Child Protection in Emergency Officer at Save the Children Nigeria

At Cavista, our mission is to empower organizations with the world’s best technology solutions. We ensure the highest level of client satisfaction through a global network of innovation, and our software solutions are custom-built to accommodate your domain and requirements.

Through world-class consultation, innovative IT solutions and personalized client services, Cavista increases operational efficiency for organizations of all sizes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Child Protection in Emergency Officer

Job Identification 5845
Location: Ogoja, Cross River
Schedule: Full-Time
Job Category: Programme Operations

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3:  The post 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 country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
• As part of these responsibilities the post holder will support the establishment of child safeguarding systems, promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis.  
• The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Role Purpose

• Save the Children through BPRM funded integrated child protection and education interventions for refugees across Benue and Cross Rivers states will deliver education related assistance to Cameroonian Refugees and host communities’ children within ages 6-17 in the densely populated/concentrated states of Cross River and Benue.
• The goal of this project is increased access to protection services and quality safe learning environments for refugee and host community children impacted by conflict in Cameroon. 
• The Job Holder will be responsible for ensuring that quality child protection services are provided to the population served by the project (mostly vulnerable children and their families).
• In addition, will have their capacities developed to provide these kinds of protection to children in a range of Save the Children’s emergency responses worldwide; and will be expected to support on sectoral assessment, project planning and coordination.
• In most circumstances, the post holder will be expected to mentor and/or build capacity of Youth mentors, community volunteers, PSS facilitators and animators on the field.
• The job holder provides coordination and engagement with relevant Protection stakeholders including Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ministry of Humanity and Social Welfare, Local Government Social Welfare Department (LGSWD) and other relevant State Ministries. The job holder will also be working closely with community leaders, religious leaders as well as community members.
• In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Responsibilities
Programme Implementation:

• Support the Sector Lead to conduct child protection assessments using SC assessment processes and tools and the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Resource Toolkit. Adapt the Assessment Tool as necessary. Coordinate with other SC thematic areas, the national/district Child Protection Working Group and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific, disaggregated analysis of children’s needs.
• With support from the Child Protection Specialist, develop monthly and quarterly plans and costed plans, contributing towards an overall thematic programme plan. From the strategy initiate programming in the following areas as appropriate:
  • Support to the psychosocial (physical, social, emotional) wellbeing of children and their families.
  • Emergency family tracing interventions and alternative care options for unaccompanied and separated children, utilising tools within the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System.
  • Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and gender-based violence (GBV) in project communities.
  • Prevention and response to the main risks for children’s exposure to physical harm.
  • Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labour and child trafficking.
  • Support the integration of cases into CFS and PSS.
  • Support the integration of child protection into other SC emergencies core sectors on the field.
  • Coordinate with the Youth Mentors and other relevant technical sectors, to ensure a rapid, proportionate and effective response.
• With support from the Child Protection Specialist, 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 Specialist, prepare and review timely monthly reports submitted by Volunteers.
• With support from the Child Protection Specialist, identify project supplies specific to the programme needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a phased procurement plan.
• Work with the M & E plan to ensure links to reporting requirements where possible, refer the M&E framework to build an evidence-base for child protection programming interventions.
• With support from the MEAL Officer put in place accountability activities for the project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families are considered in project design.
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and the Sphere standard.
• Ensure appropriate child-friendly spaces time schedules are tailored to the physical and mental needs of the children based on age group and gender.
• Coordinate monthly meetings with child protection committee and others. 
• Provide essential psychosocial first aid support to children and adults when needed.
• Ensure Volunteers are supervised regularly to ensure activities are carried out in line with minimum standard guidelines.
• Consistently maintain referral pathway of project locations.
• Provide technical support to youth mentors on ASRHR and safe families. 
• Maintain a database for all CP activities and update it weekly.

Capacity Building:

• Provide capacity to implementing partners that have less CPiE experience.
• Provide technical support/capacity building to other CP staffs in the absence of CP Specialist.

Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums including the State Child Protection Sub Working Group, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting the coordination of working groups and sub-working groups.
• With support from the CP Specialist and/or other senior programme staff, assist in advocacy activities that target decision-makers in-country.
• In collaboration with the Child Protection team, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant global advocacy objectives.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required.

Collaboration & Representation:

• Represent Save the Children in a professional manner.
• Liaise with other stakeholders, including schools, local leaders, partners and participates in relevant meetings.
• Collaboration with other team members across to ensure synergies and consistency in our programming approaches.
• Represent programming with local government, NGOs, communities and within SC as appropriate.

Qualification and Experience
Essential:

• University Degree or equivalent in Social Work, Social Science, Development Studies or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience. 
• Minimum of four years of work experience in Protection work, supervision, community mobilisation and distributions and solid understanding refugee response.
• Proven ability to supervise a CP project with holistic approach and integrated to child protection right
• Demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of children in the school and community.
• Strong understanding of the contextual situation related to Child Protection.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Proven technical knowledge and skills in the field of participatory development, child participation, education.
• Ability to travel independently, including to rural communities and work long hours.
• Strong verbal and written English skills and in the local language.
• Strong interpersonal skills the ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Strong reporting skills.
• Good computer skills (MS Office, including Outlook for email).
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches. 

Desirable:

• Background in Emergency programing is an asset.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of Cross River/Benue state culture and the diversity of ethnic groups and People of Concern.
• Ability to speak Local languages.

Application Closing Date
8th February, 2024