Mission and objectivesEstablished shortly after the war in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, the UNICEF Refugee Response Office (RRO) in Poland has been working together with civil society and government partners at the local and central levels to strengthen systems, expand and adapt existing services, support policy development, provide technical expertise and capacity building. Two years on, we continue to work together to ensure refugee children and adolescents in Poland continue learning, families stay healthy and safe, and that best interests of all children, including the most vulnerable, are always prioritized in decision-making.
ContextIn the latest concluding observations for Poland (2021), the Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Poland to ensure a legal and budgetary basis for the child-friendly and multidisciplinary support centres (Barnahus), with the aim of providing facilities for forensic interviews and appropriate therapeutic services for children victims of sexual abuse and exploitation and enhance access to such services for children living in all regions. In Poland, there are several NGO Child Advocacy Centres providing services for children victims of violence, however, despite the significant expertise and experience, these centres are not public institutions and are not state funded, which undermine their sustainability and efficiency. They are also not covering the whole country, leaving children from some areas behind. UNICEF is working to support the efforts of the Government of Poland in the development of the model of multidisciplinary response to violence against children that will be embedded in the public system. At the request of the Ministry of Justice, UNICEF is implementing a multi-country project under the EU Technical Support Instrument โStrengthening the response to violence against children through better informed policies and enhanced institutional capacityโ. The project will contribute to the improved childrenโs safety in Poland and Romania through a strengthened response of the authorities to prevent and combat violence against children. The assignment will contribute to the implementation of the project and will extend the scope of project analysis to the various types of Barnahus and Barnahus-types model services, existing in the selected countries.
Task DescriptionThe UNICEF Refugee Response Office (RRO) in Poland is looking for an online volunteer to conduct a desk review of Barnahus and Barnahus-type model services in selected countries. The Barnahus model refers to multidisciplinary and interagency interventions organised under one roof in a child-friendly setting placing the best interests of the child at the centre. For more information about Barnahus please visit https://barnahus.eu/barnahus/about-barnahus/. The assignment will involve gathering and analyzing data from available resources (including country-level and international reports, mappings, analyses, data sources etc.) on Barnahus model services in at least 3 and maximum 4 countries (in EU and beyond). Based on the desk review, the Online Volunteer is expected to draft a report which will document good practices in short project briefs (max. 3-5 pages per country). The country briefs shall include in particular information on: - legal and budgetary framework of Barnahus model services in the selected country - institutional set-up and location of the services - leading institution and agencies involved - target groups - types of services provided - professionals involved - capacity building for professionals - supervision and monitoring of services provided - evaluation of services delivered or of the modelโ if relevant. The briefs should also give attention to access to services for children from marginalized groups, including children with disabilities, children belonging to minorities and migrant and refugee children. The countries will be selected in consultation the Child Protection Team in UNICEF RRO in Poland and the assignment will be implemented in close cooperation with the team and under the supervision of Child Protection Specialist. Participation in online meetings (up to three) may be required during the assignment.
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