Child Protection Officer at Save the Children

Save the Children International Kenya- Mandera Office, has an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as Child Protection Officer. The post holder will responsible for field level implementation of child protection and psychosocial support activities in Mandera. She/he is expected to provide direct counselling services to children identified or referred to Save the Children, community structures and other partners working with sub county children officers and child protection volunteers, conduct capacity building training for programme staffs, community structures and staff from partner agencies at the same time undertake community awareness session on MHPSS and child protection in the community. The officer is tasked with providing guidance and working with the child protection actors, community workers, volunteers and community counsellors. 

The officer may be called upon to support the MHPSS coordinator in the other implementation counties; Wajir, Turkana and Garissa.

Contract Duration: 6 Months

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Programme Delivery

• Facilitate and coordinate provision of professional counselling services for children with protection concerns by conducting play and art therapy, individual and group sessions and work with caregivers to address children concerns
• Conducting relevant training to programme staffs, community structures and staffs from partner agencies.
• Support the MHPSS Coordinator to develop detailed implementation plans; monitor performance against work plan deadlines, ensure accurate data collection on performance indicators.
• Lead the implementation of the counselling KPI’s, including training and provision of ongoing counselling support to the targeted beneficiaries.
• Support in the development of capacity enhancement sessions for the community/lay counselors, conduct and/or supervise trainings for the community structures and volunteers to ensure programming meets quality standards.
• Plan, organize and implement quality community sensitization forums in partnership with the community workers.
• Represent SC in interagency meetings and also playing the role of the child protection focal point person.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team for monitoring and evaluation of programme activities including taking corrective action where necessary; preparation of Counselling reports, documentation of lessons learnt.
• Document programme learning and ensuring it contributes to organizational advocacy.
• Maintain an up to date database on counseling clients.
• Ensure timely implementation of budgeted activities in addition to budget tracking and control.
• Conduct/ensure regular follow-up visits to monitor the rehabilitation and reintegration of clients, and document changes identified.

Partnerships and coordination

• Develop partnerships with child protection and education committees to enhance community participation, ownership and sustainability of programmes by orienting them on the project goals and to solicit their involvement in the implementation of the project
• Collaborate and coordinate with other aid agencies, governmental institutions and community level structures in order to promote community ownership and sustainability of the project initiatives.
• Represent Save the Children in interagency working groups and refugee coordination meetings

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our 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 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

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Good communication skills with fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili
• Graduate degree in counseling or Psychology, with 3 years’ experience working with children is desirable
•  Past experience implementing child protection programmes at officer level and knowledge of community based child protection approaches, preferably including experience in participatory approaches (PRA/PLA) and child participation methodologies is desirable.
• Ability to use a wide range of child counseling methodologies
• Demonstrable ability to adapt to changing programme priorities and emergency priorities that may arise
• Strong self-starter, able to take initiative and adapt to changing circumstances and priorities
• Positive attitude towards community work with emphasis on the ability to learn from communities and support innovative approaches to problem solving
• Registered with the Kenya Counsellors and Psychologist’s Association (KCPA)
• Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Protection Policy.
• Ability to adapt to different cultures
• Experience and skills in management of staff
• Experience in designing and facilitating training sessions and activities for children
• Understanding of the dynamics of the conflict within the East African region.
• Experience of working in an insecure environment.
• Experience in refugee setting and/ or understanding of local language would be an added advantage.

Closing: 21, Nov, 2022