Child Safeguarding and Security Coordinator
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Safety & Security
LOCATION: Nairobi, with frequent travel to all field offices
GRADE: 3
POST TYPE: National
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people
ROLE PURPOSE:
As Child Safeguarding and Security (CSS) Coordinator for the CO, this position will be responsible for ensuring that Save the Children Kenya Programme fulfils our commitment to safeguard children. The holder of the position will be the National CS Focal Point and will support the implementation of Child Safeguarding policy and will co-ordinate closely with Child Safeguarding focal persons in each Area Office and Country office to ensure that Save the Children staff and representatives act in accordance with the policy in both their professional and their personal lives. The job holder will work under the guidance of the Safety & Security Manager with the Safety and Security Focal Points country wide to ensure that all offices are safe and secure for staff and children.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya. In Feb 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own. Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Wajir and we work through partners in many other parts of the country. We employ nearly 300 staff and will have an operating annual budget in 2015 of approximately US$18-20 million.
Reports to: Safety & Security Manager, with a technical reporting line on Child Safeguarding issues to the Director, HR, Admin and IT
Staff directly reporting to this post: None
Key Relationships: child safeguarding and security focal persons in the field.
HR/Admin Coordinator; Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL); Awards Manager; Programme Development & Quality (PDQ) Technical Specialists; Area Programme Managers and Programme Managers
KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Together with the HR Director and Senior Management Team of the Kenya Country Office, ensure that systems, procedures and activities are in place to allow full compliance with the organisation’s five global Essential Standards for Child Safeguarding:
· 11: The SMT is responsible for establishing and managing effective child safeguarding systems.
· 12: Staff receive Child Safeguarding training within 1 month of starting employment with Save the Children, supplemented by on-going local level initiatives to progressively build staff understanding of how to apply child safeguarding in their day to day work. Child Safeguarding refresher training is provided at least every 2 years.
· 13: All child safeguarding concerns, allegations, and incidents are reported, recorded and investigated according to Local or Country procedures, and reach the Country Director or Child Safeguarding Focal Point within 24 hours, and the International Child Safeguarding Director within 48 hours.
· 14: Programs are designed through a child safeguarding lens to prevent any harm by program activities and / or abuse from staff/representatives (including volunteers).
· 15: Offices ensure that activities engaging with children and their carers have informed consent, are non-exploitative and do not increase risk of harm or vulnerability.
1. Providing Overall Support to the Wider Implementation of the Child Safeguarding Policy and Related Documents
l Ensure that all staff and representatives are aware of Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct as well as other related policies/documents such as the Code of Conduct and Whistle-Blowing Policy
l Ensure all new staff have undergone a thorough CS induction, in addition to doing the online CS training. Coordinate and/or implement training and briefing of Child Safeguarding policy to all staff, partners, and other key stakeholders.
l Ensure that staff are aware of their obligatory duty to report and record any incident or suspected safeguarding children concern.
l Work in close collaboration with all departments to ensure that all agreements between Save the Children and Suppliers/Contractors/ Implementing Partners/Volunteers/ Interns/ Consultants or other individuals, groups or organizations who have a formal/contractual relationship to Save the Children include agreement on the Child Safeguarding Policy.
l Arrange for ongoing capacity building of staff in general child safeguarding issues, through formal training, discussion of case studies, refresher sessions, etc.
l Work with programme managers to have CS and related policies translated into appropriate local languages in a context-friendly and child-friendly manner and disseminated to beneficiaries.
l Organise, in liaison with the regional CS Director, for relevant training e.g. training of trainers for new focal persons and Safe Programming for all programme staff.
l Identify and address training needs of staff in relation to keeping children safe.
l Maintain clear records of no of staff, partners and other parties trained in Child Safeguarding.
2. Promoting a Safe Environment for Children
l In collaboration with the Proposal Coordination Officer, Awards staff and relevant PDQ Technical Specialists, participate in proposal development to ensure that programmes are designed through a CS lens. Share materials to guide effective CS considerations during proposal design, and ensure that the review of proposals from a CS perspective is integrated into the proposal development process and associated checklists.
l Work with the Head of MEAL to ensure that MEAL activities incorporate a specific child safeguarding component for monitoring:
(i) child safeguarding risks associated with the design and implementation of the project
(ii) beneficiary (especially children’s) knowledge of the Child Safeguarding Policy and mechanisms for raising concerns/complaints about staff or safeguarding risks
(iii) staff conduct with beneficiaries.
In addition, the job holder will need to work with PDQ and awards at the proposal development stage to help ensure that Programs are designed through a child safeguarding lens
l Work with programme managers/staff to ensure that programmes at operational sites integrate child safeguarding into all activities so as to prevent (or address) a situation where children may be put at risk of harm, abuse or exploitation due to the way the project/programme is designed or implemented.
l Build capacity of partners to carry out a risk assessment when involving children in their activities and programmes to ensure children are not put at risk as a result of our work.
l Proactively promote the need to and methods to prevent and protect children that Save the Children comes into contact with from harm, injury, illness or abuse.
l Work with local Child Safeguarding focal persons to promote the provision of safe environments for children to play and participate in our work, especially in SCI Child-Friendly spaces.
l Facilitate regular opportunities to discuss concerns about practice within teams or with other colleagues to help develop a safe working environment and an open and supportive management culture.
l Ensure that the safeguarding awareness-raising materials are placed in strategic places in all field locations and ensure continuous monitoring/review of the same.
3. Receiving and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns and Complaints
l In liaison with local CS focal persons and community leaders, review an update local Child Safeguarding Reporting Procedures as appropriate to the context and ensure all staff are trained on the same.
l Ensure that all CS concerns and complaints are reported to the Country Director within 24 hours of their occurrence and in line with the CS Policy Standards on Reporting Concerns.
l Ensure that all staff, representatives and staff of partner agencies are made aware of the contact details of their respective focal points for receiving child safeguarding concerns/complaints.
l Provide technical support to all staff to ensure appropriate prompt response to the needs of the child or young person or those who refer or report a safeguarding children concern.
l Make regular visits to all area offices to review CS processes and ensure that focal persons maintain appropriate records of any incident or suspected safeguarding children concern. These records must be shared with the HR Director and the Country Director as they occur.
l Work with programme managers to raise awareness amongst beneficiaries including children, about the Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, complaints mechanisms and how to report concerns
l Maintain overall picture relevant management and statistical information to give a local picture of the extent and nature of reported abuse and exploitation and liaise and share the same with the Country Director, HR Director, Global CS focal person in the East Arica regional office and regional Director of Global Child Safeguarding on a quarterly basis.
l Maintain an overall picture of child safeguarding reports and issues.
4. Safety & Security Focal Person for Nairobi Office
- Carry out security briefings for new staffs and International staffs visiting the SC country offices
- Provide security updates to staffs as and when required
- Receive and disseminate security information to all staff
- As the Safety & Security focal person (SSFP) for Nairobi, s/he will assist the SSM in the daily management of safety and security in Nairobi and will write the weekly District security report for Nairobi
- Collate information from the field offices for purposes of generating security reports
- Regularly update all security documents for Nairobi including movement tracker
- Maintain all safety equipment in Nairobi office and ensure that they are up to date
5. Security Support to Programs
· With the assistance of the Safety and Security Manager, conduct safety and security assessment for field offices to comply to safety and security policy and SOPs
- Assist the Safety and security manager in building the capacity of staff and partners to mitigate threats
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS
Demonstrate and be a role model for our organisational Values:
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:
· 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
6. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
§ University degree in the social/behavioural sciences
§ Minimum 3 years of relevant professional work experience with an international child-focused NGO.
§ 1-2 years’ experience in NGO security management
§ Ideally has general child protection expertise or who has had exposure to child protection initiatives, but at minimum has an interest in this area and shows willingness to develop his/her capacity
§ Demonstrable commitment to the protection of children’s rights, and to the rights of children living poor vulnerable communities.
§ Demonstrable experience of developing communication materials and carrying out social mobilization
§ Effective working relationships with community opinion-leaders, including successful advocacy and influencing.
§ Excellent communication skills (especially in communicating with children) including fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili and strong inter-personal and advisory skills.
§ Must have good facilitation skills
§ Have some child protection knowledge and experience or has an interest in this area and shows willingness to develop his/her capacity
§ Is approachable and trustworthy
§ Is gender sensitive
HOW TO APPLY:
Disclaimer:
Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents
To apply for these positions visit the SCI Kenya Website: https://kenya.savethechildren.net/jobs. The system allows CVs & Cover letter as One(1) document. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. **
