Child Protection Officer - PLANESave The Children

• Level 3 - The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have occasional  contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose

• The Child Protection Officer will oversee all child protection activities for children out of school or attending the PLANE FCDO funded education project in Kaduna. S/he will report to the Child Protection Manager.
• S/he is responsible for ensuring quality in Case Management, Psychosocial Support, Community Outreach, and ensuring the establishment accountability system in the non-formal education catch up club approach of the project.
• The post holder will provide ongoing support, mentoring and guidance to the community caseworkers and PSS training for Catch-up-clubs facilitators. 
• S/he will also ensure child protection activities in the project locations are carried out on a timely basis ensuring, the high quality of the response.
• The Child Protection Officer will support community-based child protection systems, project planning and coordination. In most circumstances, the post holder will be expected to mentor and build the capacity of caseworkers, community volunteers and  catch up clubs facilitators on the field.

Key Areas of Accountability

• Develop and coordinate project activities in collaboration with the Child Protection Project Manager and in liaison with implementing partners, communities, government and child protection agencies working;
• Monitor day-to-day activities in programmes to ensure best practice is adhered to in provision of psychosocial support for children, community based response mechanism, case management of children at risk
• Coordinate with the Caseworkers and other relevant technical sectors, to ensure a rapid, proportionate and effective response;
• Work with partners’ caseworkers, child protection and education committee members to ensure that they are addressing child protection concerns within their respective communities;
• Work closely with implementing partners by designing and overseeing the implementation of capacity building programs with parents/stakeholders;
• Introduce case files and follow up report at coordination level with other Child Protection Strategic Work Groups;
• With support from the Child Protection manager, supervise project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against individual performance management work plans).
• With support from the Child Protection manager, prepare and review timely weekly and monthly reports submitted by caseworkers and other volunteers.
• Work with the M & E to ensure links to reporting exist and refer to the M&E framework to build an evidence-base for child protection programming interventions.
• With support from the MEAL team, put in place accountability activities for the project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families are considered in project design.
• Ensure appropriate child friendly spaces, time schedules are tailored to the physical and mental needs of the children based on age group and gender
• Ensure caseworkers are supervised regularly to ensure activities are carried out in line with minimum standard guidelines.
• Consistently maintain and update referral pathway of project locations
• Responsible for technical supervision and training of all case workers working with the UASC.
• Make referrals of the registered children to the Ministry of Human Services where necessary.
• Ensure that children are followed up and receiving proper case management.
• Ensure that cases are prepared for case discussions/ case management meetings

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Other ad hoc tasks as requested by Line Manager.

Skills and Behaviors (our Values in Practice):
Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Actively listens to different perspectives and experiences of stakeholders
• Actively participates in networks to access and contribute to good practice
• Establishes and maintains clear communication and dialogue with disaster and conflict affected people and other stakeholders
• Establishes clear objectives with partners

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency
• Commitment to Save the Children Values
• Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Makes positive statements about work
• Effectively influences others by understanding their interests and showing how they will be met by own preferred solution
• Gives constructive feedback to enhance capabilities and responsibilities to partners and others

Qualifications and Experience
Essential Criteria

• University Degree or equivalent in Social Work, Social Science, Development Studies or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience
• Minimum of four (4) years of work experience in implementing child protection/protection projects.
• Speak fluent English and Hausa languages
• Computer literate.

Desirable Criteria

• High level of personal integrity, commitment and professional responsibility
• Excellent communication skills,
• Team player with strong leadership skills
• Able to be a self-started and work in challenging contexts and fragile environment.