Company/Organization Name: 
Cyprus Refugee Council
Comments/description: 

The Cyprus Refugee Council (CyRC) strives to safeguard, support and advocate for the rights of vulnerable groups in Cyprus, promoting their effective integration into the host society. Focusing on refugees, asylum seekers, detainees, trafficking victims and survivors of torture, CyRC works closely with the local society in order to provide quality services at the individual, community and policy level.

Deadline of application: 
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Description: 

The Cyprus Refugee Council is interested to hire a motivated individual for the post of the Child Protection Advisor for the project Strengthening Asylum in Cyprus funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Country Office in Cyprus.

Organizational Context

The Cyprus Refugee Council is a non-governmental, non-profit organization with a focus on refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking victims and survivors of torture. CyRC strives to safeguard, support and advocate for the rights of vulnerable groups in Cyprus as well as promote their effective integration into local society.

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Vacancy – Child Protection Advisor (full-time)                                                                           Major Duties and Responsibilities

1.       Undertake situation analyses and needs assessments of refugee and asylum-seeking girls and boys, including adolescents, on child protection issues ranging from their reception and welfare, schooling, health/psychological care and legal representation, to concerns as regards possible exploitation/abuse and trafficking. A priority in this regard is the situation of unaccompanied and separated children, including children in foster families and in institutional care arrangements

2.       Work closely with UNHCR, the Social Welfare Services, the Asylum Service, Commissioner for the Rights of the Children, NGOs and other state or non-state entities involved in the protection of children, in order to exchange/disseminate best practices, facilitate effective co-operation in identifying and addressing possible gaps.

3.       Carry out frequent visits to the centres where refugee and asylum seeking children reside and home visits, and prepare reports on their conditions, challenges and opportunities and assist with implementing recommendations.

4.       Provide one-on-one and group counselling, advice and information to refugee and asylum-seeking children

5.       Develop training programmes and assist in capacity building for staff and partners in priority thematic areas such as psychosocial support, child separation, age assessment, HIV/Aids, SGBV.

6.       Support and contribute to the drafting of internal guidelines and/or standard operating procedures for various aspects of child protection related issues.

7.       Develop appropriate monitoring and reporting tools on a variety of levels, e.g. formal data collection for advocacy, qualitative measures for progress assessment, information for donor reports, etc.

8.       Represent the organisation in meetings with government officials and other actors, to advocate and promote better care and protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children, to communicate with major partners on policies and to ensure effective coordination and implementation of common standards.

9.       Establish and/or maintain close links with European and international bodies/organizations that carry out policy, research and services on related issues.

10.   Undertake other duties as required.

    Applications MUST include a CV and a cover letter.

    Closing date:  29 August 2019. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

    Required Languages:
    Region:
    Required Qualifications/Skills: 

    Academic Qualifications Required

    1.       University Degree in International Social Work, Social Sciences, Psychology, Anthropology, International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, Law, or other clearly related disciplines.

    2.       Additional training in counselling, crisis intervention, conflict management or related fields will be considered an asset.

    Relevant Experience Required

    • Experience in professional experience in community services, social work, humanitarian affairs, human rights, child protection or related tasks for at least 2 years.
    • Experience in community mobilization and capacity-building.
    • Experience working with vulnerable groups, particularly children and adolescents.
    • Experience working in a multi-cultural and multi-national context.

    Skills required

    • Excellent command of Greek and English language; knowledge of an additional language, such as Arabic or French, would be considered an asset.
    • Excellent writing and drafting skills.
    • Analytical skills: ability to conduct situation analysis, social analysis of risk factors, as well as analysis of the political and economic context.
    • Ability to mobilize resources including within communities of persons of concern.
    • Ability to coordinate various activities and partners, including persons of concern, for an optimal use of resources.
    • Ability to assess training needs and design training modules and deliver training to educate other people.
    • Negotiating skills.
    • Counselling and mentoring skills, both individually and in groups.
    • Communication, inter-personal skills and team work
    • Good computer skills, including excellent use of word processing and spreadsheet software.
    • Car and driving licence is required.