Job Opportunities at HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

he Protection associate will be expected to contribute towards promoting and protecting the rights of persons with specific needs among the refugee community. The Protection associate will also serve as a resource and focal point for HIAS Kenya and implementing partners on technical matters related to Community-based Protection and service provision for urban refugees.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Promote and protect the rights of the most vulnerable refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons
• Offer legal representation on GBV and Child Custody Cases.
• Assist in the development and implementation of the HIAS Kenya program strategy
• Research and development of training curricula and conduct presentations on a need-basis in line with the program goals and objectives
• Follow up on protection cases and provide the forcibly displaced persons with legal counseling and feedback on the status and processing of individual cases.
• Assist in the development of the activity reports and preparation of internal and external project-related reports.
• Assist in the organization and facilitation of Community-Based activities including community empowerment
• Assist in protection mainstreaming by providing insight in protection interventions for vulnerable refugees.
• Participation in protection co-ordination meetings.
• Facilitate the establishment of community-based protection mechanisms and support for vulnerable persons with specific needs
• Ensure ongoing case management and documentation of protection violations
• Produce accurate, detailed, and timely reports highlighting objectives, achievements, and impact on project activities.
• Ensure weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports are analyzed, compiled, and submitted to the Legal Protection Manager for sharing.
• Update protection cases in the Case Management System (CMS)
• Performing other duties as and when required

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Social Work, Gender Studies, Community Development Studies and/or other related fields of study.
• Advocate to the High Court of Kenya is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 1-2 years’ previous job experience related to refugee protection.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with refugees who are PSNs.
• MUST have a demonstrated understanding of key principles of community engagement.
• Good knowledge of human rights and protection mainstreaming principles.
• Training and capacity-building experience, particularly using participatory techniques for training related to refugee protection.
• Knowledge of Accountability to Affected Population.
• Knowledge in PSEA and Anti-Fraud.

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The Child protection associate will assist in providing social interventions and assistance to the most at-risk and vulnerable refugee clients and children. The Associate will be required to conduct assessments and case management, including follow-up to ensure clients and children are receiving appropriate services. The associate will be expected to track the impact of the assistance provided to clients and children.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Identify refugee children who are unaccompanied and separated children and other children in heightened risk of abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
• Prepare Best Interest Determination and Best Interest Assessment reports for refugee children.
• Identify refugee children in need of social support, such as education, financial assistance, medical assistance, birth registration, legal protection, family tracing, and children who require psychosocial support and link them with counselors for timely support.
• Make regular home visits in various locations in Nairobi to assess children's needs and progress and monitor socio-environmental risks faced by refugee children to ensure risk mitigation.
• Assist in outreach and community dialogue activities on issues related to child abuse and children with special needs.
• Make referrals to partner agencies for vulnerable refugee children and follow up with clients to facilitate access to external services.
• Prepare summaries for presentations in the internal HIAS Psychosocial Panel, enter data into the case management database, and give feedback to refugees.
• Monitor impacts of social assistance for vulnerable refugees and children.
• Open files for all clients and ensure that case management complies with HIAS SOPs and other sector standards.
• Mobilize and organize target communities in the respective site office coverage area to form community structures responsible for spearheading child protection activities in accordance with the approved project description and work plan.
• Organize and train established community structures on all child protection, and on national and international child protection legal frameworks.
• Carry out weekly and monthly identification of potential foster parents, assess and train those who meet the criteria in readiness for assigning of foster children.
• In liaison with Child Protection Monitors and Community Outreach workers; conduct awareness and sensitization campaigns in the communities.
• Conduct support groups, committee meetings and participate in community forums/trainings.
• Establish and maintain networks with existing community structures and other partners for referral and networking purposes.
• Conduct a mapping exercise for all sector agencies and link with them for collaboration and support in the provision of child protection services – these will include Area Advisory Councils.
• Provide weekly and monthly reports to the Child Protection Coordinator and other technical officers highlighting individual performance, progress against targets and client needs as instructed by Child Protection Coordinator
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• A University Degree in Social Work, Community Development, Gender and Development Studies or another related area of study.
• At least 1-2 years of working experience in the field of Social Work. Experience working with an NGO that deals with refugees is an added advantage.
• Experience in providing children's activities and supervising a Child-Friendly Space (CFS) will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (PSEA)
• Experience in capacity building including facilitation of community-based training and awareness-raising
• Knowledge of accountability to affected populations