Legal Expert on Child Protection and Child Care Reform, Athens, Greece ( National)

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,

Institutional care is widely understood to be harmful for children. The Convention of the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children all recognise that the ideal setting for a child to grow up in to fulfil their potential and participate as full citizens, is within a family environment that provides a nurturing and loving atmosphere. However, when necessary for the protection of a child to be looked after this should be happening, within a community-based care system which is suitable to meet the child’s individual needs. In addition to the human rights case, there is a strong economic case for choosing family- and community-based care over institutions. The cost of providing family- and community-based care is often less expensive and the social return is much higher.

After decades of evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue, many governments have led reforms to close or transform large-scale institutions and replace them with community and family based alternative care services and put in place family support services to prevent children from being unnecessarily separated from their families. Throughout Europe, significant progress has been made on the development of new child and family services, although continued investment and momentum is required to ensure the reforms are irreversible and no child is left behind.

The child care system in Greece is reliant on the use of long-term residential care. There is limited availability of community-based prevention services and few alternative family-based care services. The length of children’s stay in care is long-term, and in most cases and there is a corresponding tacit social norm that “institutions are a good solution for children.” There are approximately 2,500 children placed in various type of residential institutions throughout Greece, including state-run, NGOs and church or faith-based organizations. Drivers for institutionalization include poverty, lack of community-based prevention and support services, lack of inclusive education, lack of specialized family support and parent training, disability categorization and attitudes.

Over the past few years, Greece has seen new important developments for their child care system. In 2018, a new Law on Foster care and Adoption paved the way for expanded family-based care options, and in late 2019, there were renewed efforts to take forward De-Institutionalization (DI) and community-based care with an initiative to draft a DI national strategy and action plan. While promising, these recent efforts have yet to materialize into a comprehensive child care system that addresses gatekeeping mechanisms, prevention services and response to child abuse and neglect.

The UNICEF Country Office in Greece aims to ensure that the rights of all children in Greece are protected and promoted. This includes ensuring that children in or at risk of institutionalization have improved access to family and community-based care, specialised services, quality, accessible and inclusive services, in the context of a strengthened child protection system. In mid-2020, the UNICEF Country Office in Greece signed an MOU with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to support the process of DI in Greece, including to expand modalities for community-based and alternative care, support transition out of institutional care, and strengthen gatekeeping mechanism. Greece, as one of the major entry points into Europe for refugees and migrants, has received over a million asylum seekers since January 2015, 37% of them children. In the first quarter of 2018, over 3,000 refugee and migrant children arrived in Greece highlighting a 97% increase of child sea arrivals compared to the same period during 2017. As of August 2018, there were an estimated over 60,000 refugee and migrants in Greece including an estimated 23,500 children including 3,280 unaccompanied children (UAC).

How can you make a difference?

The Legal Expert will work in close cooperation with UNICEF, MoLSS Social Policy Expert, EKKA and other relevant counterparts and tasked with:

1. Providing technical support and advice on legal matters related to De-Institutionalisation, Foster Care and other matters related to the protection of children, contributing to strategic discussions and planning.

2. Drafting Ministerial Decisions including within the framework of Law 4538/2018, in close consultation with MoLSA, KKPA, EKKA, MoI, MoJ and other relevant stakeholders.

3. Supporting MoLSA’s Department on legal matters in relevant coordination and other meetings, with other government authorities, NGOs, and international organisations.

4. Supporting the development of a national framework for professional foster care and facilitate the process of its design and implementation.

5. Supporting the UNICEF Country Office in the delivery of legal studies and assessments and provide legal opinions on pieces of legislation relevant to children rights.

Outputs/Deliverables

1. Final draft of Ministerial Decision concerning the establishment of Professional Foster Care (Law 4538/2018) (Due: Month 4-6)

2. Support the assessment of the current legal framework and suggest any necessary additions/amendments for effective implementation of Foster Care Law including but not limited to introduction of different types of foster care (Law 4538/2018) (Due: Month 3)

3. Draft guidelines and secondary legislation issues relevant to Child Protection (Due: ongoing)

4. Note for the records of relevant meetings attended (Due: 1 week after meeting date)

5. Written legal opinions, upon request (Due: 3 days upon request) 6. Monthly reports summarising activities and progress against main duties listed above (Due: last day of each month)

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

• University degree in Law and advanced degree in the same or relevant fields

  • At least 5 years professional experience in legal counseling/legal aid.

  • Fluency in English and Greek is essential.

  • Very good knowledge of the national legal framework regarding Child Protection, Foster Care and Adoption and other related matters.

  • Good knowledge of the legal requirements regarding protection of personal data.

  • Demonstrate ability to draft legal documents including Ministerial Decisions.

  • Ability to work through networking and partnership.

  • Demonstrate ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.

F****or every Child, you demonstrate…

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) 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

Management -Reporting

The consultant will be contracted by UNICEF and s/he will be managed by and report directly to the Child Protection Specialist, and work as part of that Child Protection team. The consultant will provide monthly progress reports to UNICEF (reporting to the Child Protection Specialist). No sensitive case data will be shared with UNICEF or any other actor without prior consent of MoLSA Head of Department.

No duty travel is envisaged for this assignment.

All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.

Equipment

IT Equipment may be provided to the consultant, upon availability, to carry out the deliverables. Interested applicants are expected to have already the necessary IT equipment (lap top, mobile phone).

Timeframe and Payment Schedule

Consultancy fees: Interested applicants are requested to indicate their monthly fee in USD and/or EUR, in line with the duties and responsibilities of the function. UNICEF Office in Greece applies a standard rate for Individual Contractors/Consultants providing technical support to Government Institutions and National Authorities, taking into consideration the professional and academic experience of the incumbent, the functions that the consultant is tasked to carry out, as well as the local labor market (including the salary scale of the public sector). The final rate will be negotiated with the candidate upon recommendation by the selection panel.

Payment schedule: Payment will be made on a monthly basis, based on agreed deliverables and a submission of monthly progress reports to UNICEF by the consultant, upon approval by the direct supervisor. Monthly progress reports will be brief, produced in English and summarize key activities, achievements and challenges faced during the reporting period, priorities for the next reporting period, highlighting any support needs from or recommendations for UNICEF.

Deadlines regarding the deliverables are subject to revision depending on the date of recruitment.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are invited to:

a. complete their UNICEF profile

b. attach latest CV and Motivation Letter (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.htm))

c. Indicate a monthly fee for the aforementioned deliverables (Full time deployment)

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

All regulations for Consultants and Individual Contractors, including General Terms and Conditions, do apply for this contract. 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.

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.