TERMS OF REFERENCE

Psychosocial Support Facilitator

Consultancy to provide structured psychosocial support, wellbeing facilitation and referral services across the cohort

1. Assignment Information

2. Background

Mbuya Graduate Transition Centre (MGTC) is a specialised Business Development Services (BDS) institution in Mbuya, Kampala, supporting graduates to transition from education into employment, entrepreneurship and enterprise growth through an intensive programme built around structured Career Pathways, Innovation Labs, Peer Accountability Groups and applied learning.

The transition from education into work or enterprise can involve significant personal and social pressures, including uncertainty about career direction, financial pressures, family expectations, confidence challenges and difficulties adapting to new professional environments. MGTC therefore integrates participant wellbeing and psychosocial support into the programme to help participants remain engaged, build resilience and navigate transition-related challenges appropriately.

MGTC is seeking an experienced Psychosocial Support Facilitator to provide structured wellbeing support across the cohort, contribute to the Phase 1 Career Guidance and Psychosocial Support component, facilitate group resilience sessions, provide appropriate individual support and ensure that participants requiring specialised services are referred through appropriate professional channels.

3. Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to provide structured, ethical and accessible psychosocial support that strengthens participant wellbeing, resilience and transition readiness throughout the cohort cycle, while ensuring that participants requiring support beyond the programme’s scope are appropriately identified and referred to qualified external services.

The Consultant will contribute to the Phase 1 wellbeing curriculum, facilitate group sessions on resilience and transition confidence, provide individual psychosocial support within the agreed service model, and support appropriate referral and safeguarding processes.

4. Scope of Work

The Consultant will undertake the following responsibilities.

• Co-facilitate the Career Guidance and Psychosocial Support component during Phase 1 alongside the Career Development Facilitator, addressing relevant themes such as transition stress, self-confidence, emotional resilience, coping strategies, relationships and help-seeking.
• Plan and facilitate structured group sessions or coaching circles that help participants develop practical strategies for managing transition-related pressure, building resilience and maintaining healthy participation in the programme.
• The Consultant will work within their professional competence and agreed scope of practice to provide confidential individual support to participants through scheduled appointments and, where agreed within the service model, limited drop-in support.
• Recognise indicators of significant distress, safeguarding concerns, risk of harm or other situations requiring specialised intervention, and respond in accordance with professional standards and MGTC’s safeguarding and referral procedures.
• Where appropriate, the Consultant will escalate concerns through the designated MGTC safeguarding mechanism and/or facilitate referral to qualified external services.
• Maintain an appropriate referral pathway for participants whose needs exceed the scope of programme-based psychosocial support, including referrals to qualified counsellors, psychologists, medical services or other relevant providers.
• The Consultant will support referral follow-up within appropriate professional and confidentiality boundaries.
• Maintain secure and appropriately limited records of individual support and referrals in accordance with applicable professional standards, confidentiality requirements and MGTC procedures. Only anonymised or aggregated information relevant to programme monitoring will be shared with MGTC’s MELQ function.
• Provide anonymised, cohort-level observations on participant wellbeing trends, emerging support needs and relevant recommendations to inform programme delivery, without disclosing identifiable case information except where disclosure is required under applicable safeguarding, legal or professional obligations.
• Coordinate with the Career Development Facilitator on Phase 1 co-delivery and participant support, the Programme Delivery Coordinator on scheduling and logistics, and the MELQ Lead on agreed anonymised wellbeing indicators.

5. Expected Deliverables and Timelines

The Consultant will be assessed against the following deliverables.

6. Reporting and Coordination Arrangements

• The Consultant will submit agreed deliverables to the Programmes Manager and coordinate operationally with the Career Development Facilitator, Programme Delivery Coordinator and MELQ Lead.
• The Consultant retains professional autonomy over individual case handling within their professional scope, applicable ethical standards and MGTC’s safeguarding and referral procedures.
• Individual case information will remain confidential except where disclosure is required by applicable law, professional obligations, safeguarding requirements or an immediate risk-of-harm situation.
• This is a professional consultancy arrangement and does not constitute an employment relationship.

7. Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, counselling, social work, mental health, guidance and counselling or a related field.
• Recognised professional qualification or certification in counselling, psychosocial support or a related practice area.
• Where applicable to the Consultant’s professional practice, current registration or membership with a recognised professional regulatory or professional body.
• At least five years’ relevant professional experience providing counselling, psychosocial support, wellbeing or related services.
• Demonstrated experience providing individual and group support to young adults, graduates, students or other populations experiencing transition-related challenges.
• Demonstrated understanding of professional ethics, confidentiality, safeguarding, referral and appropriate professional boundaries.

      Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in counselling psychology, psychology, social work, mental health or a related field.
• Experience working in education, youth development, employability, livelihoods, NGO or graduate-transition programmes.
• Experience facilitating group sessions on resilience, coping, confidence, wellbeing or life transitions.
• Experience working with referral networks and multidisciplinary support services in Uganda.
• Training in psychological first aid, safeguarding, trauma-informed practice or comparable approaches.

8. Required Competencies

• Psychosocial support and counselling
• Individual support
• Group facilitation
• Risk identification and safeguarding
• Referral and case coordination
• Confidential record management
• Inclusive practice

9. Gender, Inclusion, Safeguarding and Confidentiality

The Consultant will:

• Provide psychosocial support in a gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and disability-inclusive manner.
• Avoid assumptions or discriminatory treatment based on gender, disability, socioeconomic background, academic discipline, career pathway or other personal characteristics.
• Maintain strict confidentiality in accordance with professional standards and MGTC requirements.
• Complete MGTC’s safeguarding orientation and comply with the Code of Conduct and applicable facilitator standards before commencing delivery.
• Follow MGTC’s safeguarding, escalation and referral procedures.
• Immediately escalate situations involving significant risk of harm or safeguarding concerns through the designated mechanisms.
• Work only within the Consultant’s professional competence and refer matters requiring specialised or clinical intervention to appropriately qualified professionals.

10. Payment and Conditions of Engagement

• Given the ongoing nature of this assignment, MGTC will engage the Consultant on a cohort-cycle fee or agreed retainer basis, instead of solely on a session-by-session basis.
• The applicable consultancy fee and payment schedule will be agreed in the consultancy contract based on the agreed level of effort, service availability and deliverables.
• The Consultant will be responsible for their own applicable tax obligations unless otherwise provided for in the consultancy contract.
• No employment relationship is created by this engagement.
• Where required by the Consultant’s professional practice or registration, the Consultant will maintain appropriate professional indemnity or liability cover.
• Materials specifically developed for MGTC under this assignment may be retained, reused and adapted by MGTC for future cohorts. The Consultant retains ownership of pre-existing methodologies, tools and generic professional resources.
• Renewal for subsequent cohorts is not automatic and will depend on programme requirements, performance and mutual agreement.
• MGTC may update these Terms of Reference where necessary to reflect programme or operational requirements. Any material changes to the scope, deliverables, level of effort or fees will be communicated and agreed with the Consultant.

11. Application Requirements

Interested consultants should submit:

• A current CV highlighting relevant psychosocial support, counselling, wellbeing and facilitation experience.
• A brief statement of approach, not exceeding one page, outlining how the applicant would provide psychosocial support within an intensive graduate transition programme. The statement of approach must be original and personally written by the applicant, reflecting their own professional experience and reasoning. Submissions that are substantially AI-generated, generic, or not clearly grounded in the applicant’s own practice will not be considered. MGTC may request applicants to elaborate on or defend their submitted statement during shortlisting or interview.
• Evidence or references from at least two relevant previous assignments involving counselling, psychosocial support, wellbeing, youth support or related services.
• Copies of relevant professional qualifications, certifications and registration/membership documentation, where applicable.
• Proposed professional fee in UGX, indicating the proposed unit of pricing (day, session, module, cohort or retainer), the applicable rate and what is included in the fee. Any additional costs or reimbursable expenses should be clearly stated separately.

• MGTC reserves the right to shortlist candidates based on qualifications, relevant experience, professional standing, demonstrated technical competence, proposed approach and value for money.