Child Protection 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: Child Protection Officer

Location: Cross Rivers
Employment Type: Full Time

Role Purpose

• The Child Protection Officer (Child Labour) will work to address child labour and forced labour in the cocoa value chain within the Cocoa Producing Communities Ogoja/Ikom, Cross River State.
• One of the main projects addresses child labour in the cocoa value chain, working with other stakeholder to establish a child labour-free zone within the cocoa-producing communities.
• The officer will work to establish the child labour monitoring and remediation system while ensuring that children are removed from harmful work environments and provided with appropriate support and care using the case management model.
• The officer will also work to contribute to building the child protection system in the State with support from the CP coordinator and project manager.

Scope of role

• Reports to: Project Manager /Project Coordinator
• Staff reporting to this post: N/A

Key areas of accountability

• Programme Implementation and Monitoring:
• Conduct assessments to identify children at risk of or engaged in child labour.
• Develop and implement child protection plans for children identified as at risk or engaged in child labour.
• Work with families, communities, and employers to prevent child labour and promote children’s rights.
• Provide support and care to children who have been removed from child labour situations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of child labour cases and interventions.
• Work with the livelihood team in setting up the VSLA and livelihood for children engaged in harmful child labour. 
• Support the Coordinator to conduct child protection assessments using SC assessment processes and tools and the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Resource Toolkit.
• With support from the lead Child Protection Coordinator and/or other senior programme staff, 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
• Build the staff capacity to provide direct and appropriate support services to GBV survivors.
• Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labour and child trafficking.
• With support from the Child Protection Coordinator, supervise project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against individual performance management work plans).
• With support from the lead Child Protection Coordinator and/or other senior programme staff, prepare and review timely monthly reports submitted by partners and SCI Staff.
• With support from the lead Child Protection Coordinator, identify project supplies specific to the programme and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.

Internal and External Engagements:

• Liaise with relevant government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to ensure effective coordination of child protection efforts.
• Develop and deliver training and awareness-raising activities on child labour and child protection for relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate monthly meetings including, parent’s forum and child protection committee.
• Ensure partner staff are supervised regularly to ensure activities are carried out in line with minimum standard guidelines.

Meal:

• With support from the CRM/Accountability Officer put in place accountability activities for your project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design.
• Ensure relevant referral forms are in place and implemented accordingly.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of child protection interventions.
• Oversee and coordinate the development and maintenance of data collection and analysis mechanisms and share timely quality information the relevant sector management

Safeguarding:

• Liaise with Safeguarding focal points in conducting safeguarding risk assessment and develop a mitigation plan when needed and provide ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information on Save the Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct to all project stakeholders.
• Support safeguarding team in carrying out safeguarding risk assessment and develop a mitigation plan when needed.
• Flag safeguarding concerns noticed during programme implementation as well as share good practices identified in the field.
• 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.

Behaviours (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 their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Qualifications

• 3+ years relevant experience of working in Child protection, including report writing.
• Educational qualification: B.SC in Social Work, Social sciences, or its equivalent in any related field of study. 
• Previous experience of project management and implementation of livelihoods component of humanitarian and/or development projects.

Experience and Skills:

• 3+ years relevant experience of working in Child Protection, including report writing.
• Academic qualification in Social work, social sciences or other related fields 
• Previous experience of project management and implementation
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation 
• Experience of training and staff capacity building
• Some experience of representation and ability to represent SC effectively in external forums.
• Knowledge of institutional donors and experience of developing proposals
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication and strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Application Closing Date
24th February, 2025.