Child Protection / Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer - ECHO Project at Terre des hommes (Tdh) - 4 Openings

Terre des hommes (Tdh) is the leading Swiss child relief agency. The Foundation has been helping children in need for over 50 years, defending their rights regardless of their race, creed, or political affiliation. In over 30 countries, Tdh protects children against exploitation, and violence, improves children’s and their mother’s health, and provides emergency psychological and material support in humanitarian crises.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Child Protection / Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer - ECHO Project

Locations: MMC, Jere, Monguno & Banki - Borno
Employment Type: Full-time

General Description of the Position

• Reporting to the MHPSS Supervisor, the main purpose of this position is to carry out an array of age and gender-appropriate psychosocial support activities for the most vulnerable and at-risk children, adolescents and caregivers concerning their culture and contextual sensitivities.
• The activities will be well-integrated into the North-eastern Nigerian protection system and humanitarian coordination practices and guidelines. The activities will be carried out in Monguno, MMC, JERE, and Banki LGAs of Borno State areas according to the evolving needs of the project.

Key Responsibilities
Psychosocial Support:

• Conduct specific child-focused activities for psychosocial well-being and building resilience for the most vulnerable and at-risk children and adolescents by ensuring a variety of activities that include active games, sports, expressive/creative activities, life skills, and educational activities.
• Mobilize adolescent boys and girls to launch empowering activities that suit their interests, promote their psychosocial well-being and create an opportunity for their direct social engagement at the community level.
• Conduct emotional group support sessions for caregivers.
• Work with the Community Development Officer to conduct awareness sessions on child protection issues and issues affecting the protection and well-being of children.
• Provide basic counselling sessions to support children and their caregivers to better cope with difficulties, and distress and enhance their resilience.
• Identify vulnerable children and adults in a need of protection or support and conduct referral to the case management team and/or education team as appropriate.
• Establish and maintain positive and efficient relations with target beneficiaries, community members, humanitarian actors and all the other key stakeholders for the successful delivery of PSS interventions.
• Ensure availability of the PSS materials and safe storage and maintenance of the PSS materials.
• Prepare weekly activity schedule, keep record of newly registered beneficiaries, fill beneficiaries daily's attendance lists, and other reports as required by the line manager and ensure accuracy and timely submission.
• Under the guidance of the MHPSS Supervisor, conduct participatory monitoring activities to
• collect beneficiaries' feedback and opinions on the quality and satisfaction of activities.
• Provide supervision, mentorship and guidance to PSS volunteers.
• Perform any other job-related duties as requested by the line manager.

Child Protection:

• Promote inclusion and equal access for every child, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and at-risk children.
• Identify potential cases of children victims and/or at heightened risk of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect and any other child protection concern or threat and report to the Case Worker.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding information and data of beneficiaries at all times.
• Ensure Tdh Child Safeguarding Policy and Child Protection Minimum Standards are mainstreamed through all the programmatic activities.
• Report serious cases of abuse committed against children to the CPEIE Project Manager and/or Tdh CFRM. Strict confidentiality must be respected.

Coordination & Representation:

• Coordinates with other Tdh sectors to ensure implementation of standardized activities and with other departments (programme and support) of Tdh Nigeria as necessary
• Represent Tdh project in fora and meetings held at site level in her/his field of expertise.

Others:

• Fully comply with the Tdh Code of Conduct and ensure the Child Safeguarding Policy is upheld at all times.
• Ensure adherence to Tdh standards and quality requirements in all the project activities.
• Adhere to and ensure the team under her/his responsibility follows Tdh administrative and logistical regulations and procedures.
• The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are not exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project's needs.

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field.
• Training/Certifications in Psychosocial Support (PSS), Child Protection, or Mental Health in humanitarian settings preferred.

Skills and Competencies:

• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of PSS principles and child protection.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to work with diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Counseling Skills: Proficiency in basic counseling techniques.
• Facilitation: Competence in organizing age-appropriate and gender-sensitive activities.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Coordination: Strong organizational skills for coordination with sectors and stakeholders.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Ability to conduct monitoring activities and prepare reports.
• Confidentiality: Commitment to maintaining beneficiary confidentiality.
• Problem-solving: Proactive in identifying challenges and proposing solutions.

Experience Requirements:

• Professional Experience: 2-3 years in PSS or child protection roles within NGOs or humanitarian settings.
• Field Experience: Experience in North-eastern Nigeria or similar contexts preferred.
• Team Supervision: Experience in supervising and mentoring team members.
• Community Engagement: Experience in mobilizing and engaging communities.

Additional Requirements:

• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English and Hausa/Kanuri preferred

Security and Compliance:

• Ensure adherence to Tdh Security Regulations and promptly report any incidents or risks.
• Fully comply with Tdh’s Global Code of Conduct, including safeguarding policies, anti-fraud/corruption policies, and those related to the prevention of financing criminal activities. Systematically report any breaches through the whistle-blowing framework.
• Promote awareness within the Foundation regarding abuse, violence, and related rights, respecting the rights and dignity of children, community members, and staff.
• Commit to Tdh’s risk-management policies, including the Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy on Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Directive on Staff Misconduct, Safety and Security Policy, and Anti-Fraud/Corruption policies.
• Develop a culture of open and informed leadership to reduce the risk of abuse and harm in our work with children and communities.

Application Closing Date
24th May, 2024.