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BACKGROUND
The NRC Information, Counseling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programme was established in Jordan in 2013 in order to provide casework and legal assistance to beneficiaries of the Integrated Urban Shelter programme. The objective of this project is to support the renovation of Jordanian housing units in local communities to provide adequate and secure shelter for Syrian refugees. At the same time the ICLA programme provides the refugee families with information and counselling in relation to their rights to registration, legal and civil documentation, housing, and access to essential services as part of a holistic casework/social work approach to beneficiary need.
In 2016 the ICLA programme expanded its beneficiary coverage to non-shelter beneficiaries. It also established new partnerships with local legal aid providers to provide a wider range of legal services, including court representation, and began providing ICLA services in the area of labour law.
The ICLA Jordan programme is one of over 20 ICLA programmes operated by NRC in different conflict and post-conflict contexts around the world. Whilst the context and nature of legal regimes differ enormously in different countries, ICLA has developed a consistent approach to the provision of casework and legal assistance services in line with NRC’s global humanitarian mandate and expertise in certain areas such as Housing, Land and Property (HLP) law and Legal Identity and Civil Documentation. This is best expressed in the ICLA Policy Handbook.
PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY
The purpose of the consultancy is to draft an ICLA Jordan Caseworkers Manual to provide guidance to ICLA staff, and staff of other partner organisations, on best practices in the provision of a combined casework/legal approach to Syrian refugees within the Jordan context.
It is recognised that a strictly legal approach will often be unrealistic and inappropriate in resolving many of the daily challenges and protection issues faced by refugees. Formal legal systems can be slow, expensive, intimidating and inaccessible for refugees who often prefer to resolve their problems outside of formal legal systems for fear of drawing unwanted attention to their situation. Mediation and customary dispute resolution (CDR) is often a preferred means of resolving disputes. It can be faster, cheaper, more familiar to refugees and more likely to produce a negotiated compromise which serves as a ‘win-win’ for both parties.
There are other reasons why a holistic casework/social work approach is often more suitable for problem-solving for refugees. Problems faced by refugees, including family, communal or neighbourhood disputes, often require a non-adversarial, locally brokered approach. Whilst protection issues, such as child abuse or Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases may involve issues of criminal law, an integrated social work/protection-based approach is important in helping victims work through their trauma, making appropriate referrals and advising refugees of their non-legal options. It must be noted that such cases often require professional expertise beyond the role or capacity of the caseworker. Consequently, the role of the caseworkers in such cases will be limited. Finally, many obstacles faced by refugees are bureaucratic and administrative in nature and do not require a lawyer. Instead they require caseworkers who can help refugees with forms and complicated administrative processes, who can accompany refugees to government offices and who can follow-up on referrals. Such services must be provided with empathy and sensitivity for refugees who are often vulnerable, scared and traumatised by past experiences.
Staff within the ICLA Jordan programme come from a range of backgrounds and have a variety of qualifications including legal, social work, administrative, IT, technical and many others. The programme intends to build on these experiences and develop a team of professional caseworkers who are able to utilize a range of skills and approaches to helping refugees resolve problems. Whilst caseworkers cannot be expert in all areas, the aim of the Caseworkers Manual will be to set out the basic information and skills that caseworkers should possess, as well as offering practical tips, guidance and best practice.
Job Details
| Date Posted: | 2016-06-30 |
| Job Location: | Irbid, Jordan |
| Job Role: | Law/Legal |
| Company Industry: | Community/Social Services/and Nonprofit |
Preferred Candidate
| Career Level: | Management |
| Nationality: | Jordan |
| Degree: | Bachelor's degree |
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