Junior Program Assistant x2 – Mersin

Background

GOAL has been implementing programmes in Turkey since 2016 and has an open-ended registration to operate in the country. GOAL has field offices in Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin and Şanlıurfa with two administrative offices in Ankara and Hatay.

GOAL Turkey benefits from strong relationships with key stakeholders within the country’s national refugee response framework and has established trust within targeted communities. Our contribution to the national refugee response in Turkey has been focused on protection of vulnerable and marginalized refugees. Our current projects mainly target nomadic and semi-nomadic refugee groups and seasonal agricultural workers in Adana, Hatay, Şanlıurfa, Mersin and Gaziantep. In 2020, GOAL reached over 25,000 refugees with protection services.

GOAL in Turkey:

GOAL is currently implementing two projects (ECHO funded LINK and BPRM funded GREEN) in Turkey. The Green program aims to improve the socioeconomic inclusion, resilience and self-sufficiency of highly vulnerable/excluded women and girls from host and refugee communities (Syrians as well as those living in program locations under the international protection regulation) including nomadic communities and seasonal agriculture workers from both communities through integrated and market driven livelihood opportunities and protection services, including language courses and vocational skills training on greenhouse production and agriculture; case management (CM)/coaching services, establishment of a women cooperative, protection outreach, information provision and awareness raising; and provision of special needs and individual protection assistance services. The LINK program targets refugees from nomadic / semi-nomadic backgrounds and those engaged in seasonal agricultural labour. LINK has been designed to address and mitigate protection concerns of the vulnerable / marginalized refugees through provision of critical information and raising their awareness on their rights, obligations and services available in Turkey, by sensitization/advocacy (targeting key stakeholders and service providers, etc.) activities, and Individual Protection Assistance (IPA) services to enable highly vulnerable refugees to access to basic, social and protective services available under the provisions of Temporary and International Protection regulations in Turkey.

Purpose of the Position

Under its LINK program, GOAL Turkey will be offering practicum and opportunities for new graduates and/or students who are in their final year at university and willing to gain practical experiences in refugee protection and social services. GOAL will accept talented new graduates and students from different social work, or law who can make the commitment to do 4 months field assignments.

The purpose of the position is to provide new graduates and/or final year students the opportunity to work in the field to develop and demonstrate skills in refugee protection/social services, to integrate the theories and practices learned in and out of the classroom.

Scope of Work

The proposed program will target 20 social work, and law new graduates or final year students from different universities. The assistants will be introduced to the field of refugee protection/social services that targeting refugees from nomadic and semi-nomadic background and seasonal agricultural laborer. Jr. Assistants will receive ongoing guidance and support from the field supervisor assigned by GOAL for different provinces and will be able to observe and assist LINK protection teams by applying their academic training to the real world and practicing their skills.

Under the overall coordination and supervision of GT Protection and Inclusion Program Coordinator (PICO) and the LINK Deputy Program Managers (DPMs), the assistants will work closely with GOAL LINK field staff to support program beneficiaries within individual protection assistance (IPA), legal protection and counselling, outreach/community work, awareness raising and psychoeducation group sessions, protection monitoring and stakeholder sensitization activities, etc.

Expected Field Learning Areas

Junior Program Assistants will have variety of opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in humanitarian protection/social services field and the development of a sense of identity with its accompanying values and guidelines under which the humanitarian actors operate.

Below are the suggested field learning opportunities, other experiences of particular interest to an assistant can be incorporated into the assistant’s individual learning goals and contract at any time during the placement:

• Orientation to GOAL Turkey — includes staff, facility, office procedures, filing system, types of services provided, GOAL’s place in the refuge protection/social service network, methods of intervention, etc.
• Basic understanding of how generalist refugee protection/social services practices are applied in a specific agency setting.
• Culturally sensitive practice methods with diverse and at-risk refugee populations.
• Gain awareness of refugee protection/social service resources in the field that would enable assistants to become broker between services and beneficiaries to enhance program clients’ functioning and well-being.
• Enhancement of interviewing skills that help to develop working relationships with diverse types of beneficiary and beneficiary groups, to formulate initial and on-going assessments at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels, and to modify relationship styles to fit the client situation.
• Gain experiences in intervention/service plan for actual clients based on Interagency IPA SoPs.
• Increase self-awareness of own intrapersonal and interpersonal attributes that enhance or interfere with refugee protection/social service provider role. Experiences in developing and managing effective interventive relationships — includes opportunities for assistants to observe several staff with their own individual styles of intervention, participation in a variety of helping relationships, and the use of supervision to assist assistants to determine how they can develop an effective working relationship with a variety of beneficiaries.
• Gain experiences in international human rights law, international refugee law, Turkish immigration legislation, temporary protection regulation and rights and obligations of sessional agricultural workers.
• Gain awareness of women’s rights, prevention of violence against women and legal tools against physical, emotional, economical, and sexual violence available for refugees.
• Ability to use supervision in an appropriate manner for continued growth and development.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of helping professionals.
• Development of appropriate documentation skills within the agency setting which are clear, organized, and meet standards for the profession and the particular agency setting.
• Respect for an individual’s worth and dignity and their unique characteristics.
• Importance of advocating for the client with organizations and systems to ensure protection of rights and provision of needed resources.
• Appreciation for professional ethics, especially confidentiality, regarding clients, peers, agencies, and recognition of the individual’s right to self-determination and active participation in the helping process.
• Recording and reporting experience — includes case/action follow ups, case summaries, recordings of interviews, etc.
• Experience in resource/referral management — includes overall orientation to services available to beneficiary population being served by GT; contacts with other agencies providing support services to refugees; scheduled visits to key agencies with whom linkage for beneficiaries is most common; and learning procedures for effective referrals.
• Interaction and assessment experiences — includes, under the GT staff supervision, observing, planning, and conducting interviews for a variety of purposes with diversified beneficiary systems in a variety of places (GT offices, home, school, hospital, etc.).
• Becoming familiar with GT procedures for MEAL — includes designing a plan for evaluating own practice, case progress, and effectiveness of interventions; data collection and analysis and conceptualizing/ developing a system for program evaluation.
• Experience with group work— includes observation and participation in groups sessions such as awareness/information and psychoeducation groups sessions and staff meetings, etc. developing an understanding of group dynamics, processes, and skill in interacting in groups as a member or facilitator.
• Experience in outreach and community activities — includes observation and/or participation in assignments that support understanding of the different refugee communities and refugee protection/social services network, GT’s role in the wider refugee response in Turkey, as well as assignments that draw attention to unmet community needs and provide opportunity for intervention planning.
• Experience in work in cooperation with different teams – includes cooperation between IPA team and PLC or Psychologist, PO team and PLC or Psychologist, IPA team and PO team.

General Structure for Field Practicum

Junior Program Assistants, after their contracts signed and necessary arrangements made for their reception, will start their field assignments in GOAL’s Social Support Centers, either in Mersin, Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, or Şanlıurfa, depending on their application and choice; and spent 4 months in the field concurrently in the same province unless there are extenuating circumstances which necessitate a change.

Once on board, assistants will go through set of inductions as to GOAL’s policies and procedures, including Adult and Child Safeguarding and will receive a 1-day Child and Adult Safeguarding training within first month of their recruitment.

GOAL PICO will be responsible from the coordination and supervision of the program. GOAL DPMs will be responsible coordinating it at provincial levels will line manage the assistants. Day to day field activities of the assistants will be supervised by field instructors (DPMs) assigned by the PICO respectively in each location.

Each assistant required to commit a total 8 documented hours of work a day over the course of their recruitment. GT staff are not required to work during public holiday breaks.

It is very important that each assistant to be aware of and develop individual goals for their field work which are pertinent to personal learning needs and GOAL Turkey’s. As soon as their field placement start, each assistant will develop an individualized learning plan with supports from his/her academic supervisor (for those who are in their final years) and GOAL’s DPMs that includes learning goals, objectives, activities/tasks, and evaluation measures that address areas of professional knowledge and skills in need of development or improvement. Overall performance evaluation of each assistant will be done against the individual learning and workplans that are agreed by the assistants and respective parties.

All assistants will strictly adhere to relevant GOAL policies and procedures along with confidentiality and do no harm principles. Respective policies include but are not limited to Human Resources, Child and Adult Safeguarding, Code of Conduct, Child Protection, Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and other relevant policies.

All assistants will be required to attend a monthly group supervision session lead by PICO and/or DPMs (physically or online) in addition to biweekly individual supervision meetings attended by assistants and field instructors (DPMs).

Job Description and Person Specification for Junior Program Assistants

Role Summary

Junior Program Assistants assist GOAL LINK teams with providing quality protection and social services to refugees including but not limited to i.e., legal counselling and support, individual protection assistance (IPA), outreach/community work and awareness raising, legal sessions and stakeholder sensitization activities, etc.

General Roles

• Work cooperatively with LINK teams and other professionals from a range of organizations to develop services that deliver the best possible outcomes for vulnerable/marginalized individuals and their families.
• Ensure adherence to internationally recognized protection principles, standards, and relevant international and local regulations.
• Ensure adherence with GOAL’s code of conducts and other internal policies i.e., on confidentiality, safeguarding, equality, diversity, and inclusion including the GOAL’s commitments to the protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
• Work with supervisors and peers in harmony to achieve LINK service plans, objectives, and targets.
• Participate in one-to-one performance development reviews/appraisals and contribute to the identification of own development needs.
• Ensure full compliance with the GOAL’s health and safety policy and all locally agreed safe methods of work.

Key Responsibilities

Protection Case Work and Management

• Assist in providing legal counselling, assistance to beneficiaries through both direct and remote support (online or phone).
• Participate in outreach activities and assist in identification of refugees in need of protection and social support.
• Keep track of socio-economical risks faced by refugees through internal tools and forms.
• Study individual cases and support protection teams in identifying possible courses of action following a thorough protection risk analysis, and assist in filling relevant documents, such as comprehensive assessment and action planning and follow up.
• Assist in conducting referrals of clients to partner agencies and facilitate access to external services.
• Monitor to ensure social assistance is reaching out the most vulnerable refugees.
• Ensuring the maintenance and regular update of case databases.
• Provide timely follow-up calls and reminders for beneficiaries as requested by supervisors.
• Research external resources for beneficiaries in respective provinces.
• When and as requested by the DPMs and field supervisors, support LINK teams with establishing and maintaining constructive dialogue with respective stakeholders responsible for social and protection services delivery.
• Assist LINK teams with other project activities as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality in a professional manner.
• Must be able to maintain appropriate beneficiary boundaries.

Community Outreach and Community Activities

• Assist in preparation and conducting of group information and awareness raising sessions on various topics, including child labor, gender-based violence, access to social assistance, health, education, women’s rights and civil registration etc.
• Assist in preparation and conducting of stakeholders’ sensitization activities.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining networks with existing community and other key stakeholders.
• Assist in development, preparation and conducting of community events on special days such as world refugee day, international women’s day, etc.

Protection Legal Counselling/Support Activities

• Support GOAL’s Protection Legal Counsellors with their work routines. This includes:
• Providing face to face or on call legal counselling.
• Supporting and advising IPA team in legal matters.
• Accompaniment of the beneficiaries in police stations, court houses or other relevant public institutions.

Protection Monitoring and Reporting

• Assist in preparation and conducting of data collection activities, such as focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interviews (KII), media monitoring, desk review, etc.
• Assist in data analysis activities.

Reporting

• Provide monthly progress reports based on individualized learning plans.
• Prepare a monthly success story to help making living conditions, protection risks, vulnerabilities and needs of refugees visible for sensitization and advocacy purposes.

Other Duties

• Attend weekly and other relevant team meetings regularly.
• Assist in the organization and facilitation of capacity building activities e.g., workshops, trainings, etc.
• Support the planned documentary and interviews in close collaboration with the beneficiaries.Perform other related duties as assigned.

Behaviors, Rules and Responsibilities that Junior Program Assistants are Expected to Abide.

• Being at an equal distance to all individuals and not discriminating anyone on the basis of religion, language, race, sect, social differences, and gender in relationships.
• Working in harmony with the employees and other Junior Program Assistants of the organization and supporting the teamwork. Notifying the line manager or supervisor when there is a problem with employees or other Junior Program Assistants.
• Acting jointly with GOAL employees in the field and office in finding solutions for all kinds of problems and difficulties encountered during the recruitment.
• Ensuring that no political or religious icons or symbols are carried or worn throughout the employment with GOAL at any event or meeting.
• Not accepting any gifts from the institutions GOAL works with, community members or third parties that have a relationship with GOAL.
• Ensuring to avoid any problems or disruptions caused by Junior Program Assistants in the activities they participate or support; if it happens, informing the respective supervisor about the issue ahead as much early as possible and support in finding solutions.
• Complying with the standards of the organization and the guidance of the professional team the Junior Program Assistants are affiliated with.
• Not sharing information and documents that would put GOAL in a difficult situation on the issues the Junior Program Assistants are not familiar with. Not sharing any posts that would put GOAL under commitment.
• Ensuring not to misuse, copy or store the information obtained about the organization, employees, Junior Program Assistants, or community members; and not share them with any third party or the public.

Requirements

• Turkish Citizenship
• A new (within last 1 year) graduate or final year student studied/studying social services, or law or fresh graduates completed their mandatory attorney internship (for law graduates).
• Fluency in Turkish. Fluency in Arabic, English and/ or another language spoken by our beneficiaries is a strong asset.
• Knowledge and works experiences with computer applications such as MS Excel, and MS Word.
• Good knowledge of human rights doctrine and working experience in counselling.
• Good knowledge of refugee rights including both national and international regulations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact, and diplomacy.
• Previous experience of working for Non-Governmental, Civil Society and/or Humanitarian Organizations in a staff or volunteer capacity.
• Previous experience in working with refugee populations either for work (in a staff or volunteer capacity)or research purposes.
• Previous experience in working with disadvantaged groups either for work (in a staff or volunteer capacity) or research purposes.

Conditions

Junior Program Assistants will be given stipends according to GOAL Policies, if they are not financially supported by any institution or program, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship program. The stipend will be paid on monthly basis for the full duration of the recruitment.

GOAL strives to be an equal opportunities employer. GT is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Accountability within GOAL

Alongside our child and adult safeguarding policy, GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has a set of integrity policies. Any candidate offered a position with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with confidentiality and do no harm principles along with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to Child and Adult safeguarding, Code of Conduct, Child Protection, Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Unacceptable Behavior Protocols, etc.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behavior of a GOAL staff or partner.

Applications

This job description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated. Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. This means that candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.

Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.

Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.

General terms and conditions

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated. Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate, and this may be before the published closing date. We would therefore advise interested applicants to apply as early as possible.

Thank you.