to case management is integrated in all sectors, along with a cross-cutting focus on gender and adolescents/youth.    Ensure staff wellbeing is prioritized and liaise with EAO wellbeing committee as needed Human Resources, Capacity Building & Organizational Learning  Maintain oversight of staffing and recruitment of AC & DI Coordinator, DI Officers, Case Management Coordinators, Officers and Assistants / case workers and ensure robust and consistent onboarding processes   Plan and support ongoing CPIMS+ training for staff and partners to build confidence and uptake of the Primero platform for quality case management; document and raise technical or system issues with System Administrator    Identify gaps and priorities for CM TAs, Alternative Care & DI TAs and other Technical Advisors to foster ongoing learning and capacity building for CM staff and partners, including working on a structured capacity strengthening plan in line with Steps to Protect and gaps identified in the field( Coaching and Supervision, Caring for Child Survivors, MHPSS in CM, Cash for Protection, Family Based Alternative Care, etc.)  Participate in ToTs and develop technical training skills in order to be able to further contextualize and roll-out relevant training content in the field    Identify and advocate for internal and external capacity-building opportunities based on clear development goals for respective line reports and strategic directions of the overall CM portfolio Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning  Contribute to clear roles and responsibilities in relation to MEAL activities for case management, ensuring ethical data collection and maintenance of CM principles.   Empower and support the CM IM Officer in maintaining the overall database (dashboard) and generating relevant snapshots and visuals of the CM portofolio   Support the use of CPIMS+ Primero for accurate and efficient monitoring and reporting processes    Work with CM TAs and MEAL colleagues to contextualize and rollout the necessary tools for documenting the outputs and especially the outcomes of CM programming – with a focus on document Cash for Protection (CP) impact on child protection outcomes through post-distributionMonitoring tools and data collection   Identify the challenges/gaps in the CM MEAL process and engage with relevant colleagues to build capacity, address challenges, improve processes and tools etc  Analyse and support strengthening of CM partners MEAL systems, including sharing of tools and developing appropriate strategies for monitoring and evaluating CM programming   Increase use of data from monitoring (including Quality Benchmarks), sharing with relevantcolleagues and informing program revision and design    Put in place accountability mechanisms for case management and alternative care, ensuring that existing accountability channels are disseminated to all CM cases and that feedback from childrenand families is systematically collected and analyzed (Child and Caregiver Feedback Forms)  Identify and increase opportunities for child participation in case management and alternative care/DI program implementation  Representation, Advocacy & Coordination  In coordination with the CP & MHPSS PM, represent Save the Children in relevant learning events, regional or technical coordination meetings, CM TF or CPIMS+ related meetings, as well as meetings with Government Ministries and other national and international partners as appropriate.  Ensure that Save the Children’s work in Case Management and Alternative Care is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and encourage/enable increased participation of local partners in coordination and development of strong referral pathways   Work with Advocacy, Campaign, Communications and Media team to avoid breaches of confidentiality for CM cases while enable the ethical documentation of case studies to show impact, and actively participate in advocacy discussions related to case management in EAO General   Increase knowledge and familiarity of colleagues in EAO on the core concepts of case management and the safe identification and referral of vulnerable children through organization of learning lunches or similar learning initiatives    Foster common understanding of and cross-sectoral engagement in alternative care and deinstitutionalization program offer  Ensures adherence to the Child Safeguarding Policy and reporting procedures   Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of crisis or emergency.   Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.  Competencies QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE   Master’s degree in social work, Human Rights, Law, International Relations, Development Studies or similar. Additional years of experience can count in lieu of master’s degree to complement an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject.   At least years of experience in project management in a fast-paced humanitarian or emergency setting, with at least year focused on child protection case management or other protection related programming   Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of Ukrainian context, especially related to children and youth, gender, family and appropriate approaches that can enhance engagement and attitude/behaviour change.    Ability to identify the main gaps in child protection and MHPSS in the given context to inform a holistic response for children.   Sound knowledge of, and experience in applying, established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection and MHPSS, such as the IASC Guidelines on MHPSS, the Minimum   Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and Inter-agency Guidelines on Child Protection Case Management, etc.   Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a demanding workload comprised of diverse and challenging tasks and responsibilities    Experience of representation and public speaking    Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people   Strong self-starter who takes initiative and proactively identify challenges and solutions   Excellent team support and supervision skills.    Proven coaching and capacity building skills   Excellent oral and written communication skills.    Excellent English and Ukrainian language proficiency required   Highly computer literate ( Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, financial systems)   Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy    Patient, adaptable, able to improvise, and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure