PSS Officer

World Vision International

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World Vision is committed to the protection of children and we do not employ people whose background is not suitable for working with children. All employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks where possible.

Location: Aleppo

Job purpose:

Under the supervision of the Protection Coordinator, the PSS Officer leads the delivery and quality assurance of focused psychosocial support (PSS) services for children under World Vision's component of the ECHO-funded multisectoral action 'Multisectoral Support for the Most Vulnerable Populations in Syria in Aleppo Governorate. The Officer supervises PSS facilitators embedded in World Vision-supported schools and Temporary Learning Centres, ensuring that children experiencing moderate to significant psychosocial distress receive structured, evidence-based, age-appropriate individual and group support in line with IASC MHPSS guidelines and Child Protection Minimum Standards. The role includes conducting Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) assessments, maintaining referral pathways with case management and specialised MHPSS services, and providing technical guidance to SRD's PSS team, working closely with the Education Officer and Child Protection & Case Management Assistant to ensure an integrated, protective learning environment.

Major Responsibilities

• Activity:
• Design and deliver focused psychosocial support (PSS) sessions for children (6-18 years) experiencing moderate to significant psychosocial distress, using evidence-based, age-appropriate group and individual modalities.
• Identify children in need of focused PSS through observation and referrals from PSS facilitators, teachers and case management, and conduct SDQ assessments to monitor progress.
• Provide technical supervision, coaching and mentoring to World Vision's PSS facilitators and the partners’ team to strengthen the quality of delivery.
• Maintain and strengthen referral pathways linking focused PSS with child protection case management and specialised MHPSS/health services, ensuring safe, timely and documented referrals with informed consent.
• Monitor the partners’ interventions in World Vision-supported schools to verify compliance with MHPSS minimum standards and safeguarding requirements.
• Support the identification and safe referral of child protection concerns identified during PSS sessions, ensuring a timely response.
• Provide technical guidance to field teams and the partners to ensure quality delivery of focused PSS activities, including coordination with the MHPSS Technical Working Group on curricula and standards.
• Conduct joint monitoring visits with the partners, document lessons learned, and support the establishment of PSS rooms in supported schools and Temporary Learning Centres.
• Recommend solutions to operational and technical challenges and propose adjustments to improve efficiency and quality of PSS delivery.
• Contribute to monthly, quarterly and final reports with inputs on PSS activities, SDQ results and outcomes.
• Coordinate closely with the Protection Coordinator, Education Officer, Child Protection & Case Management Assistant and MEAL team to ensure integrated implementation.
• Represent World Vision in the MHPSS Technical Working Group and other relevant coordination fora as required.

Knowledge/Qualifications for the Role

Required Professional Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with specific experience delivering or supervising psychosocial support/MHPSS programming for children.
• Proven experience facilitating group and individual PSS sessions and mentoring facilitators or partner staff.
• Experience conducting SDQ or similar child-wellbeing assessments and using findings to adapt programming.

Required Education, training, license, registration, and certification:

• University degree in psychology, social work, counselling, education, or a related field.
• Additional certification in PSS/MHPSS curricula (e.g., IRC Safe Healing and Learning Spaces, Team Up, I DEAL, Psychological First Aid) is highly desirable.
• Training in child protection, safeguarding or gender-based violence (GBV) is an asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge of IASC MHPSS Guidelines, Child Protection Minimum Standards, Sphere, or Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) is preferred.
• Prior engagement with NGOs, UN agencies, or community-based organisations is an advantage.

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Computer skills, in particular email, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Fluency in Arabic required, and ability to write and speak English.
• Good report writing skills.
• Detailed oriented and able to verify data quality.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work sensitively with children and caregivers.
• Good contextual knowledge of the local community and social/cultural constraints, realities and organizational relationships. Inspires trust within/outside of the organization.
• Develops high levels of credibility and accountability.
• Stays open to internal and external feedback.
• Agrees with the mission, vision and core values of World Vision.
• Finds fulfilment in work through creativity, risk-taking, initiative, and innovation, and encourages the same in colleagues.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent written and fluent in speaking Arabic.
• Good command of English in terms of speaking, reading, and writing.

Travel and/or Work Environment Requirement:

• The position requires 100% of the time to be field-based.
• Position requires willingness and ability to continue functioning during a crisis, including during a World Vision response to a man-made or natural disaster, and availability to work outside regular hours when required.

Local Applicant only

Qualified females and people with disability are strongly encouraged to apply

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كيفية التقديم

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