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About Pehchan, Shelter Home for Women in Distress

Pehchan, connoting “identity”, is Shakti Shalini’s shelter home for women in distress. Women, often with children, travel from all parts of India in search of a safe, secure, and supportive space at Pehchan. It is a small establishment that can house ten, and at most twelve, women (with or without children) at a time. All cost of living of the women and children (food, sanitation, medication, travel, clothes, etc.) and of upkeep of the home is borne by Shakti Shalini. The services provided to the survivors will include counseling and crisis intervention, food and nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, security and confidential location, physical and mental healthcare, sexual and reproductive healthcare, legal counseling and litigation aid, skills development and vocational training, educational and income generation support, rehabilitation and reintegration, and follow-up. The residents are regularly provided with various vocational and skill development classes for eg. computer, cutting and tailoring, beauty culture, and basic literacy. Creative sessions including theatre, poetry, dance, film screening, painting, art, and craft are also regularly conducted. For the safety and well-being of our survivors, Shakti Shalini ensures that Pehchan Shelter Home is functional and operative, equipped with basic amenities of food and nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, clothing and personal care products to support women in distress. The operation of Pehchan includes, at all times, ensuring that the location of the space is not disclosed publicly or to the social relations of the women residing within it so as to ensure security and confidentiality. The duration of a survivor’s stay at the shelter home is not pre-determined. It is dependent on the need of the survivor as the pace of recovery as well as the situation of each survivor is unique and requires a personalized approach. Pehchan is able to accept a maximum of 10 women (with or without children) at a time however, exceptions are made in case of a severe crisis or if a woman seeks urgent help post sunset.

Job Profile

The shelter home caregiver is part of Shakti Shalini’s Pehchan Shelter Home for women in distress team that is dedicated to the support and empowerment of women as well as the children accompanying them for the duration of their stay at the shelter home. The caregiver will be expected to facilitate the activities of the shelter home and respond to all immediate needs and concerns during the course of her work hours. Her conduct in the shelter at all times must be caring, sensitive, encouraging, measured, mature, and consistent with Shakti Shalini’s ideological commitment to gender equality, individual agency, democratic and inclusive manner of functioning.

Responsibilities of the Shelter Home Caregiver:

• Invest time in fully understanding the vision and mission of Pehchan Home, and strive her best to implement it and to meet the aims, goals, and targets of the home.
• Oversee the operations of Pehchan Shelter Home during her work hours, which would include: management of resources, infrastructural and communications concerns, health and dietary needs, activity schedules.
• Carry out distribution and utilisation of organisational money for the shelter home during her work hours as decided by the coordinator.
• Doublecheck the documentation of organisational money at the shelter home during her work hours which specifically includes doublechecking of all the bills filled and submitted by the residents.
• Provide necessary distribution of nutritional, clothing, linen, and sanitary products to residents that they require and ask for during her work hours and ensure to update the same in the stock allocation register within the same work day

• Able to carry out quantitative and qualitative documentation, analysis of data, and writing of creative and well structured reports.
• Committed to gender equality and elimination of violence, and to supporting survivors of SGBV.
• Creative, sensitive, non-judgmental, hardworking, team-worker, and independent.
• Self-reflective and open to feedback.
• If a new resident comes during her work hours, the caregiver will be required to provide all items that are due to them and ensure to update the same in the stock allocation register on the spot within the same work day.
• Complete observations as per the schedules, structure, and guidelines provided by the organisation and communicate the observations to the shelter Coordinator.
• In case of a crisis, ensure rapid and clear response as per the shelter home crisis approach determined within the response team and carry out instant coordination with the Pehchan Home Coordinator. If additional aid is required, she may also contact the counselors and management.
• During work hours the caregiver will accompany a resident for medical reasons or to drop to a court, if the resident is in need.
• Maintain shelter home records and documentations as per the established system and instructions of the shelter home coordinator.
• Complete the intake of any new resident who may avail the shelter home during her work hours.
• Apart from overseeing the day-to-day activities of the shelter and its residents, the caregiver will be required to display mature, caring, sensitive, non-judgmental, respectful, and empowering behaviour at the shelter home at all times in alignment with Shakti shalini’s commitment to gender equality and individual agency.
• The caregiver will have to coordinate closely with the Coordinator and other caregiver to ensure that entry and exit timings are well matched and the shelter is not left unattended.
• The caregiver must report closely to the shelter home coordinator in all aspects of her work, challenges faced, and decision-making. The caregiver may additionally consult with other members of her team when required.
• The caregiver is encouraged to be part of pan-organisation events, programs, and capacity buildings as far as time permits.

Necessary Skills

• Able to reside nights at the shelter home.
• Good communication skills in Hindi (Reading, Writing, Speaking)
• Basic English communication skills.
• Committed to making an impact at the grassroots level, which includes being patient and accommodating towards the challenges and complexities of working with marginalised communities.
• Able to work with individuals of different age groups and educational levels.
• Able to create an environment that emphasises the principles of equality, critical thinking, dignity, agency, regular awareness and sensitisation, and confidence and self-esteem raising.
• Able to maintain a non-judgmental, empathetic, understanding and respectful approach in all communication with all stakeholders
• Possess a sensitivity towards gender and Gender/Sexual Violence.