Health Promotion Officer at CARE International

CARE International is a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to saving lives and ending poverty. We work in over 94 countries around the world to provide over 1000 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Promotion Officer

Location: Gashua, Yobe
Employment Type: Contract

Job Summary

CARE Nigeria is seeking the engagement of Health Promotion Officer for the implementation of the Lafiyayyen Yara (Healthy Children): Reducing Infectious Disease among Children Under Five project.
The Health Promotion officer will be responsible for quality implementation of health promotion, community dialogue and communication activities for social behavioural change in the community in collaboration with community engagement facilitators.
S/He will also be responsible for monitoring and evaluation of community dialogue and communication activities on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) in the supported Facilities and Outreach Service Areas (FOSAs) in Bade LGA of Yobe State.
S/He shall mentor the community-based surveillance focal points, community engagement facilitators/Model mothers on topics covering early detection, infectious diseases in children under five, immunization, infection prevention and control, maternal health, community-based surveillance, and referrals.
S/He shall lead promotion of health seeking behaviour among pregnant and lactating mothers, and parents/caregivers of children under 5 years.
S/He shall supervise Community Engagement Facilitators and Community-Based Surveillance Focal points and conduct routine health outreach activities at designated service delivery points in the LGA mentioned above.
S/He will also work in active collaboration with primary health facility staff, clinical officers, community-based surveillance focal points, and community engagement facilitators/model mothers to create demand for the uptake of services and facilitate timely referral of complicated conditions to secondary health care facilities.

Responsibilities and Tasks
Technical and Program Support to Health Facilities /Outreach Services Areas (25%):

Provide technical and program support to ensure quality implementation of comprehensive Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health activities with focus on promoting:
- Immunization – supporting the broader community health system to increase demand for and delivery of immunizations
- Quality integrated community case management and integrated management of childhood illness care in facilities
- Quality maternal health services (antenatal care/prenatal care, respectful delivery with timely referral of complications, nutrition counselling and breastfeeding support, newborn care)
- Infection, Prevention and Control to reduce disease transmission in facilities and communities
- Community engagement to address social norms impacting child health, improve health practices and health service delivery
- Community-based surveillance to enhance detection of infectious diseases and to strengthen referrals to health facilities
Develop a weekly work plan and movement plan for activities in the FOSAs
Capacity building for service providers through training and retraining and continuously identifying other training needs for quality program implementation
Develop Training TOR, Budget, and Contract and Advance request guided by work plan, budget and liquidate expenses after training with support from the PM
Provide on the job coaching and mentoring for service provider
Support the establishment and effective delivery of RMNCAH outreach services in target communities
Support community engagement to promote behavior change, citizen-driven accountability, and risk communication through CARE’s SAA approach to address social norms that negatively impact health and undermine uptake of immunization,
Undertake CARE’s Community Score Card approach to improve health service delivery; and
initiate and ensure active referral system is available in FOSAs with referral protocol place on the wall in all FOSAs
Support in development of project work plan, budget, expenditure plan
Participate in patient consultations as applicable
Provide on job mentorship to the nurses
Perform quick evaluation for patients for Referral to Secondary/Tertiary level of care
Maintain a good record keeping system and undertake continuous monitoring and regular evaluation of the project activities.

Quality Control and Assurance (25%):

Conduct regular Skills Assessments and provide data-driven supportive supervision of CBS focal points and community engagement facilitators/Model mothers.
Undertake competency-based skills development and mentoring for CBS focal points covering early detection, early warning, infection prevention and control, community-based surveillance (in line with the nationally adopted Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy) and strengthening of referrals.
Request for relevant and up to date IEC/BCC materials and job Aids for all FOSAs
Ensure that weekly reports and returns are submitted to the PM and relevant government authorities as stipulated in the regulations and policies
Identify training needs for CARE staff and suggest ways of meeting those needs

Monitoring and Learning (25%):

Ensure the regular data collection using appropriate tools from the supported FOSAs, and entry into the DISC in the database for analysis of the data collected to make recommendations to the supported health structures and the Project Manager
Identify problems with the DISC and flag it to the M& E officer/PM, also suggest ways of improving data collection, storage and use for decision making
Participate in monthly tripartite meetings bringing together FOSA providers, community facilitators, CARE staff and the Health District to analyze the data, identify the difficulties encountered and help them find solutions
Conduct monthly supportive supervisions to all the FOSAs in collaboration with the Yobe State Primary Healthcare Board (YPHCB), LGA focal persons /SMOH officials
Supports monitoring and evaluation initiatives at selected facilities/communities including analysis of supply chain system in the state to strengthen existing system and suggest best practices
Establish and use responsive complaint and feedback systems to track and report complaint and feedback to support effective service delivery
Periodically review performance metrics with the Monitoring & Evaluation officer and employ use of data for decision making that promotes high quality clinical care services
Identify and document and dissemination of appropriate success stories, experiences, best practice and lessons, at least one every 3 months
Encourage sharing of learning and experience with the team, across the organization and with like-minded/peer organizations

Relationship with Staff / Management (20%):

Develop a good communication and interpersonal relationship with other project staff and CARE staff to avoid creating a tense environment in the workplace
Manage and resolve problems amicably following appropriate communication channels and procedures
Listens and accept constructive criticism
Understand CARE’s vision, mission and practice the core values of CARE
Cultivate good working relationships with service providers, community, MOH staff, local CSOs, INGOs, UN agencies etc.
Foster teamwork among supervised staff and with staff from other units/departments
Represent CARE at coordination meetings in their location
Organizes community sensitization health talk through the community linkage structures (CBS focal points, Model Mothers)

Perform any other duties assigned (5%):
Not only limited to:

Ability to willingly accept and take up additional responsibilities
Ability to share knowledge and skills for the purpose of knowledge and skill transfer to other staff
Carry out any other duties and responsibilities, which may be assigned by the management from time to time

Communication / Reporting:

Provide regular feedback to the Project Manager on the clinic activities.
Participate in the development of mobile health clinic work plans and reviewing them monthly with the project Manager

Budget / Grants:

Participate in proposal writing and budget development

Supervision:

Supervise nurses/mobile team staff activities.
Ensure monthly reports are compiled and of good quality.

Work Conditions

The position is in Gashua with on-need-basis travels to Damaturu to receive support, plan activities and update the PM on progress of activities in the field (100% of project locations).
It involves liaising with and coordinating activities with providers, community health workers, Local Government Authorities, local implementing partners, other humanitarian actors and stakeholders within the areas of operation.
It is essential that the Health Promotion Officer maintain active presence in the field to ensure proper technical support, implementation, and supervision of clinical service delivery by both health providers and health promotion teams.
However, S/He will be required to travel to Damaturu at periodic intervals, for meetings, planning, training events and reporting purposes.

Job Experience / Qualifications
The Health Promotion Officer (HPO) shall have a suitable combination of academic qualification, experience, and relevant trainings in the following technical and programmatic requirements for the post:

Registered Nurse, Nurse / Midwife, or Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) (female preferred) with practical clinical experience in RMNCAH services
Undergraduate/postgraduate qualification in Public Health will be an asset
Expert level knowledge and at least three years of practical clinical RMNCAH services, SRH in Emergency programming, preferably essential lifesaving RH/MISP package implementation with refugees and / or internally displaced populations
Training in project management, planning, monitoring, and evaluation is an asset
At least 3 years’ field experience in working with health facility providers, community health workers and coaching and mentoring on the job preferred
Ability to plan training sessions, provide formative supervision, monitoring and evaluation of medical activities
Ability to ensure quality data collection, compile and analyse data to formulate relevant recommendations
Ability to write quality reports in English and submit them on time
Disciplined, organized, respect for deadlines, adaptation in a multicultural working environment, tolerance, respect for CARE’s core values and gender
Strong relationship building skills and ability to work in complex environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Ability to multitask and prioritize activities.
Must be a good team player that is able to work independently with minimum supervision.
Exemplary customer service and people skills
Leadership abilities that have been proven in small- and large-scale arenas
Problem solving skills that lead to feasible resolutions for the future
Disciplined, organized, respecting deadlines, adapting to a multicultural work environment, tolerance, respect CARE’s Core values.
Ability to enhance good interpersonal relationship.
Good knowledge and application of Microsoft Office Suite.

Required Competencies:

Application of technical skills and program support
Good reporting skills
Quality and timeliness of support provided.
Observance of policies and procedures.
Maintenance of relationships.
Communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to communicate effectively in the local languages (Hausa, Kanuri, Bade) -this will be tested

Key Working Relationships: