Job overview

Kafika House is seeking a dedicated Social Worker to provide supportive counselling to children undergoing treatment for surgically treatable disabilities and their families.

The ideal candidate will advocate for a holistic approach to care and work closely with a multidisciplinary team to ensure patients’ well-being.

About Kafika House

Kafika House is an international NGO based in Arusha, Tanzania. The organization runs the Kafika House programme, which provides a safe and nurturing environment for children receiving pre- and post-operative care and rehabilitation for surgically treatable disabilities.

These conditions include:

• Cleft lip and palate
• Clubfoot
• Skeletal fluorosis
• Burn scar contractures
• Osteomyelitis

Kafika House’s vision is that no child in Tanzania should live with a treatable disability.

Role responsibilities

The Social Worker will:

• Maintain up-to-date patient records in accordance with government requirements and submit timely reports to the Facility Coordinator.
• Provide supportive and compassionate counselling to patients and their families, guiding them throughout their treatment journey.
• Collaborate with therapists, nurses, mental health professionals, and other healthcare providers to ensure holistic patient care.
• Support the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) tools to track patient progress and programme effectiveness.
• Implement, provide training on, and adhere to CPP and PSEAH guidelines.
• Remain up to date through research and ongoing education and actively apply these principles in their work.
• Support and oversee the implementation of Education Programmes within the facility, in collaboration with the Facility Coordinator and Programmes Manager.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Facility Coordinator.

Education, skills, and experience

Applicants must possess:

• A bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma in Social Work, Sociology, Community Development, or a related field from a recognized institution.
• At least three years of relevant work experience in case management, counselling, or community outreach, preferably within a hospital, NGO, or social welfare setting.
• Strong communication skills and a compassionate demeanour.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team and within a multidisciplinary healthcare environment.
• Strong time-management and organizational skills.
• Reliability, trustworthiness, and the ability to handle sensitive patient information.
• Fluency in written and spoken Swahili and English.
• Basic computer literacy, including proficiency in MS Word and Excel, as well as report-writing skills.

The following would be advantageous or highly desirable:

• Registration with the Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO).
• Experience working with children, persons with disabilities, or vulnerable groups.

• Maintain up-to-date patient records in accordance with government requirements and submit timely reports to the Facility Coordinator.
• Provide supportive and compassionate counselling to patients and their families, guiding them throughout their treatment journey.
• Collaborate with therapists, nurses, mental health professionals, and other healthcare providers to ensure holistic patient care.
• Support the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) tools to track patient progress and programme effectiveness.
• Implement, provide training on, and adhere to CPP and PSEAH guidelines.
• Remain up to date through research and ongoing education and actively apply these principles in their work.
• Support and oversee the implementation of Education Programmes within the facility, in collaboration with the Facility Coordinator and Programmes Manager.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Facility Coordinator.

• Strong communication skills
• Compassionate demeanour
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary healthcare environment
• Strong time-management skills
• Organizational skills
• Reliability
• Trustworthiness
• Ability to handle sensitive patient information
• Fluency in written and spoken Swahili
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Basic computer literacy
• Proficiency in MS Word
• Proficiency in MS Excel
• Report-writing skills

• A bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma in Social Work, Sociology, Community Development, or a related field from a recognized institution.
• At least three years of relevant work experience in case management, counselling, or community outreach, preferably within a hospital, NGO, or social welfare setting.
• Registration with the Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO) (advantageous/highly desirable).
• Experience working with children, persons with disabilities, or vulnerable groups (advantageous/highly desirable).