Main purpose of job:
     
To work closely with Post Management for the well-being of all staff at Post, with primary function as advocate for and provision of support to UK-based staff and families across the Embassy platform on family and community issues, principally in the areas of information gathering, welfare and communication.

Roles and responsibilities:

A skilled and dedicated CLO makes a real difference to welfare and morale at Post. Kinshasa is not an easy posting and CLO tasks focus on family issues, in particular those relating to orientation, advice, information, health and welfare for UK based staff. Helping staff and dependents settle in when they arrive is also a key task. Duties include:

Information gathering for UK-Based officers and their spouses/partners and families. This includes information primarily on spouse/partner employment opportunities; children’s education (through completion of separate HR School and Nursery Information Sheets of authorised schools at Post); a comprehensive information pack on childcare at post, feedback on adult education; career and training opportunities; single officer and foreign born spouse/partner issues; recreational facilities; social matters; and completion of DSFA Spouse and Partner Annual Employment Report and twice yearly Cost of Living Surveys.

Welfare at Post: welcoming all staff on posting/temporary duty/flexible deployment and accompanying families to ensure as smooth an integration as possible into the life of the Embassy community. This includes organising induction packs; conducting familiarisation and arrival tours and following up to check that the settling in process is working; being a source of referral and support where questions, problems and difficulties arise; providing a short Embassy community induction. CLOs are not expected to be medically trained and have no medical responsibility. 

Advocate for UK-based staff and families in addressing issues of importance with Embassy Management: As their representative on Embassy Management Boards, evacuation/contingency planning and housing committees, and as the chief link between the Embassy and DSFA in London.

Communicating effectively on community and social matters across Post to all staff and receive notification of staff arrivals/departures. The CLO should participate in the Post Management Meetings and other relevant Post Committees as required. The CLO should advertise details of DSFA career support services and courses to eligible UK-Based spouses/partners at Post. CLO is expected to establish some form of communication for staff and spouses/partners across Post, such as a WhatsApp group, in accordance with the FCDO social media policy.

Information management of Post Welcome Pack, input to update and review of Post Report and Fact Sheet. CLOs should be accessible and able to provide information in areas including pre-Posting information, spouse/partner employment at Post; child and adult education, childcare, recreation facilities and training opportunities. Management of Officer, Spouse and Dependants’ information to ensure, amongst other things, that the HR team can include them on the medical insurance list.

Emergency Planning: the CLO must be aware of and involved in any Post contingency and evacuation plans. All CLOs should complete the Crisis Preparedness Management and relevant FCDO eLearnng.

All the above tasks require the CLO to have strong links with senior management, relevant FCDO departments and the DSFA’s London office.

• A CLO must be an excellent people person, be a good listener, a strong communicator and have good organisational skills;  
• The CLO is often the recipient of confidential/sensitive information from Post Management and from staff and families. For this reason, they must have strong interpersonal skills to be discreet and observe complete confidentiality.