Home based in Catania, Sicilia: Alternative Care Consultant - 220 working days between 15 October 2023 and 15 September 2024 - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, an advocate

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

Support the local alternative care system for unaccompanied and separated children, including promotion of guardianship scheme, in close cooperation with the child protection Institutional actors and the civil society Organizations. In the context of migration and asylum, Italy continues to be a frontline country for arrivals both by sea from the Mediterranean and by land from the so-called Balkan route. The country is at times considered a destination country while many other times as a transit one for all those migrants and refugees who are trying to reach Northern European countries. Refugees and migrants, and in particular children and women travelling alone, continue to undertake dangerous journeys to reach Europe. Additionally, the recent eruption of hostilities in Ukraine generated a new influx of people towards EU countries, including Italy. In 2023, the number of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea and entering Italy doubled compared to 2022; in the reception system, more than 20,000 UASC are registered, being a significant increase compared to 2022. Consistent and increasing land arrivals through the Italy-Slovenia border have also been recorded. The reception capacity in Italy is overstretched, the system is now struggling to accommodate refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied and separated children. Despite efforts from the Italian Government and a solid legal protection framework, critical gaps remain in terms of alignment with international minimum standards, especially when unpredictable and massive flows happen.

The vision of UNICEF operation in Italy in 2023 is to technically support Authorities to ensure compliance with minimum international standards and to provide humanitarian assistance, protection and social inclusion to migrant and refugee children and women on the move by strengthening the child protection, GBV and education and integration systems. By enhancing the capacity of the Italian reception system from arrival to all phases of reception to protect and care the most vulnerable refugee and migrant children, those transitioning to adulthood, and women, UNICEF aims at 1) strengthening the protective environment at disembarkation and transit points by improving access to child protection, GBV and MHPSS services as well as strengthening child-safeguarding and GBV risk mitigation measures within the reception system; 2) promoting and ensuring immediate family and community-based care solutions for unaccompanied and separated children; 3) ensuring that UASC, refugee and migrant adolescents, and women have access to life-saving and life-protecting information; 4) ensuring that UASC, refugee and migrant adolescents and youth have access to skills building and job orientation opportunities that promote early integration; 5) Scaling up actions to counter racism and discrimination.

More information is available in the Child Safeguarding SharePoint and Child Safeguarding FAQs and Updates

Scope of work

Law n. 47/2017 provides the legal framework for the protection and social inclusion of unaccompanied children. It introduces in the Italian system specific provisions to ensure that a legal guardian is nominated by the Juvenile Court for each unaccompanied and separated child, and it recognizes foster care as a priority and most suitable option. Even if it’s recognized as strongly protective and despite the efforts of the Italian Authorities, the inclusion of UASC in the national foster care system and the volunteer guardianship system remain limited and partial in terms of the number and availability of trained foster families and guardians. In this realm, UNICEF also aims at strengthening the capacity of the Italian reception system by diversifying and consolidating Alternative Care pathways and foster care opportunities closely working with key stakeholders such as the CNCA, the Prefectures, the MOI as well as the Juvenile Courts. This is to enhance protection and foster care for the most vulnerable children, including refugee and migrant children, and those transitioning to adulthood, UASC, families, and women who survived/are at risk of gender-based violence. The consultant will further expand sensitization opportunities and networking towards the enhancement of the guardianship and foster care systems for UASC. Under the guidance of the CP Specialist, he/she will contribute to the effective and efficient implementation of the Law n. 47/2017, focusing on guardianship and foster care through raising awareness and sensitization by scouting opportunities for raising awareness and volunteer guardians and foster families recruited. In addition, the consultant will support the piloting of accelerated foster care pathways for UASC that UNICEF is piloting in Lampedusa in coordination with local and national authorities. The consultant will travel regularly to Lampedusa to assess the situation in order to identify bottlenecks and criticalities in implementing expedited foster care, including the identification of vulnerable children, and propose feasible recommendations to overcome the constraints. The consultant will work in close coordination with the Local Juvenile Court, the local Municipalities, the Regional Ombudsperson for Childhood and Adolescence, the Prefecture and the CSOs and IPs currently active in the local context and in community centers. The work will involve regular reporting and monitoring of the activities by the collection of information and regular visits to the main hub of reception like Lampedusa.

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the local institutional stakeholders, CSOs and IPs and UNICEF staff to:

• Promote guardianship through support to the creation of media content and sensitization events open to the public, in cooperation with relevant institutional stakeholders and guardian associations where present;
• Facilitate the cooperation between key stakeholders for the promotion of foster care for UASC;
• Monitor and report on the implementation of foster care procedures when in place by collection of information, regular coordination meetings and field visits where necessary;

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Deadline1- Volunteer Guardianship: Support to sensitization events open to the public, in cooperation with relevant institutional stakeholders, CSOs and guardian associations where present;1-2 per Month - Sensitization events scouted/participated/organized in cooperation with local guardianship officer30 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

2 per Month - Regular meetings with Juvenile Courts, Regional Ombudsman, social services and other relevant institutional stakeholders20 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

2 per Month - Regular coordination meetings and networking events with CSOs involved with guardianship sensitization and support20 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

2- Foster care: children accessing foster care in the implementation of the pilot model developed with STC and CNCA including monitoring, reporting and information collection.6 meetings and communications related to foster care procedures ongoing with implementing partners40 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

4 Trainings to municipalities and social services in 4 different locations in the Sicilian Region40 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

Elaboration of 10 informative materials and reports on foster care procedures20 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

1 per Month - Monitoring and information collection report on CNCA/STC Pilot model for Foster Care20 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

2 per Month - Meetings with IPs and Juvenile Courts, Prefecture, social services and other relevant institutional stakeholders30 working days;

From October 2023 to September 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

220 working days (between 15 October 2023 and 15 September 2024)

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy contract with travels for trainings and local missions to field locations in Sicily. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoices.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Please propose a lumpsum professional fee (in USD) based on 220 working days. Please do not include travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• First university degree (Bachelor) in Psychology, Pedagogical sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Political Sciences or other related disciplines
• At least 3 years of professional experience with refugees and migrants or vulnerable children along with extensive experience in the field of protection is required.
• Proven experience of work with local authorities.
• Proven knowledge of the national context with regards to guardianship, foster care and MHPSS.
• Ability to work through networking and partnership.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.
• Fluency in Italian and English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV, and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and a lumpsum based on 220 working days to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.