Maternal and New Born Health Officer at Save the Children

Team / Programme: Program

Grade:  4

Duration: 9 months

Location: Bungoma

Post Type: National

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

Role Purpose: SCI Kenya is implementing a maternal and new born health (MNH) that is expected to significantly contribute to achievement of a reduction in mortalities and morbidities for mother and newborns as per the SDG targets.

The programmatic model will actualize continuum of care approach mixed with an integrated package of quick wins, a minimum community health care package and a strengthened health system approach to MNH programming across Save the Children’s theory of change.

Save the Children will work with the government of Kenya both (National and County level health departments) and communities to address the maternal and neonatal health challenges in the country in a way that would deliver significant impacts for women and children by the end of the 5 year period.

The MNH Officer ensures the effective implementation of Maternal and New born Health Program in Bungoma County while working closely with County government, Health department.

The role involves working closely with other MNH stakeholders in standardizing quality service delivery at all levels of care.

Scope of Role: The MNH Officer has overall responsibility for working with the county MoH to ensure the availability and readiness of health facilities to provide quality maternal and new born health services which are responsive to the needs and expectations of the target community.

Country Dimension:

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners.

Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya.

In Feb 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own.

Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Wajir and we work through partners in many other parts of the country.

In 2016, Save the Children established a new project office in Madagascar whose operations are managed by the Kenya CO. In total, we employ around 250 staff in both countries and had an operating annual budget in 2016 of approximately US$17.5million.

Reports to:  Maternal and New born Health Coordinator

Staff directly reporting to this post: (Maternal and Newborn Health assistant)

SCI Kenya is in the process of implementing a signature maternal and Newborn health (MNH) programme that is expected to significantly contribute to achievement of Kenya’s MDG 4 and 5 targets.

The programmatic model will actualize continuum of care approach mixed with an integrated package of quick wins, a minimum community health care package and a strengthened health system approach to maternal and Newborn health programming across Save the Children’s Theory of Change.

Save the Children will work with the government of Kenya at both national and county levels and communities to address the maternal and neonatal health challenges in the country in a way that would deliver significant impacts for women and children by the end of 2017.

Key Areas of Accountability: These are subheadings of the key result areas or summary of each area the job holder is accountable for. Specific tasks under each key result area are summarised under each sub-heading.

The headings would include, but would not be limited to the following:

Key Areas of Accountability

Programme implementation

• Support the roll-out of the MNH clinical mentorship programme for Bungoma county to improve quality of MNH services at facility level
• Work with the county clinical mentorship team to ensure that MNH services are available in all health facilities and that the necessary commodities, job aids and protocols and equipment are available to support provision of the services
• Work with the county clinical mentorship team to provide training and on-site coaching/ supervision of facility- and community-level health cadres in EmONC and Essential Newborn Care to improve quality of services
• Organizing and rolling out training and capacity building initiatives for health workers including the Harmonised EMONC curriculum and MPDSR including supervisory visits to support the same
• Plan, organise and facilitate MNH related trainings including infection prevention, Community Midwives training, Commodity management, Jamii smart, Facility Management Committee in collaboration with the MNH-C
• Work with the county and sub county HMTs to institute quality of care mechanisms within the supported health facilities.
• Ensure close collaboration with various professional groups and non-governmental organisations active in MNH to facilitate learning and model best practice.
• Facilitate dissemination and use of MNH protocols ,guidelines and job Aids in all the targeted facilities
• Facilitate and support CME program in all the supported health facilities

Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning

• Conduct Technical Support Visits to the health facilities together with the county mentorship team to ensure that maternal and child health services are being provided according to national standards and protocols
• Participate in planning, coordination and execution of M&E activities such as surveys, monthly and quarterly follow up and quality assurance
• Compile reports as per programme schedule and participate in documentation of activities within a stipulated deadline
• Ensure proper documentation of achievements, lessons learnt, and best practices throughout the program implementation.
• Support the development of work plans, reporting and monitoring and evaluation plans.

Representation

• Participates and represents SCI in various health coordination forums and at work meetings with partners at field level when necessary.

Child Safeguarding: (to include this clause for all roles:

• All staffs have an obligation to ensure they fully understand the provisions of the Child Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct and related policies. They must conduct themselves in accordance with the rules of the Child Safeguarding Policy, in their personal and professional lives – which includes reporting suspicions of child abuse.
• All staff must ensure the way they are carrying out their work is not putting children at risk (or further risk).

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Essential:

• A registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing or Diploma in a related field (Nursing, Midwifery) with experience in maternal and New born health
• At least 5 years’ experience supporting MNH programmes including experience working with the MoH
• Up-to-date knowledge on maternal and New born health including EmONC, essential New born care, IMCI, focused ANC, malaria, immunization, supervision and quality improvement systems
• Training and support supervision experience in MNH programmes strongly preferred
• Previous experience working in the region strongly preferred
• Computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office Word, Excel Outlook and PowerPoint
• Strong representational and communication skills
• Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding and other global policies, and to Save the Children’s vision, mission and values.
• Understanding of child rights programming.

Desirable

• Good communication  and interpersonal skills
• Good people management and reporting skills
• Proficiency in working with computers particularly spreadsheets and word processing
• Excellent report writing and investigative skills.
• Experience of working within a team and team building
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural setting
• Background in large international non-governmental organisation or other international relief/development body.
• Experience working in humanitarian and/or emergency context highly desirable

Child Safeguaring Policy: Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of SCI must sign the Child Safeguarding – Declaration of Acceptance  Form] and comply with the SCI’s Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of SCI’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact.

This extends not only to children with whom SCI and its partners work directly, but also includes children whom staff are responsible for.

SCI believes that the situation of children must be improved through the promotion of their rights supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children International’s Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.