Clinical Technical Advisor: Paediatric And Adolescent Care at Anova Health Institute

Anova is an NGO that empowers people and changes lives. Good health and quality of life is what motivates us to provide healthcare solutions and support for those who need it most.

To provide technical assistance, capacity-building and health system strengthening support that will initiate or enhance the roll-out of various services within the Anova Paediatric & Adolescent Care Programme. The Clinical Technical Advisor will be a member of a roving technical support team and will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide site support for the implementation, improvement and expansion of paediatric and adolescent services for HIV/TB.
 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Conduct clinic file audits (paediatric and adolescent HIV/TB) for each supported facility and implement corrective measures where needed (Using file audit tool)
• Work with Anova and DoH teams to use data to identify poor performing facilities, put together QI plans and implement QI plans as agreed upon with the team & facilities.
• Working with roving teams, identify facility training needs and conduct off-site training where needed & arrange in-service training where needed (for DoH and Anova teams)

Direct Service Delivery & Clinical Mentoring

• Provide capacity building at facility level on clinical care for children & adolescents with HIV; this includes but not limited to: history taking & staging, phlebotomy, ART initiation and follow up consultation, differentiated care.
• Mentor professional (& Enrolled nurses where required) nurses at DoH facilities on NIMART, using latest paediatric and adolescent HIV/TB/STI guidelines and in line with DoH mentorship manual/guidelines.
• Conduct direct support for paeds/adol care where needed, while still ensuring skills transfer

Health Systems strengthening

• Work with Anova roving technical team to identify gaps within the health system and implement corrective measures where necessary, with a focus on implementation of Paediatric/Adolescents Matrix of Interventions, correct implementation of clinical guidelines/regimen optimization and differentiated modalities of care for children and adolescents.
• Establish/maintain and facilitate Child, Adolescent and Family Care Days supported facilities through engagement with facility manager and implementation of booking system through use of the booking book, etc.; capacitate DoH staff to run these routinely.

Stakeholder engagement and reporting

• Form part of Anova cluster team and contribute in these meetings and activities as required.
• Provide monthly facility/mentee progress report to line manager.
• Compile ad hoc, monthly, quarterly report to line manager, funders and different levels of DOH as required.
• Contribute to District work plan development and implementation.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Registration as a Professional Nurse with the South African Nursing Council
• Clinical Assessment Treatment & Care (PHC Nurse Clinician) an advantage
• NIMART trained and mentored/certified
• 2 to 5 years’ Experience in working as a professional nurse including work in TB/ HIV/AIDS environment
• Trained on Paediatric management of ART
• Experience in managing children on ART
• Experience in training an advantage
• Experience in engaging with children and caregivers around Disclosure in children
• At least 1 year working in Paediatric or Adolescent care at Primary Health Care level
• Ability to communicate in local languages (an advantage)
• An interest in community outreach and skills development

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), TB and Chronic Medication in children and adolescents
• Experience managing paediatric and adolescent programmes.
• Understanding of TB/HIV/VTP guidelines, programme indicators and monitoring & evaluation
• Ability to analyse and interpret HIV/TB programme data to inform programme planning and implementation
• Excellent written & verbal communication.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.