Legal Support Officer | Addis Ababa

Main Role

The Legal Support Officer, under the supervision of Safeguarding, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Manager will undertake legal service activities for the client within the project framework. The Legal Support Officer will be engaged in the provision of legal aid service including legal information dissemination, counselling, assistance, and facilitation of representation to the target population. In addition, the officer will take on any additional protection activity as required to meet the project objective.

Report to

Safeguarding, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Manager

Main Duties

• Provide legal counselling to the project beneficiaries and work with the social worker and safeguarding personnel to escort clients to the court.
• Facilitate access to Legal aid service in partnership with Child Justice Project Office to individuals needing legal representation.
• Develop and disseminate IEC materials with key messages on legal rights and procedures and available legal and protection services to the target population.
• Conduct information dissemination on the legal rights and procedures with a focus on issues affecting the target population through group life skill sessions.
• Design and implement standardized legal case management procedure.
• Support protection related advocacy initiatives.
• Keep record of all beneficiary cases and other legal and protection activities both in hard and soft copy.
• Organize capacity building training to internal staff and government stakeholders in collaboration with programmes and safeguarding team on relevant international and national laws and procedures on child abuse and exploitation.
• Maintain and share updated information on international laws, national laws and procedure.
• Carry out activities focusing on legal support according to work plan and allocated budget in accordance with international and national laws and regulations.
• Develop a work plan for the implementation of activities focusing on Legal service provision within the framework of the project.
• Conduct rapid assessment to identify the legal service need and concern of the target population and frame response according to the identified need.
• Prepare and submit progress reports of activities to SMHPSM.
• Keep up to date record of legal cases (both in soft and hard copy) and provide update as needed.
• Capacitate and facilitate the expansion of child friendly benches, look at special measures for vulnerable witnesses.
• Providing legal advice, legal services and education to project beneficiaries and assist them on the court process and advocate for them.
• Provide legal triage, intake and referrals to children in the lighthouse and contact designated police office for reporting.
• Ensure crucial information for client intake is collected and recorded accurately such as how a client can be safely contacted, conflict checks, applying eligibility criteria, providing simple and facilitated referrals and booking interpreters.
•  Ensure that intake is conducted in a culturally safe and welcoming environment for clients and referees
• Ensure Hope for Justice has appropriate identification and primary assessment of children who need legal aid service.
• Engagement in the Case Care Reviews of children with court case, advising social workers/staff on ongoing care and management of these children.

Key Result Areas

•  Safeguarding policy implemented and followed by all staff and HFJ projects keep beneficiaries safe.
• All child cases managed, registered, and documented.
• Children legal need addressed well, and justice served.
• Children received quality & consistent legal aid service.
• Staff and stakeholder received training on international and national legal frameworks

Soft Skills

• Having the ability of active listening
• Being empathy
• Proactive problem solving
• Having experience of victim centered and trauma informed counselling techniques.
• Contributing to team success
• Experience in partnership management
•  Strong skills in working within teams, in groups and individually

Technical Skills

• Experience and familiarity with Ethiopia’s judicial system.
•  Skills in participatory training techniques to a range of professional/non-professional staff
• Language proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft office packages.
• Interpersonal communication and report writing skills.
• Sensitivity to child Safeguarding concerns.

In-depth knowledge on trafficking and modern slavery concepts

Requirement 

• BA in Law
• At least 5 years’ experience working in the legal sector, preferably in a child right and protection context
• Experience working with vulnerable children and families.
• Prior Experience working with children of concern