Social Services Coordinator

The Social Services Coordinator is the lead project officer for the development and implementation of social interventions for Project STAR.

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has made a commitment to leverage its network and contribute to a strategic and targeted intervention aimed at transforming social and economic outcomes for communities across Jamaica. This leading private sector umbrella group seeks to facilitate a collaborative, evidence-based approach to inclusive community development and sustained violence prevention. The approach of the Social Transformation and Renewal Foundation (STAR) is towards effective partnerships, data-driven problem solving, mindset change, community-informed and owned decision making, accurate and timely reporting, and accountable systems of oversight
and governance. Project STAR’s ultimate outcome is that as one people, we are working together to transform ourselves and our communities; creating a Jamaica where all are valued, and all can thrive.

Utilising a whole of society approach to owned transformation, STAR’s partners comprise the PSOJ and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). STAR has been designed as a 5-year intervention targeting a minimum of 10 communities experiencing high levels of major crime and violence. Commencing in June 2022 and ending in 2027, the intervention will be financed through various mechanisms, including corporate sponsorship, listing on the Jamaica Social Stock
Exchange (JSSE), crowdfunding, multilateral grants and other channels.

The Social Services Coordinator – The Social Services Coordinator is the lead project officer for the development and implementation of social interventions for Project STAR. The officer has responsibility
to ensure that all project activities related to social intervention for the community, families and individuals are aligned to the stated goals of the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of the Project.
The officer is also responsible for the coordination of engagement among the various and varied stakeholders to include the public and private sector to ensure that social interventions are effective and
efficient in achieving the stated objectives of the project.

This mixed financing approach will seek to raise enough funds to deliver the project at a scale significant enough to generate the desired outcomes, which are:

1. Mainstreamed approaches to community development that are inclusive, rigorous and integrated;
2. Communities which are safer and more resilient with improved social outcomes and reduced levels of violence; and
3. Project-wide stakeholders are more purposeful, better informed and equipped to contribute to transformational change.

STAR is aligned with the Ministry of National Security’s (MNS) framework for social and community transformation,
and it is anticipated that this alignment will result in collaborations that redound to the benefit of communities, and the
nation.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Social Services Coordinator Social Intervention

• In collaboration with the Community development team review the community assessment documents of the Project.
• Identify key social intervention strategies needed to meet the gaps identified in the assessments
• Work with the community and the Project STAR community officers to develop social intervention strategies documents that define the needs and propose mechanisms to meet the needs identified in the gap analysis
• Identify the key target populations within the communities for the various and varied social intervention activities hat are to be undertaken ensuring that the interventions are fit for purpose.
• Design implementation plans and budgets for the planned activities ensuring that they follow Project STAR protocols and standards
Partnership
• Develop a compendium of all social intervention programmes offered by the Government of Jamaica, Foundationsand Non-Government Organisations so as to create a database of referral agencies to support the identified needs
of the community.
• Based on the identified needs, target key agencies for partnership with the objective of delivering the servicesrequired by the community.
• Work with Executive Management of Project STAR to formulate terms of reference for the partnership agreements with key targeted agencies.
• Collaborate with the agencies to develop workplans for the delivery of key services in the communities as well as to identified individuals.
• Liaise with community officers to monitor the delivery of services to the communities and how these services can be improved for greater impact.
Social Work Case Management
• Develop a standard operating procedure for the delivery of case management services to identified persons within the communities
• Work with the communities and community officers to identify families that will be targeted for direct and intense case management intervention.
• Develop a database of households that are being targeted for social work case management interventions.
• Support the social workers in the development of the risk assessment and treatment plans for each household within the database
• Host case conference meetings to support the work of social workers to deliver case management referrals and other strategies to the identified families ensuring that there is compliance with social work practice and protocols as outlined in the SOP.
• Ensure that case workers follow the appropriate termination procedures for identified families ensuring that the defined protocols are maintained. Community Transformation Action Plans (CTAPs)
• Conduct a review of the CTAPs to assess the social intervention strategies that have been identified by the communities.
• Support community officers to design social intervention activities based on the issues identified in the CTAPs.
• Support the work of the community officers in the implementation of social intervention strategies that have been identified with the CTAPs
• Develop assessment instruments to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of social intervention activities in the CTAPs
• Support the work of the communities in the review of the CTAPs and the amendments of the action plans to meet the changing needs of the community.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Periodically review the indicators in the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework for Project STAR ensuring continued alignment with eh project design and implementation strategies.
• Develop the appropriate instruments to monitor or evaluate the implementation of the social interventions activities of the project assessing the achievement of stated outcomes and output targets.
• Generate monthly reports that outline the progress on key social intervention strategies and activities, highlighting the challenges and risks associated with implementation and the actions needed to manage the mitigation of any negative outcome that may impact the project’s effectiveness and efficiency.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences/Arts such as Management, Social Work Education or equivalent discipline.
2. At least five (5) years’ experience in Social Work or Social Services with at least 3 years in a supervisory role.
3. Minimum of seven (7) years work experience with at least three (3) in a supervisory position.
4. Demonstrated excellence in project management, and achieving key deliverables particularly in social interventions.
5. Excellent coordination, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
6. Proficiency in case documentation, reporting, and Microsoft Office tools.
7. Excellent knowledge of social work case management.
8. Highly developed critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills.
9. Must have proven experience in designing, implementing and managing high-impact social intervention initiatives and programmes.
10. Ability to conduct social needs assessment and evaluate social intervention programmes.
11. Sound knowledge of the operations and functions of government ministries in order to envision and support opportunities for collaborative policy making.
12. Good knowledge of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

A commitment to community-centered, rights-based approaches