Protection Associate

POSITION SUMMARY:

• HIAS seeks to recruit a Protection Associate who will provide comprehensive protection services to vulnerable refugee populations. The Protection Associate will support HIAS’ protection programs by conducting assessments, case management, referrals, and follow-up to ensure timely and appropriate services for all clients in need. The role will contribute to strengthening HIAS’ overall protection response, addressing risks and vulnerabilities within refugee communities, and supporting the implementation of protection initiatives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Case Management and Direct Support

Assessment

• Open and maintain case files in line with HIAS SOPs and broader protection case management guidelines
• Conduct initial interviews, risk assessments, and vulnerability screening for individuals referred across all subsectors.
• Conduct comprehensive protection assessments, including GBV and child protection risk assessments, and monitor socio-environmental risks affecting vulnerable individuals and households to ensure timely mitigation.
• Conduct one-on-one interviews with adults and children to understand emerging protection concerns, and support safe, confidential, and child-friendly reporting mechanisms for GBV and child protection cases.
• Participate in protection outreach, community dialogues, and awareness-raising activities to strengthen community prevention and response to GBV and child protection violations.

Case Planning:

• Develop individualized case plans, ensuring timely and appropriate service provision, referral, and follow-up.

Referral Pathways:

• Maintain and regularly update a comprehensive service mapping of referral partners (health, legal, shelter, police, specialized MHPSS, etc.) and facilitate safe and confidential referrals.

Documentation:

• Ensure all case data and documentation are handled with strict adherence to confidentiality principles and organizational data protection standards
• Update client information in the data management system and generate periodic analyses to inform program decisions.
• Prepare regular reports on client progress, protection activities, and overall case management interventions.

Thematic Expertise and Program Implementation functions

Gender-Based Violence (GBV):

• Identify and provide post-incident protection services to refugee women and girls who are survivors of GBV, child protection risks, or other forms of trauma.
• Support the running of safe spaces and facilitate psycho-educational sessions focused on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and available services.
• Provide immediate support and crisis intervention to survivors, following the global GBV Guiding Principles (Safety, Confidentiality, Respect, and Non-Discrimination).
• Facilitate referrals of GBV survivors and children at risk to partner agencies and follow up to ensure clients access appropriate external services.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS):

• Review all social and psychological assessment reports and coordinate referrals to the MHPSS department and other internal services as needed.
• Facilitate community-level MHPSS activities, including group support sessions and recreational activities, focused on resilience-building.
• Identify individuals requiring specialized mental health care and facilitate onward referral to clinical professionals.

LGBTQI+ Protection:

• Establish and maintain contact with LGBTQI+ individuals and community focal points to understand specific protection risks and needs (e.g., housing, discrimination, physical safety).
• Provide or coordinate tailored and discrete assistance, ensuring interventions are culturally sensitive and affirm the individual's identity.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Coordination

Reporting:

• Prepare accurate and timely weekly and monthly activity reports, highlighting key protection trends, challenges, and service gaps across all subsectors.
• Monitor GBV, MHPSS, and child protection trends through data collection and analysis, prepare summaries for presentation in psychosocial panels, and implement panel decisions.
• Prepare monthly analyses on key protection concerns, including GBV and child protection trends, to inform programming, referrals, and community awareness

Advocacy:

• Contribute to protection monitoring reports and support advocacy efforts aimed at improving the legal and operational environment for refugees and asylum seekers.
• Strengthen community participation and accountability by working with outreach workers, child protection committees, community leaders, teachers, and partners to identify and support the most vulnerable.
• Identify and support community-based protection interventions aimed at enhancing resilience, safety, and self-reliance among vulnerable women, girls, boys, and families.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community structures, child protection actors, health and legal partners, and other service providers for referrals and collaboration

Training:

• Participate in and, where appropriate, deliver training sessions to community members and partner staff on protection issues, PSEA, etc.
• Support training of HIAS staff and community outreach workers on GBV, child protection, safeguarding, and safe case handling
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, Community Development or Gender and Development Studies
• At least 1- 2 years of working experience in the field of Social Work.
• Experience in working with NGOs involved in humanitarian work will be an added advantage
• Knowledge in UN Convention on the Refugee Act, Prevention and Responses to Sexual Abuse
• Experience in capacity building including facilitation of diversity and inclusion, community-based training and awareness raising
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of Computer Applications
• Ability to work in a demanding and high-pressure environment
• Knowledge of Accountability to Affected Populations is an added advantage
• Knowledge of PSEA and Anti-Fraud.