Safe Returns: Integrated Protection, Legal and PSS Response for IDPs/Returnees in Ninewa Heartland Alliance International (HAI) proposes a 6-month project that will address the needs of 9836 IDPs and host community members in Ninewa Governorate. This project is intended to be an extension of the current services HAI is providing through the 2017 Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF) standard allocation. The project will address the needs identified by UNHCR, HAI and the Protection Cluster to provide more effective psychosocial support (PSS) and legal services, in cooperation with local authorities, to vulnerable populations in Ninewa (specifically in Qayyarah and Shura). HAI will continue to provide services through mobile teams (which will include a total of six lawyers, three PSS officers, and six protection officers) to maintain flexibility in reaching IDPs in hard to reach areas in the targeted locations (with a focus on out of camp), as well as respond to changing needs on the ground. As a result of the project’s extension, Iraqi IDPs will better understand their basic legal rights and have them protected under Iraqi law, and will be able to more efficiently access psychosocial support (PSS) services. Furthermore, HAI will continue the local level advocacy mechanism it has created through the Ninewa Security Steering Committee. The committee will be engaged through the project implementation to ensure protection issues are brought to high level stakeholders in Ninewa. Safe Returns also directly complements and expands upon HAI’s programming by responding to the immediate protection and PSS needs of IDPs in non-camp settings, and the immediate needs of displaced and specialized mixed populations.

This project specifically addresses the Protection Cluster objectives 1: Provide protection assistance, including community-based support, for highly vulnerable displaced persons living in camp and non-camp settings, thereby enabling them to enjoy their rights objective 2: Provide protection assista nce, including community-based support, for highly vulnerable persons, to facilitate voluntary, safe, non-discriminatory and sustainable returns and objective 4: Provide assistance to vulnerable individuals living in mixed population areas with support to access government social protection systems, and assist with the provision of other specialized protection services.

Through its implementing partner, NCSON, HAI will provide services to all IDPs, prioritizing detained and vulnerable groups, including survivors of human rights abuses, female headed households and those at risk of retribution due to imputed affiliation to ISIL. HAI follows strict guidelines for assuring case confidentiality and utilizes a survivor-centered service model, including for legal protection and PSS services. This approach builds trust between HAI, IDP communities and program participants, and helps HAI access and provide services to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. HAI will implement a client satisfaction survey, provide a hotline number on all printed materials, and a quarterly service provision evaluation to ensure that IDPs have access to, and are satisfied with, the legal and psychological services provided to enable maximum and equal protection under the Iraqi and IKR laws. HAI actively seeks participant feedback to improve policy and practice in programming, ensuring that feedback and complaint mechanisms are streamlined and appropriate to address (communicate, receive, process, respond to and learn from) any alleged breaches in policy or instances of stakeholder dissatisfaction.