Psychosocial Support (PSS) Assistant - Banki at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Purpose/objective of the position:

The PSS Worker implements structured and unstructured psycho-social support activities and trainings for beneficiary groups.

Generic Duties:

• Conduct a variety of structured and unstructured activities (recreational, psycho-social and informal skills training) for beneficiaries, catering to the various psycho-social needs and interests of different beneficiary groups (adults, adolescents, children if required in the proposal although as DRC is a general protection agency in Nigeria, often children will be referred to CP actors for structured PSS);
• Prepare for structured psycho-social support activities by carefully reading the PSS SOPs and Curriculum Manuals and preparing all required material and equipment in advance;
• Conduct recreational activities with children and adults such as sports activities, arts and crafts, dance music, drama etc;
• Support community resource persons in the implementation of vocational and skill trainings; 
• Facilitate the participation of all segments of the target population in the planned activities ensuring the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups;
• Ensure that during all activities proper attention is paid to specific emotional and physical needs;
• Monitor beneficiaries’ progress during psychosocial support activities and identify persons with unusual changes in behavior or other signs of psychosocial distress for referral to a Case Management/PSS officer or PSS TL; 
• Carry out all tasks respecting key protection principles including but not limited to: do no harm, non-discrimination, confidentiality and accountability;
• Conduct focus group discussions and other participatory activities to engage community members in protection activities and to better understand their needs and interests;
• Engage community volunteers in planned recreational activities and awareness sessions held at the community center according to a planned activity schedule ensuring they work in pairs and under your supervision
• Maintain daily attendance registers and monthly inventory sheets for each activity conducted. 
• Ensure a safe, friendly and non-discriminatory environment is upheld during all activities;
• Participate in meetings and trainings in and outside the centers and/or in DRC offices when requested;
• Complete additional tasks assigned by Supervisor.

Specific Duties:

(Can be adapted to the particularities of the job location and the requirement of the specific project, but should be approved by the Protection Coordinator before advertising the vacancy).

Person Specification:

Education and professional experience:

• University Degree in a related field (Social Work, Psychology, etc); 
• Two years relevant work experience;
• Strong knowledge of psycho-social programming in the humanitarian context.

Competencies: (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

• Computer literacy (Word, Excel) 
• Confidentiality, respect and non-discriminatory attitude
• Strong technical knowledge in protection and psycho-social support
• Ability to train people, facilitate trainings and build participants’ knowledge and skills
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Good analytical and reporting skills
• Ability to show empathy
• Ability to work under pressure
• Fluency in Hausa and another language spoken in Borno state/Adamawa state (written and spoken)
• Working knowledge in English (written and spoken)