Protection and Inclusion Coordinator

Type of Contract:            Fixed Term (Full Time)

Location:                       Sloviansk

Report to:                       Area Manager

 Line Management:              Protection Officer (Slovyansk Office)

Background

HelpAge International helps older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty so that they can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives. HelpAge in Ukraine has responded to the prolonged armed conflict in the eastern parts of Ukraine since 2014, and offers protection services, homebased care and runs community safe spaces for older people and people with disabilities, affected by the conflict and on both sides of the conflict. The HAI humanitarian response is delivered in the Government Controlled Areas, along the Line-of-Contact, in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.  

HelpAge has its Country Office in Kiev and has two project field offices in Slovyansk and Severodonetsk. The Sloviansk Office is the main field office and supports the Severodonetsk office through the Area Manager and support services team (Finance, Admin, Procurement/logistics). 

Job Purpose

With direct support from the Area Manager, provide leadership on HelpAge Humanitarian Protection & Inclusion activities and strategy.  The Protection & Inclusion Coordinator (PIC) will support the implementation of the HAI protection program for the conflict-affected older people delivered through mainly protection-based interventions in the Government Controlled Areas of the municipalities across the Donbas Region in East Ukraine.  The PIC will also be responsible for the protection programme scheduling, tracking of progress, overseeing the HelpAge Referral Case Management system and providing timely progress reports. The post holder will represent the organisation professionally and positively to enhance and promote the core values and mission of HelpAge, always exercising utmost discretion, diplomacy and tact in beneficiary interactions. 

 Job Content/Key Tasks

Protection and Inclusion (70%):

• Lead on and promote the inclusion of older people agenda with humanitarian agencies and other stakeholders in the local level.
• Facilitate the establishment of defined protection/inclusion activities in the supported project areas in coordination with the Project Officers and the Area Manager. 
• Promote contextualization, development and dissemination of age and disability-sensitive tools and methodologies for humanitarian action at oblast level to relevant sectors and mechanisms;
• Support HelpAge staff capacity development to engage in evidence-based advocacy on Field level.
• Lead and provide capacity building and trainings of the HAI staff, Local and International NGOs, Governmental representatives etc. on the defined protection agenda of older people.
• With the Area Manager develop and support the process and documentation of cases of main protection/inclusion related needs among the most vulnerable older people in the area of operations.
• Develop relevant local policy agenda in consultation/coordination with local social welfare departments, institutions and community based older people managed groups with support from Area Manager.
• Represent HelpAge International in any sector working groups like: protection cluster meetings at field levels and other relevant clusters to ensure that vulnerable older people’s and those with disabilities situation and needs are raised and properly addressed.
• Lead and provide regular ADTWG meetings on Kyiv and Field level (twice per month). 
• Line manage the Slovyansk based Protection Officer.

 Referral Support (30%):

• Ensure that the HelpAge “Referral” mechanism is followed, and that both inward and outward referral support requests are monitored and reported on.
• Participate in inter-agency Referral meetings.
• Working closely with all programme staff must navigate, compromise, and negotiate successful tracking and coordination of referrals.
• Conducting trainings on referral procedures for volunteers and Pas. Providing all necessary technical support. 
• Assemble information concerning beneficiarie’s background and referral needs. Per referral guidelines, provide appropriate information to relevant outside specialists
• Contact review organizations to ensure prior approval requirements are met
• Review details and expectations about the referral with beneficiaries
• Assist beneficiaries in problem solving potential issues related to the health care system, financial or social barriers (e.g., request interpreters as appropriate, transportation services or prescription assistance).
• Identify and utilize cultural and community resources. Establish and maintain relationships with identified service providers. 
• Ensure that referrals are addressed in a timely manner. 
• Line manage the Slovyansk based Protection/Referral Officer.

 Other

• Undertake any other duties assigned by line manager. 

 Personal Specifications

Education 

• University degree in social policy, social sciences, art and humanities, political science or development studies

Skills 

• Excellent team working skills
• Good facilitation and documentation skills
• Good analytical, negotiating and communication skills
• Computer skills, word processing, data management, including internet navigation and various office application
• Ability to distil large amounts of information for a variety of audiences
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish effective working relationships both within and outside the organization

Knowledge and experience

• Extensive experience developing and managing protection programme at field level in emergency contexts 
• Demonstrated community mobilisation experience.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of protection issues in emergency context, including the issues of social marginalisation of vulnerable people.
• Understanding of the humanitarian coordination system, humanitarian principles, the Sphere Standards and humanitarian accountability frameworks.
• Experience of working with humanitarian INGOs/NGOs and UN Agencies, with a thorough understanding of their respective functioning.
• Experience of capacity building with a various range of actors, including at senior level.
• Experience of development and implementation of needs assessment, research and data collection activities, including data analysis.
• An ability to work flexibly in a team, and to adjust work plan and priorities rapidly in response to external opportunities.
• Experience or working knowledge of ageing, disability and the issues facing older people and other vulnerable groups, in particular persons with disability and older people in humanitarian crises.
• Experience of working with partners, especially partner capacity development.
• Excellent representation and networking skills with a variety of stakeholders at different levels.
• Willingness to travel to and work in remote field sites
• Good oral and written communication in English and Russian.
• Experience in advocacy and networking 
• Experience of working in development/emergency field
• Good experience in training development
• Understanding of participatory tools and processes

Safeguarding:

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programs, to anyone that encounters our work;
• Report all safeguarding incidents they see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism;
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices
• Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and comply with HR vetting procedures. 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application by Wednesday, November 03, 2021. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and HAI may contact eligible candidates prior to the deadline for submission as such early application is encouraged.

 Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.