Thailand: Caseworker - Bangkok Child Protection Project (Female and Thai Nationality only)

Position: Caseworker

Project: Bangkok Child Protection

ProjectLocation: Bangkok, Thailand

Reports to: Project director, Bangkok Child Protection Project, Bangkok

Starting date: as soon as possibleContract duration: until December 2015 with possible extension depending upon funding availability

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. The organisation was founded in November 1980 and has a presence in over 50 countries. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support of an international office in Rome. The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term wellbeing of refugees and displaced persons, while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. JRS offers opportunities to a wide variety of staff, local and international, while maintaining a realistic and localised scheme of salary/stipend, insurance, etc.

In Thailand, JRS manages six programmes spread throughout urban and rural areas serving refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. JRS Thailand has field offices in Bangkok, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sot (Tak), Ranong, and Wiang Haeng (Chiang Mai). The main areas of work include education, psycho-social services, livelihoods, emergency assistance, advocacy and protection. For more information about JRS in Asia Pacific and Thailand, visit: http://www.jrsap.org

Project Description:

Although half of the world’s refugees live in urban areas such as Bangkok, the vast majority of assistance is focused on refugees living in camps. Guided by Pedro Arrupe’s vision for JRS – to go where no one else is working and serve the most forgotten – JRS Thailand is dedicated to serving, accompanying and advocating for urban refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, particularly the most vulnerable. A response to the significant child protection gap that has emerged in Bangkok in 2014, the Bangkok Child Protection Project is an implementing partnership arrangement with UNHCR Thailand, whereby JRS has undertaken to carry out Best Interest Assessments (BIAs) for unaccompanied and separated children in Bangkok, to provide them with some limited financial assistance and to support them through accompaniment, emergency and casework assistance, including referrals to other services both within and external to JRS, such as psychosocial counselling, legal services and community capacity building. There are estimated to be between 80 and 100 unaccompanied and separated girls and boys living in the urban environment in Bangkok at risk of street homelessness, asylum seekers and others who are not yet ‘persons of concern’ registered with UNHCR in Bangkok. The majority of the girls and boys are from Somalia and Pakistan.

Role:

The Bangkok Child Protection Project Caseworker (BCP Caseworker) serves as frontline staff, conducting best interest assessments and responding to the needs of unaccompanied and separated children who are, UNHCR recognized refugees, asylum seekers and unregistered refugees seeking asylum in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The Caseworker conducts best interest assessments (BIA) to identify vulnerable children in need of support services and works closely with the rest of the BCP Team as well as the JRS Urban Refugee team members including: the URP Caseworkers, Psychosocial Counsellors, and Interpreter staffs.

Responsibilities:

Case Management

• To collect data from unaccompanied and separated children to screen the children in emergency situation, and prioritize them for BIA.
• To conduct best interest assessments (BIAs). Following the BIA template, interview individual unaccompanied and separated children (and occasionally the caregivers or families hosting them) and conduct a home visit to produce the recommendations and case plans.
• To provide financial assistance to unaccompanied and separated children once the BIA process has been initiated and according to JRS-BCP policy and procedures, checking all exceptions or special cases with BCP Project Director.
• To finalize BIA reports by working closely with UNHCR Child Protection Expert to ensure the finalized BIAs benefit unaccompanied and separated children according to international standard.
• To prepare case files and maintains updated progress notes.
• To monitor, facilitate, refer and advocate for options or services to meet the needs of the unaccompanied and separated children according to the case plans.
• To provide information and counseling to unaccompanied and separated children about living in Thailand and personal safety.
• To assist UNHCR by conducting Best Interests Determination (BID), and when necessary, participate in a BID panel
• To refer emergency crisis situations to the BCP Project Director and/or the JRS-URP Team, through the URP Project Director, for appropriate intervention.

Managing the work of JRS at the field level

• To safeguard the vision, identity, and unity of JRS at the project level.
• To know and understand well JRS policies and to implement them at the project level.
• To implement relevant aspects of the project according to the approved proposal and relevant TORs/SOPs with UNHCR Thailand.
• To analyse the needs of the children and to suggest new initiatives to the Project Director and team members

Strengthening Partnerships and Networking

• To build relationships with asylum seekers, refugee and local host communities to increase trust and understanding.
• To maintain strong working relationships with UNHCR, Thai authorities, INGO, CBOs and church groups working on urban refugee issues.

Communication/Reporting

• To communicate regularly with the Project Director, reporting on all major issues and developments in the field.
• To submit monthly activity reports to the Project Director.
• To assist in documenting of BCP financial transactions and send to Project Director by end of the month.
• To develop/complete JRS reports and UNHCR Implementing Partnership reports as required, together with other project team members.
• To participate in regular team meetings.

Qualifications & Experience:

• University degree in social science, development, social work, counselling or related field.
• Strong commitment to serve, accompany and advocate on behalf of urban refugees and asylum seekers.
• At least 2 years’ of direct case work experience working with an NGO or humanitarian agency.
• Female and Thai Nationality only.
• Fluency in spoken and written English & Thai.
• Compatible with the vision-mission of JRS.
• Prudent to maintain professional boundaries.
• Understanding of and empathy with migrant and refugee communities.
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Strong teamwork skills, able to work successfully in a multi-cultural and flexible environment and to handle multiple priorities.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office.
• Willingness to travel to/from sites, and be able to use public transport to/from clients’ residences as needed.
• Interested in working with unaccompanied and separated refugee children in Bangkok

This position offers a localised salary with insurance, health and other benefits. Interested candidates must apply by sending cover letter and CV (including 3 references) and address how they satisfy the criteria described above. This is a advertisement announcement; applicants who have already submitted their information are requested to not resubmit their application. New Applications are to be sent to “***job.bcp_casework@jrs.or.th***” Applications close on 30th June 2015. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.