Safeguarding Officer at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Safeguarding Officer

Ref No: 220008SS
Location: Abuja
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Team / Programme: Safeguarding
Post Type: National
Grade: 4
Reports to: Program Manager,
Matrix report: Safeguarding Coordinator
Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Safeguarding

• Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• The overall aim of the role is to support the country programme (humanitarian and development) in promoting and building a ‘Safe Organisation’ and zero tolerance to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of child and adult beneficiaries through awareness raising and beneficiary sensitisation focusing on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) by staff and representatives as well as facilitating confidential reporting of safeguarding and PSEA concerns/incidents through appropriate channels.

Scope of Role:

• Save the Children is committed to ensuring that all children, who have contact with the organisation, are safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from child abuse and sexual exploitation.
• This commitment is implemented through the organisation’s Safeguarding Framework which incorporates the Child Safeguarding Policy; Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) Policy; Anti-Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Policy; and SCI Code of Conduct.
• It applies equally to all beneficiaries irrespective of their age, gender, disability, ethnicity, sexuality, marital status or religion; and is achieved through ensuring that all staff, partners and other representatives are aware of the problem of child abuse and sexual exploitation, the risks to children and their responsibility to ensure children are not harmed or put at risk during programme implementation activities.

Key Areas of Accountability

• Identify and address training needs of staff and stakeholders in humanitarian response in relation to keeping children safe and protecting adults at risk
• Coordinate safeguarding capacity building and mobilise project staff, partners, volunteers and other stakeholders to undergo induction and annual training in Safeguarding, PSEA and Safe Programming training through formal and informal training sessions, webinars, discussion of case studies, quizzes etc.
• Train and support the Safeguarding Focal Points, thematic leads and supporting functions in the fulfilment of their respective safeguarding responsibilities.
• Develop and prepare materials for all safeguarding and Safe Programming related trainings.
• Assist in organising and facilitation of safeguarding induction for newly recruited staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners in the field office.
• Facilitate translation of safeguarding IEC materials to local dialects and lead in the procurement and dissemination of all safeguarding IEC materials produced.
• Develop safeguarding messages for various groups of stakeholders and facilitate publication.
• Conduct safeguarding risk assessment for all sectors, projects, programmes and activities involving children in collaboration with respective leads for such activities.
• Compile partners’ activity documents, analyse partners risk assessment result and support on identified gap.
• Conduct safeguarding proposal risk assessment, design mitigation plan and develop safeguarding financial activity plan.
• Compile and develop monthly safeguarding training data/activity report with coordination of focal points and forward to the Country Office.
• Assist sectors on reviewing of proposals through a child-safety lens to ensure safe program is implemented and coordinate with the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) team during the evaluation processes for the compliance of indicators of safe programming.
• Lead in all aspects of safeguarding investigations of reported child safeguarding, PSEA and unsafe programming incidents/concerns and manage the online reporting system by ensuring that all updates on investigations are up-to-date.
• Organise learning forum on safeguarding best practices at different level – schools and CFS, TLS, BRG etc.
• Provide technical guidance on safeguarding to partners, volunteers, SCI representatives and other key stakeholders including consultants.
• Conduct supervision and monitoring visits to project and construction sites as required.
• Maintain clear records of number of staff, partners, volunteers, contractors, vendors, consultants and other parties trained in safeguarding.
• Support the capturing and sharing of lessons learnt on safeguarding, PSEA and safe programming in across the country’s programme.
• Carry out any other duties either in addition to or instead of those outlined above which may reasonably be required from time to time.

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

Key Areas of Accountability:

• 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:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

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

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Skills & Experience
Administrative & General Skills:
Essential:

• Undergraduate or Masters Degree in Gender, Child Protection, Human Rights, Humanitarian Action, Anthropology, Development, Conflict or related degree
• 2 - 3 years experience in child safeguarding, child protection, PSEA, SGBV or MEAL issues and practice, within humanitarian or insecure settings, including leading or participating in investigations.
• Direct or indirect experience of child protection practice, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
• Knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Nigeria Child Rights Acts, VAPP Act, child protection and GBV policies and practice as well as current issues in relation to safeguarding of beneficiaries in the Nigeria context.
• Good data management, data analysis, computer literacy and excellent documentation and report writing skills in English are a must.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information as well as facilitate training to a wide and diverse audience.

Desirable:

• Ability to foster and maintain strategic alliances across multiple stakeholders;
• Willingness to travel to and work in hard-to-reach areas; Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.
• Experience of assisting in the development of local procedures, SoPs, manuals and guidance on safeguarding, PSEA and Safe Programming.
• Experience on facilitation and coordination of training and workshop.
• Experience in conducting assessment, monitoring and report writing.
• Practical experience in the participation of children on the intervention of program activities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Pidgin.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Competencies and Values:

• Respect, integrity, diversity, commitment to excellence, adaptability, able to perform under stress, innovation, building relationships, communicating effectively, coaching and mentoring, facilitating change, developing teams, initiating action, strategic decision making, planning and organizing, leading through vision and mission and a personal commitment to children’s development and protection.

Application Closing Date
21st December, 2022.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online