Youth Care Officer (Girls home)

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people.

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community based organizations across seven program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Why we need you?

We are looking for a  Youth Care Officer whos is  responsible for guiding the SOS CV young people according to SOS CV youth development guide and procedures towards independence, so that when they leave the care of SOS CV, they shall be self-sufficient contributing members of society. In achieving this, the youth care officer should be seen as a role model providing advice, guidance, support and a positive example to the young people in their development from adolescence to adulthood. He/she is responsible for planning, coordinating, directing, monitoring and delivering support for the educational, psycho-social and emotional development of young people and their physical and mental health needs. He/she is responsible for creating a safe and nurturing environment for young people, offering guidance, mentorship and organizing educational and recreational activities aimed to empower young people, promote personal development, and foster positive relationships within the community. The Youth Care Officer ensures that the individual and safeguarding needs and rights of young people are addressed and respected. The rights and wellbeing of young people are at the centre of his/her work. He/she ensures the implementation of the SOS CV Safeguarding policies and regulations, the Code of Conduct and any other international and local regulation that influences safeguarding at SOS CV.

What we provide?

An amazing work environment that promotes personal growth through providing professional space to grow and advance your career!

Your role? 

MANAGE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WORK

• Support the individual development planning (IDP) process of the young people and ensure that each young person has an IDP that is used effectively.
• Enable young people to take responsibility for their own development and support them in learning the required personal and practical skills needed to live an independent life.
• Support the psychological development of young people and their identity finding as well as promoting mental health through psycho-social support and training activities.
• Identify risk behaviours in young people and risk situations young people are exposed to in their communities in order to jointly prevent and respond to them.
• Accompany and support the transition processes where young people transferred to SGH, SIL and then the resettlement process when the youth finally leave formal care to independent life.

PROMOTE AND FOSTER SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE

• Support young people in developing and maintaining good relationships with their SOS family, their family of origin and the community.
• Support young people to have regular and on-going contact with their families of origin, facilitating specific opportunities for them to visit where possible.
• Encourage young people to gain an understanding of their social, religious and cultural backgrounds.
• Work with SOS caregivers in the FLC from where the young people have been transferred.
• Ensure that the young people maintain close contact with the SOS caregivers and their SOS family members.

 INVOLVE SOS CAREGIVERS ON DECISIONS AFFECTING YOUNG PEOPLE

• Ensure that SOS caregivers remain involved in the important discussions and decisions affecting young people.
• When required, meet with SOS caregivers or AC Manager / FLC Coordinator to discuss each young person’s progress.
• Maintain good working relationships with the SOS caregivers and all other co-workers within the program.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

• Encourage youth participation, engage with young people, and listen to them.
• Encourage young people to continue as active and supportive members of the SOS family in the village, attending events in the village and supporting the SOS caregivers in their family lives and homes.
• Organize and co-ordinate youth-related leisure time activities, whenever possible using the offers of the community.
• Support and counsel caregivers living and working with young people in individual and/or group settings.
• Build young people’s participation skills in order to empower them to actively participate and getting involved in decision-making.

SUPPORT EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE

• Provide young people with ongoing career counselling and job orientation based on a clear understanding of each young person’s skills, abilities, and aspirations and matching them with labor market requirements.
• Be informed and up to date about available vocational training and educational opportunities and encourage young people to take the initiative to research and take up career opportunities.
• Stay informed about young people’s school/work progress and react timely if any challenges are detected.
• Motivate young people to play an active part, both academically and socially, in school/education facility. Help them to see their individual strengths and weaknesses and encourage them to be responsible for their own development.
• Maintain close contact and links with schools/education facilities to ensure a good understanding of each young person’s educational abilities and needs.
• Attend school meetings where required.
• Guide young people towards finding suitable employment once they finished education. Provide career and interview guidance and advice.
• Support young people to gain the financial skills and responsibilities needed to lead a secure and safe independent life in the community.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LIAISON WORK

• Fulfill necessary managing and administrative duties
• Regularly update the Programme Database.
• Monitor young people’s development and transition to independence.
• Support the development and maintenance of partnerships that young people can benefit from.

SAFEGUARDING (CHILD, YOUNG PEOPLE AND ASSET)

• Responsible to ensure that all target groups are receiving ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information in relevant languages about SOS Children Village’s Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.
• Ensure that all support is provided on the best interest of the young person.
• Responsible to participate in awareness raising sessions and capacity building trainings in relation to CS and Code of Conduct and to prevent and protect young people from all forms of abuse, abandonment, exploitation, violence and discrimination.
• Support young people to make them understand the CS risks and protection mechanisms.
• Responsible to report any CS suspicion, concern, allegation, or incident immediately, following Child Safeguarding reporting procedures. CS reports should be made to the CS team at the programme level and/or to the respective line manager.
• Responsible for ensuring behaviors and all relationships are based on safeguarding and in line with the Code of Conduct and adhering to it in every situation.
• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse/harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against young people in personal and professional lives.
• Report any safeguarding incident or concern within 24 hours to the Incident Management Team, focal person or concerned party through the defined channels for reporting the allegation

Must Criteria

Educational requirement 

• Degree in education, child and youth care development, community/social work, Psychology, or other relevant field of study.
• Fluency in English (official language) and working knowledge of (other or local languages).

Experience 

• At least 3 - 5 years’ previous experience in child/youth care.
• Work experience in education, social work or community development.
• Work experience with adolescents.
• Work experience in the national/local environment

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Educational and psychological competencies

• Profound comprehension and knowledge of youth care and development
• Knowledge about trauma (trauma-informed care) and mental health
• Familiarity with and awareness of UNCRC (UN Child Rights Convention), child and youth care acts & other relevant national (and local) legislation in connection with safeguarding
• Good comprehension of planning, implementation and monitoring of child, youth and family development
• Good level of digital skills and knowledge to use technology

Methodical competencies

• Youth-centered
• Participatory and creative
• Playful and dynamic approach
• Analytical and constructive
• Capability for goal-oriented planning, reporting and acting
• Practical and proactive
• Leading by example

Social competencies

• Empathy and cultural sensitivity
• Active listening
• Openness and honesty
• Respect for young people, positive, strengths-based, gender-sensitive view of young people
• Ability to realistically assess young people’s talents, skills and interests
• Counselling skills
• Motivational skills
• Maintenance of trust and relationships
• Reliability
• Conflict management
• Clear communication
• Able to forge partnerships
• Networking skills
• Practical and solution-oriented

Personal competencies

• Strong interest in child and youth care and in working with young people
• Readiness to make a long-term commitment and to live with young people (for residential staff)
• Stable, mature and reflective personality
• Self-management
• Responsibility
• Resilience
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to ask for professional support/ supervision when needed
• Independence

Responsibilities with SOS Children’s Village

• Responsibilities with SOS Children’s Villages organization and principles
• Knowledge of SOS Children’s Villages organization and principles
• Understanding and application of the child rights-based

Required Competencies 

The following set of value-based competencies are behaviors that are expected from everyone who works for or on behalf of SOS Children’s Villages to achieve a culture of safeguarding.

Lead Competencies

• Role Model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

Core competency

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

How to Apply

Excited to take on a new Challenge...

Then send us your application (application letter, detailed CV containing contact details of their references) electronically through SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS)

Click to view our EVP Brochure

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered.  Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection, and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, and police clearance reference check processes.

SOS Children's Villages in Ethiopia provides equal employment opportunities to all co-workers & qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.