Child Protection Officer

(National Post)

About Concern: Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern has been working in Turkey since August 2013 and currently looking for qualified Child Protection Officer (National Position).

Job Title:                                 Child Protection Officer (National Position)

Location:                                Sanliurfa, Turkey

Reporting line:                       Protection Programme Manager

Working closely with:            MEAL & Programme teams

Job Status:                             Fixed term – 3 Months to September 2019(extendable by 12 months subject to donor approval)

Job Grade:                              D

Job Purpose: The Child Protection Officer is responsible to ensure high quality delivery of the child protection interventions and to guide Concern Worldwide’s Protection team in child protection related matters. This includes day to day decision making and leading the child protection related cases, providing technical support (including capacity building and support to development of materials) to ensure implementation of Child Protection activities including case management and psychosocial support interventions in line with the quality benchmarks, to address issues of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation against children, close liaison with other Non-Governmental Organizations, and local authorities with child protection mandates.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Programme Implementation and Technical Support (50 %)

• Under the guidance of the Protection Programme Manager and in collaboration with the Protection Officers, oversee and guide the quality, timely and effective casework and case management services within a defined child protection service delivery framework
• Technical support and engagement to set-up and implement high-quality child-protection oriented support to children at-risk or already in harmful work, in line with agreed SOPs, tools and quality benchmarks. This also includes providing technical support to the Livelihood and Education Programmes as well as engaging with community structures and external services to ensure basic needs, child protection and protection
• Providing regular inputs from the field regarding child protection risks and threats
• Engagement in the development of a community engagement strategy including community-based models for engaging in prevention and response to child labour.
• Technical support and supervision to protection staff to ensure that community engagement activities identify boys and girls most at risk for protection issues, that safe and ethical referrals are made in a timely manner, that community networks are engaged and that child protection risks and gaps in the community are made visible.
• Support in delivering trainings and other capacity building in the field of child protection (i.e. in PFA, CPiE, and the Inter-Agency Guidelines for Case Management and Child Protection)
• Taking a leading role in child protection awareness raising informative sessions with children and caregivers, including developing and updating content and facilitating the informative sessions
• Ensure service map and referral pathways are up-to-date and functioning in the areas of operation
• Ensure that quality standards, research and global good practise is embedded in all child protection support activities throughout the project. Play an active role in gathering of learnings during the project, to feed into better implementation and any new project design
• Any other reasonable duty as may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and level of responsibility

Monitoring and Reporting (30%)

• In collaboration with MEAL staff, co-lead the monitoring and evaluation of child protection services
• Work in close coordination with MEAL department in regards to monitor the progress in wellbeing of the beneficiaries of case management support activities by using participatory assessment methods such as focus groups, pre-and post-tests, interviews, etc.
• Document lessons learnt and best practices by collecting information and coordinating with the field staff
• Report on a monthly basis to the Protection Programme Manager 
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings, the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct
• Stay abreast of child protection related developments and guidelines, and ensure relevant standards and methods are followed by all relevant staff

Coordination and Representation (20%)

• Participate in working group meetings to ensure holistic support for survivors, including development of referral pathways
• Attend child protection related technical working groups (SECPsWG) and cluster meetings, when requested
• Share information on Concern Worldwide’s activities and intervention as well as success cases and lessons learned on humanitarian response
• Coordinate with national and local actors to strengthen support and information networks
• Support the arrangements of child protection related symposiums and maintain relations with academia on this topic to analyse trends and good practices

Person Specification:

Minimum Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

• At least 3 years of experience in the field of child protection, preferably hands-on social work support to prevent and respond to child labor.
• Education in BSc/BA/BEng level preferably in Psychology, but other fields such as Sociology, Human Rights Law, Social Work, Child Development, International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Development Studies or similar can also be relevant, or equivalent field experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Fluency in English plus fluency in Turkish and/or Arabic required
• Excellent knowledge about the Turkish legal framework and social welfare system, especially in relation to child labor
• Previous experience in complex case management cases and interdisciplinary interventions, with excellent negotiation skills
• Proven excellency in delivering capacity building efforts in the field of child protection, including leading trainings, and willingness to dedicate time to staff and partner development
• Experience of successfully taking on a role of technical supervision and coaching.
• Knowledge of established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection, especially the Inter-Agency Guidelines for Case Management and Child Protection, the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and the IASC MHPSS Guidelines
• Ability to identify the main risks and gaps in child protection in the given context to inform a holistic response for children
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating child protection interventions, with particular focus on community engagement and management of high-risk cases.
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, and diplomacy.
• Able to work independently as well as in team to ensure timely results of high quality
• Capacity and willingness to be flexible in difficult working circumstances.
• Commitment to and understanding of child rights, international human rights and humanitarian law, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Education background of International Human Rights Law, Psychology, Child Development or Social Work
• Knowledge about the Turkish legal framework and social welfare system, especially in relation to child labour
• Good organizational skills and ability to remain calm and work well under pressure
• Commitment to beneficiary accountability and humanitarian ethics

If you feel that your qualifications and experience match our requirements, and you share a commitment to Concern’s values, please send both a covering letter and an up-to-date CV.

Please note, both CV and cover letter should be in English and the role you are applying for set out clearly in the email subject-header

Equal opportunities: Concern values diversity in the workplace and is a committed equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all suitable candidates regardless of gender, race, family or marital status, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, class, caste or religion.

• Please detail the position applied for in the email subject-header
• Please detail the location applied for in the email or subject-header
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview
• Application Closing Date: 26.05.2019

Concern Code of Conduct and its Associated Policies

Concern has an organizational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies.