We are looking to recruit a Physiotherapist in Uganda who will predominantly work within a specific education programmes targeting refugee and host community children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism and down syndrome.
Job vacancy – Physiotherapist
Location: Kampala, Uganda (with frequent travel within Uganda)
Type of contract: Service contract agreement
Salary: Upon agreement
Answers to: Xavier Project Programme Lead
Open to: All applicants
About us
Xavier Project is an International NGO registered in Kenya, Uganda and the UK employing 28 full time staff members and 30 community workers across the three locations. The main features of our work are the realisation of pioneering interventions that are implemented through the principles of community ownership. Xavier Project´s approach involves building holistic partnerships with refugee led organisations (RLOs) across East Africa through which we promote community-led learning, community capacity-strengthening and enterprise development. We act as facilitators, supporting the RLOs to deliver education services and scale-out enterprise within their communities. We currently support six RLOs in six different locations in Kenya and Uganda. Through community-led solutions, we aspire to provide more refugee children with access to quality learning, delivered in environments that are safe and inclusive, and foster social, emotional and extra-curricular learning. This is done through various innovative programmes such as tablet-based learning programme for primary school children, online-based learning programme for out-of-school youth or outreach programme aiming to improve the access of refugee children with disabilities to quality education.
Job description
Xavier Project is looking to recruit for the position of Physiotherapist in Uganda who will predominantly work within a specific education programmes targeting refugee and host community children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism and down syndrome. The programme aims to provide the identified children and their families with specialised educational support and improve their access to formal and informal learning opportunities. The Physiotherapist will be based in Kampala but will be required to make regular short-term field trips to our other two locations – Imvepi refugee settlement, North-western Uganda and Rwamwanja refugee settlement, South-western Uganda.
Main responsibilities
- Assessing identified children’s needs using a comprehensive assessment tool
- Providing appropriate rehabilitation interventions to children with disabilities
- Contributing to the design of individualised learning pathways for children with disabilities
- Designing appropriate physical rehabilitation interventions and tools according to the children´s needs identified during assessments
- Training both programme participants and caregivers in rehabilitation techniques and interventions
- Ensuring the safety of programme participants during rehabilitation sessions and taking into account precautions related to diverse illnesses, problems and medical treatments
- Appropriate referral to other relevant service providers
- Seeking qualified medical advice when necessary
- Designing and providing trainings to programme participants and caregivers on basic exercises and strategies that can be used to improve general body condition and prevent secondary complications in children with disabilities
- Designing and delivering awareness-raising workshops for schools, ministries and other crucial stakeholders
- Providing guidance on how to improve the capacity of children with disabilities to perform activities of daily living (ADL)
- Providing support and cooperation to programme staff
- Contributing to the design of effective strategies to address challenges encountered during the life of the programme
- Developing monitoring tools to assess participants’ progress
- Producing reports and relevant documentation
- Conducting basic research activities
- Promoting local leadership and community-led solutions
- Active participation in promoting Xavier Project’s vision and mission
- Any other duties assigned
Essential requirements
- Degree/ Diploma in physiotherapy from a recognized institution
- Minimum of 3-year professional experience in physiotherapy/physical rehabilitation related work
- Extensive practical knowledge on the target disabilities – cerebral palsy, autism and down syndrome in terms of assessment, interventions and progress monitoring
- Experience in management of disabilities/impairments in children
- Experience in the field of disability inclusion and accessibility to services for persons with disabilities
- Experience in planning and delivering trainings
- Fluency in written and oral English and strong report writing skills
- Experience and good understanding of working in the disability education sector in Uganda
- Strong interpersonal skills and empathy, particularly with regards to working with vulnerable people
- Willingness to travel within Uganda
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office
- Reliability and self-reliance
- Ability to work in a team
- Motivation to cultivate and share knowledge
- Responsible and systematic work approach
- Enthusiasm and self-initiative
Desired requirements
- Strong understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and other marginalised communities in East Africa
- Experience working in refugee context
- Experience working with a diverse team of people from different backgrounds
- Fieldwork experience in challenging contexts
What we offer
- Working in an international team of visionary and motivated individuals
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth
- Flexible working hours
- Participating in extensive national and international networks within humanitarian aid and development sector
How to apply
To apply for this position, please submit your CV and cover letter to jobs@xavierproject.org and use your name and the job title “Physiotherapist Uganda” in the email subject. Please do not send any other documents at this stage. The deadline for submitting your CV and cover letter is 28th February 2021 midnight (EAT). As the selection of applicants will be conducted on a rolling basis, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted. For more information about our work please visit www.xavierproject.org.
Xavier Project is an equal opportunity employer and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, colour, origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.