TITLE: Health Officer
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Health
LOCATION: Walgak/Lankien
GRADE: 4
CONTRACT LENGTH: 10 Months
CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Health Officer is responsible for the quality planning implementation, standardization, monitoring and evaluation of the Health program on the ground. He or she will be moving throughout the program sites at length to ensure quality implementation is happening at the field level. Primary duties will include rolling out the implementation of program in several Payams, facilitate monthly and quarterly quality and IPC assessments in health facilities, coordinate with CHD in conducting joint monitoring visits, conduct case review and death reviews and audits with health facility and health program staff, providing oversight of the Health program staff across all sites of implementation and engaging communities to participate in planning and regular review of health care service delivery.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Health Coordinator
Staff reporting to this post:: EPI Supervisor, BHI supervisor, Pharmacy assistant and HMIS officer
Indirect : County Health Workers
Budget Responsibilities: None
Working with: County Health Department key personnel i.e. BHI supervisor, M&E officer, Pharmacy officer, local authorities, BHWs, health facility workers
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
- Planning and Management:
- Assist the Health coordinator to lead the planning, budgeting, forecasting, overall coordination and implementation of designated PHCs and or Mobile clinic (MMU) activities.
- Provide technical and Managerial support in developing strategies in ensuring efficiency and quality of service delivery at the PHCs and MMUs.
- Provide and coordinate holistic patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.
- Directly supervise and regularly appraises staff of designated PHCs and or MMUs when necessary
- Identify training needs and participate in capacity building of all staff of the PHCs and or MMUs as well as other community structures like the BHC, Payam Health committee, etc.
- Work closely with other senior colleagues in designing appropriate interventions for quality service delivery in health facilities and mobile clinic sites
- Undertake management responsibilities assigned to him/her from time to time by his/her Supervisor
- Exclusively accountable for the preparation of all reports emanating from the Units as required on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and or annual basis
- In collaboration with the clinical officers and/or other clinical leads in facilities, participate in and facilitate Continuous Medical Education (CME) sessions as programmed and required. Participates in the training of medical staff to ensure the maximum use of their skills and their full and effective participation in curative, prevention, and control activities.
- Together with other project personnel responsible for encouraging community participation in health activities to ensure the long-term ownership and effectiveness of the programme.
- Represent SC and participate in County level planning for health service delivery with CHD and other implementing partners
- Service delivery
- Ensure that PHCCs and MMUs regularly provide with the essential PHC services including OPD consultations, Reproductive Health, EPI, malaria control, health promotion, collection of appropriate data and information
- Provide support supervision to all staff at PHCCs, PHCUs and MMUs
- Ensure that all PHCCs, PHCUs and MMUs are provided with essential drugs, vaccines and medical supplies necessary for their full functioning,
- Collaborate with the other sectors such as Nutrition, WASH and CP for program integration and service provision
- Ensure that BHWs and Community Health Committees are fully engaged to provide support to PHCCs and MMUs facilities and participate in health services management
- Support development of key messages for use by BHWs and ensure provision of health education to communities on importance of ANC attendance, delivery through skilled birth attendants, FP, Underfive screening and immunizations
- Lead in the development of referral pathways supporting victims of sexual abuse and exploitation to access emergency clinical management and referral for MHPSS
- Collaborates with CHD, UNICEF and other SCI staff in training BHWs/ village health committee members and the general community in key identified health issues
- Work with communities to ensure that there is appropriate referral of patients in timely manner
- In consultation with health facility heads and community representatives, identify sites for outreach services provision, and ensure communities are well communicated about the days and services provide during outreach visits.
- Work with health facility heads and health authority to ensure early initiation of referral services for those in critical needs to counter the challenge of referral pathways and save lives.
- Collect and analyse data and write reports in a timely manner as may be required and participate in continuous assessment of the health needs of the community and contribute to possible project development based on needs identified
- Facilitate monthly and quarterly quality assessments in health facilities using appropriate checklists and tools
- Facilitate follow up and implementation of action points in health facilities following supportive supervision and monitoring visits
- Support health facility staff in proper documentation, medical record keeping, case management review, death audits and compilation of monthly service delivery reports in child health, MNH and immunizations
- Monitoring Evaluation, accountability, and learning
- Participate in the development of MEAL frameworks, work plans, and program evaluations
- Work closely with the HMIS and MEAL officers to ensure correct record keeping and data management for all activities of the PHCCs, PHCUs and MMUs facilities are in place,
- Ensure that raw data reports are prepared and submitted on a timely basis to HMIS Officer for compilation
- Participate in writing timely and accurate weekly sitreps, monthly and quarterly reports in ensuring the input of all key PHCCs, PHCUs and MMUs facility staff concerned
- Facilitate in documenting case studies and success stories generated from program implementation to feed into monthly, quarterly and annual reports
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation of the facility activities
- Lead in the quality benchmark monitoring in supported health facilities on a monthly basis
- Facilitate joint monitoring to health facilities, use of QSC checklists, compilation and submission of supervision reports to relevant authorities
- Representation
- Liaise, on behalf of SC, with Government structures in County and payams as may be delegated by the Health Coordinator/Field Manager
- Coordinate with Payam health authorities and other agencies on issues of Community involvement in health services delivery
- Represent SCI at community-related coordination meetings at the Payam, County, and State levels whenever called upon
Other general duties
- Carry out any other duties and/or responsibilities assigned by the immediate line supervisor
Provide feedback and information of relevance to the program.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice:
Accountability:
- holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
- widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
- builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- BSc Nursing or higher Diploma in clinical medicine/nursing (comprehensive) from a recognized training institution.
- Higher diploma in any health-related field (PH) will be of an added advantage.
- Appropriate training in Midwifery or PHC/MMU management is a plus.
- At least 3-4 years of experience working at a PHC settings in a fragile environment with a community-based primary health care program is essential
- Registered with South Sudan Medical/Nursing/Midwifery councils
- At least 2-3 years of experience working with an international NGO will be an added advantage
- Skills/abilities
- Good knowledge of computer systems and applications (Word, Excel,)
- Ability to write and interpret reports well and training of other staff
- Fluent in English (spoken and good command of written), working knowledge of Arabic or the local language (Nuer) is a major asset.
- Have the capacity to live and work with people of different backgrounds; enhance team spirit, good communication skills, flexibility and is able to live in isolated areas with basic services
- Willingness to travel to remote areas within Akobo County
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
