Tushinde Children Trust was founded in March 2010. It was set up after Megan Wright, a British woman living in Kenya, visited a project working in the Mathare Slums of Nairobi. The conditions people living in are bad; Shanty towns of thousands of one roomed shacks squashed between poorly built high-rise flats. As many as ten people would live in these huts made of wood, mud and roofed with corrugated iron. No sanitation or legal electricity, and limited access to running water. Babies and children would play in the dirt beside open sewers. Children often had to be abandoned at home whilst their parents or carers went to look for money and food.

Summary

All candidates will be screened prior to employment and every candidate, regardless of post applied for, will be expected to understand and adhere to the principles of child protection.

Requirements

Key Skills

• Community mobilisation skills: must be willing to participate in the activities, events and circles for the acquisition of cultural diversity.
• Ability to interpret, apply and blend a wide range of Social Work practices and child protection principles and Tushinde’s methods to help children/youth/families achieve a healthier lifestyle.
• Proven knowledge of Case Management standards, the Children Act 2022 and other relevant international and national care reform legislation.
• Knowledge and ability to interpret and apply a wide range of social work practices, child protection principles and alternative family-based care methods in respect to protection and placements of children at risk and understanding the principles and goals of families in crisis.
• Proven knowledge of theories of human behaviors and family systems and proven ability to apply social work theories in assessments, planning, action, measure and monitor to ensure competence and excellence of services provided.
• Fluent written and spoken English and Kiswahili
• Understanding of child protection systems and urban poverty issues
• Good understanding of MS Office/ G-Suite

Qualifications and experience

• Preferred education is a Bachelor of Social Work degree or related field.
• Minimum is a Social Services Diploma or related field Diploma with at least five (5) years direct experience in child Protection and Case Management Process.
• Management, coordination and capacity building experience preferred.
• Experience working with DCS and other key government agencies is an added advantage.
• Good communication, presentation, training and report writing skills.
• A passion for ensuring that every child can enjoy their basic rights.
• An ability to be flexible and adaptable in a young and growing organisation.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

• Delivering the Tushinde’s foster care program and ensuring adherence to the agency’s policies and procedures.
• Promote, support and maintain a network of foster care parents within the implementing Sub-Counties.
• Recruit, select, train and support Foster Parents and children within the Mathare and Kiambiu.
• Apply and ensure the consistent adherence to Tushinde’s case management approach for the placement of children in foster care families.
• Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of each foster care placement.
• Assess and recommend and/or decide upon financial requests from Foster Parents within the financial authorities delegated by the Tushinde’s CEO.
• Provide a comprehensive orientation and training package for Foster Parents as per the National Foster Care Training Manual.
• Conduct monthly follow-ups and monitoring visits as per the Foster Care Operating Procedures
• Prepare narrative reports and briefing reports for recommendations to the Foster Care Program to the Sub-County Children’s Offices and the Social Worker Manager.
• Apply performance measures and implement improvement requirements and techniques to meet program benchmarks and standards as directed by the Social Worker Manager.
• Prepare and submit to the Social Worker Manager monthly reports on program developments and CPIMS.
• Participate in job performance in accordance with the Tushinde’s policies and procedures.
• Adhere to and ensure all reporting obligations under the program’s funding arrangements and Tushinde’s policies and procedures are met.

Other Responsibilities

The Emergency Foster Care Caseworker’s role requires a dedicated caseworker who is ready to work 24 hours to efficiently respond to the emergency cases. In addition to the above roles, the caseworker will also:

• Provide information to the Social Worker Manager to allow for the development of strategies for communicating service and program impacts as part of the Agency’s overall communications and advocacy strategy.