BID Specialist at HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

Program: Protection Program

Department: Child Protection

Grade: 6

Reporting to: Child Protection Officer in Liaison with the Protection Program Manager

Duration: 9 months Contract with possibility of renewal subject to availability of funding and performance

JOB SUMMARY

Community Based Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (CB-MHPSS) programming at HIAS includes a focus on individuals, families, and communities. The overall goal of HIAS Community-Based Mental Health Psychosocial Support programming is for forcibly displaced people and vulnerable migrants to have improved mental health and psychosocial well-being helping them to access their rights. This goal may be achieved through three key outcome areas: (1) Family, community, and social structures promote the psychosocial well-being and resilience of women, men, girls and boys;(2) Individuals and communities develop healthy coping mechanisms; and (3) People with mental health and psychosocial problems use appropriate focused care, including referral to specialized care when needed.

HIAS seeks to recruit a Best Interest Determination (BID) Specialist who will carry out program goals and objectives associated with all Child Protection activities. The Specialist will be responsible for the Best Interest Assessment and Determination process for all identified children. This includes children with mental health challenges, which impair their normal functioning.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Overall management of the Best Interest Assessment (BIA) and Best Interest Determination (BID) processes of all identified children and finding durable solutions.
• Work closely with the Child Protection Officer to ensure effective management of the assessment and documentation processes of the Refugee Children.
• Support conducting and follow ups of BIA/ BID interviews for case management.
• Review BIDs & BIAs presented by the Social Workers to ensure they meet the required standards before submission to the BID panel.
• Submit BID cases with findings and make recommendations on a bi- weekly and monthly basis to the Child Protection Officer.
• Present reviewed BIDs, BIAs and Home Visit reports to the Child Protection Officer
• Support and foster inter-partnership coordination on child protection project with UNHCR & other partners
• Coordinate closely with other partners and the District Children’s Officer, ensuring compliance with the Children’s Act of Kenya, and other legal and institutional frameworks, and promote the sustainability of initiatives undertaken.
• Represent the organization at external meetings as may be assigned by the Child Protection Officer
• Be a strong advocate for children’s best interest in all care arrangements and wider discussions affecting children’s welfare.
• Support Organizational compliance to the Child Protection Policy.

Qualifications Requirement

Degree in Law, International Relations, Social work, Gender and Development Studies, Community Development or Counseling Psychology.

Required Knowledge and Experience

• Previous practical experience in the BID process; minimum of 3 years relevant work experience in Child Protection Programs.
• Demonstrate experience in Child rights & protection issues in the Kenyan context including knowledge of international and national legislation and policies.
• Solid knowledge of UNHCR BID Guidelines and Field Handbook for the Implementation of UNHCR BID Guidelines.
• Solid knowledge of Alternative Care in Emergencies toolkit and the Kenya’s National Guidelines on Alternative Care.
• Experience in designing and conducting trainings such as UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Child Protection Policy, Effects and Forms of Child Abuse among others for a variety of actors.
• Strong self-starter with demonstrable ability to adapt to changing program priorities and emergency priorities that may arise.

Required Skills

• Ability to work successfully within deadline requirements.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• Positive attitude towards community work with emphasis on the ability to learn from communities and support participatory, innovative approaches to problem solving.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathetic with all children. 
• Knowledge and skill in Computer Applications
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Ability to work in a demanding and high pressured environment