Scope of Work:
The Case Worker will be primarily responsible for identifying, assessing, documenting, managing, referring, and following up on cases of women and girls accessing the Multi-Purpose Women’s Centre (MPWC) in Nangarhar. The Case Worker will provide safe, confidential, gender-sensitive, and client-centred case management support to returnee, IDP, and crisis-affected women and girls and will ensure that beneficiaries are connected with appropriate psychosocial, protection, health, legal, livelihood, literacy, and other available services according to their identified needs. The Case Worker will work closely with the Project Manager, Counsellor, outreach team, and other relevant project staff to ensure an integrated and coordinated response. The Case Worker will ensure that case management is conducted in accordance with AYSO policies, UN Women requirements, safeguarding principles, confidentiality, informed consent, data protection, professional ethics, and the do-no-harm approach.
Duties and Responsibilities:
· Develop and maintain an organized case management plan in coordination with the Project Manager and Counselor and relevant project team members.
· Identify women and girls requiring case management support through the MPWC, mobile outreach activities, community engagement, referrals, and other appropriate channels.
· Conduct initial screening and assessment of beneficiaries to identify protection, psychosocial, health, legal, livelihood, social, and other relevant needs.
· Obtain informed consent from beneficiaries before initiating case management services and referrals, in accordance with established procedures.
· Develop individualized case action plans in consultation with beneficiaries and based on their identified needs, priorities, capacities, and preferences.
· Provide appropriate case management support to women and girls while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality.
· Facilitate safe and appropriate referrals to relevant internal and external service providers, including psychosocial, protection, health, legal, livelihood, and other specialized services.
· Maintain an updated mapping of available service providers and referral pathways in Nangarhar in coordination with the Project Manager and relevant technical staff.
· Coordinate with the Counsellor to ensure that beneficiaries requiring psychosocial support receive timely and appropriate services.
· Coordinate with livelihood and skills development staff to connect eligible women with appropriate livelihood, vocational training, business development, literacy, and other MPWC opportunities.
· Support women and girls to access the integrated services available through the MPWC based on their individual needs and informed choices.
· Conduct regular follow-up with beneficiaries to monitor progress against case action plans and determine whether referred services have been accessed.
· Update case plans when beneficiaries' needs, circumstances, or priorities change.
· Close cases appropriately when agreed objectives have been achieved, services are no longer required, or other approved case closure criteria are met.
· Ensure that all case management decisions prioritize the safety, dignity, rights, confidentiality, and best interests of the beneficiary.
· Maintain accurate, confidential, and up-to-date case files, case notes, referral records, follow-up records, and other required documentation.
· Ensure that all case-related information is stored and handled securely and is only shared with authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis and with appropriate consent.
· Ensure that sensitive personal information is not disclosed during team meetings, community activities, reports, or other public settings.
· Identify protection and safeguarding concerns and immediately report serious or urgent concerns through established AYSO reporting and referral mechanisms.
· Ensure appropriate and timely referral of cases involving gender-based violence, exploitation, abuse, child protection concerns where applicable, serious mental health concerns, medical emergencies, or other specialized needs, in accordance with approved procedures.
· Apply a survivor-centred, gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, protection-sensitive, and do-no-harm approach throughout case management activities.
· Ensure that beneficiaries are not pressured to accept services, disclose information, or participate in activities against their wishes, except where mandatory protection procedures apply.
· Support women and girls to understand available services, their rights, available choices, referral options, and complaint and feedback mechanisms.
· Participate in mobile outreach activities to identify women and girls who may require case management, protection, psychosocial, livelihood, or other support.
· Conduct awareness sessions and community-level information sharing on available MPWC services, referral pathways, and support mechanisms while protecting beneficiary confidentiality.
· Support the project team in identifying barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing services and provide recommendations for improving accessibility and inclusion.
· Coordinate closely with the Counsellor, Project Manager, MEAL team, and other relevant staff to ensure effective and integrated case management.
· Participate in case review meetings and coordination meetings as required, ensuring that confidential information is shared only when necessary and in accordance with established procedures.
· Maintain professional communication and coordination with relevant external service providers and referral partners.
· Follow up with referral service providers when necessary and appropriate while respecting confidentiality and informed consent.
· Maintain updated information on the availability, accessibility, quality, and appropriateness of referral services.
· Report referral gaps, service limitations, access challenges, and emerging protection concerns to the Project Manager.
· Support the establishment and strengthening of safe referral mechanisms within the MPWC and project communities.
· Participate in relevant training, capacity-building, coaching, supervision, and professional development activities organized by AYSO or relevant technical partners.
· Seek technical guidance from the Project Manager and relevant technical staff when cases exceed the Case Worker's professional capacity or mandate.
· Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and do not undertake specialized counselling, medical, legal, or other professional services outside the Case Worker's qualifications and responsibilities.
· Support the MEAL team by providing appropriate non-identifying case management data and information required for project monitoring and reporting.
· Ensure that case management data is collected, recorded, and reported accurately without compromising confidentiality or the privacy of beneficiaries.
· Prepare regular activity and case management reports for submission to the Project Manager in accordance with AYSO and donor requirements.
· Contribute to the identification of trends, recurring needs, referral gaps, and emerging issues affecting women and girls while ensuring that individual identities remain protected.
· Participate actively in relevant project, coordination, community, and technical meetings at the MPWC and provincial levels.
· Conduct regular risk identification related to case management, referrals, safeguarding, confidentiality, and access to services and report significant risks to the Project Manager.
· Ensure compliance with AYSO safeguarding, PSEA, code of conduct, confidentiality, data protection, anti-discrimination, and other relevant organizational policies.
· Maintain professional conduct and demonstrate zero tolerance for exploitation, abuse, harassment, discrimination, or misuse of beneficiary information.
· Support appropriate case documentation and referral follow-up during project transition and closeout.
· Ensure that case files are properly updated, closed, archived, and securely stored in accordance with AYSO procedures at the end of the project.
· Work closely with the Project Manager and relevant project staff for the proper and timely closeout of case management activities.
Perform any other relevant task as assigned by the Project Manager.
