Child Protection Counselor ( National Contract)

Aleppo, Syria

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified individual to fill-in the vacancy of Child Protection Counselor to work in Aleppo under employment contract

. Who are we?

DRC has been working in the MENA region since 2003 and is currently one of the few international organizations registered and operating legally in the countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Libya and Jordan. Since 2013, DRC has been operating as the largest INGO responding to the Syrian crisis in Syria and Lebanon and has assisted over 1 million refugees and IDPs a year. DRC has been actively operating in Syria since 2008, mainly supporting refugees. In June 2012, DRC was authorized by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to expand its humanitarian efforts and provide assistance to IDPs and the vulnerable resident population countrywide. Since then, DRC activities have been focused on NFI distributions, Shelter, WASH, Protection, Education, Livelihood and Mine Risk Education in six Governorates (Damascus, Rural Damascus, Dara'a, Aleppo, Hama, and Homs). Protection/community service activities are provided to beneficiaries through 6 Community Centers.

About the job

The social worker is responsible for leading and conducting collective social and recreational activities that are in line with layer two of Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Network (MHPSS). The post holder will lead the planning and coordination with the Child Protection Assistants, officer, and community groups of recreational, life skills and other psychosocial support activities while linking with existing Psychosocial and mental health service providers for referrals of cases needing individual counseling and intervention. The post holder will also support in protection monitoring and conflict analysis, which is led by the protection officer.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the design and facilitation of collective social activities for vulnerable children; ensuring that plans are documented and shared with the team;
• Coordinate with the M&E team, the pre and post monitoring activities and ensure results of these tests are communicated to the team to inform regular planning of activities.
• Lead the team in organizing and implementing awareness raising activities, and coordinating with the Child Protection Officer regarding invitations to ensure participation from representatives of household beneficiaries of SNF and individual beneficiaries of life skill seminars.
• Liaise with government offices and individual consultants and arrange invitations and requests as facilitators or resource persons for some awareness campaigns (reproductive health, parenting skills) Provide group and individual counseling sessions, according to the identified needs;
• Identify and do a preliminary interview of individuals facing protection threats and, with consent, refer them to specialist service providers ensuring that strict confidentiality protocols are maintained.
• Coordinate with the Child Protection Officer to keep an up to date record of persons referred and feedback from organizations about actions taken on referrals, following DRC Standard Operating Principles (SOPs) and ensuring beneficiary data is protected.
• Contribute to developing and maintaining service mapping and referral pathways.
• Report on special needs cases and advise on type of assistance, following discussion with beneficiaries.
• Refer – in coordination with the Protection and/or Legal Officers – protection cases to relevant partners for adequate assistance, and update the database on cases referral and follow up.
• Prepare weekly and monthly reports and submit to protection officer
• Contribute to capacity building of community volunteers or workers, particularly in identifying cases for referrals, managing sensitive protection information.
• Advocate on behalf of beneficiaries, make direct interventions with other actors or other organizations, where appropriate.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values. 

To be successful in this role you must have:

Required

• University degree in any social science, arts, culture or undergraduate degree with demonstrated strong experience
• Minimum two years of relevant professional experience with emphasis on collective social and recreational activities, protection monitoring and assessments of conflict-affected persons
• Familiarity/prior, experience with NGO sector would be an advantage.
• Excellent in MS office computer applications.
• Full respect for client/organization confidentiality.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and respect for people with special needs and other vulnerability.
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a flexible and respectful team player.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and respect for people from diverse communities, and for persons with special needs and other vulnerabilities
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a flexible and respectful team player

Desirable

• Report writing skills.
• Experience of work in the UN or NGO or voluntary sector is preferred but not essential.
• Familiarity/prior experience with DRC and its persons of concern (including internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees) would be a distinct advantage;

We offer

DRC will offer the successful applicant a Six months contract, renewable dependent on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff for the Assistant level.

Application process

Interested? Then apply for this position, go to  https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1036&ProjectId=149641&uiculture=eng&MediaId=5  search for this vacancy and click on "Apply for position".  All applicants should send a cover letter and an updated CV in the same language as the vacancy note. Applications close on 5th November 2017. 

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk

Need further information?

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.ngo