National Safeguarding Coordinator

[Erbil,Iraq ]

The Organisation
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

ROLE PURPOSE:
The Safeguarding Coordinator ensure that Save the Children’s safeguarding policies standards are effectively applied and upheld in the Iraq CO operations. He/she oversees activities to keep children and adults safe from all forms of abuse and exploitation in all of our work across the country. The Coordinator reinforces our safeguarding awareness, mechanisms and procedures, builds capacity of staff and partners, monitors and strengthens prevention and reporting activities and ensures compliance and accountability to management and donors. The role holder will work in close collaboration with the HR and Country Directors and the Safeguarding Focal Persons located across the offices.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Human Resources and Administraiton Director
Staff reporting to this post: Project-based (Child) Safeguarding and decentralized Safeguarding Focal Persons have a dotted (functional) reporting line to the national Safeguarding Coordinator.
Budget Responsibilities: The Safeguarding Coordinator is not a budget holder but works closely with the different managers to ensure that budget is spent in the interest of safeguarding, i.e. that safeguarding is addressed at all levels within the organisation.

Role Dimensions: The Safeguarding Coordinator plays a support role and frequently interacts with all staff and partners within the country operations (5 ofices), to ensure that the programs implemented are safe for children, adults and staff.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Safeguarding policies and standards are applied throughout the country programme
 Coordinate with the Senior Leadership Team, ensure and monitor the overall implementation of the Safeguarding Framework Policy (including Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Anti-Harassement, Intimidation and Bullying);
 Develop the safeguarding CO Action plan based on the safeguarding protocol assessment
 Ensure effective implementation of and compliance with the local safeguarding procedures and mechanisms; conduct periodic reviews and lead on the implemention of compliance and improvement action plans and activities;
 Ensure all staff members – as well as other SC representatives – are familiar with the the Safeguarding Framework Policy and are informed and empowered on the reporting mechanisms.
 In coordination with HR build a tracker on staff, volunteers and partners who attended the orientation and share with SG managers in monthly basis
 Identify and utilise opportunities to integrate safeguarding approaches into all aspects of work, working effectively with the different departments, teams and technical specialists to achieve this.
 Ensure that concerns reported are followed up safely, effectively and efficiently investigated to the required standards. Ensure reports are updated and closed as appropriate.
 Provide guidance to staff and where needed, personally undertaking Safeguarding investigations, sometimes in challenging environments and to rigorous timescales and standards.
 Ensure that Safeguarding is included in all contracts including partnership agreements and contractors’ agreements and that partners and stakeholders receive orientation.
 Assess partners, sub-contractor Safeguarding capacities and compatibility to SC safeguarding policy and standards, advise on capacity building activities and help build capacity of partners and other external actors as agreed to.
 Develop IEC material on Safeguarding Policy, associated policy guidelines and local procedures within response locations, such as leaflets and posters, including child-friendly material.
 Ensure materials are adequately disseminated to staff, partners and beneficiaries.

Safeguarding Leader and Champion across the country office and externally
 Continously identify potential risks to children in all the project activities including workshops and events and advise teams and SMT on appropriate and effective measures; ensure our focused attention to high risk areas of implementation such as during humanitarian response;
 Provide ongoing high quality support and guidance to the (child) Safeguarding Officers, Coordinators and focal persons in the organization and be accessible directly for all field teams;
 Ensure that a mapping of service providers for children is completed in all operational areas and kept up-to-date by the Focal Persons.
 Ensure all safeguarding concerns, allegations, and incidents are reported, recorded and investigated according our procedures, and reach the Country Director within 24 hours, and the International Child Safeguarding Director within 48 hours, through upload on DATIX. Additionally, provide training for staff on Datix and whistleblowing reporting.
 Ensure all incident follow up investigations are conducted timely and brought to the attention of CD/Senior Management to implement follow up actions;
 In collaboration with the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) team, ensure that the Complaint/Feedback mechanisms are accessible to beneficiaries and children.
 Ensure that all safeguarding concerns are addressed and take necessary mitigation measures in line with the local procedures and in coordination with CD and DHR&A.
 Upon request represent Save the Children externally, engaging with donors and stakeholders.
 Attend project kick-off meetings and ensure that child safeguarding policy is embedded as a mandatory part in the project plan
 Carry out regural analysis for cases and extract trends, gaps and lessons learned.

Safe programming and Safeguarding Practice promoted across the CO programs
 Support PDQ in ensuring that all programming is designed, implemented and monitored with the objective of keeping children and adults safe. Ensure that budget is allocated to specific activities needed to ensure this;
 Support staff, partners and volunteers to take proactive steps to ensure that all project activities are safe for children, ensure staff is able to identify potential risks and actively works to mititage and eliminate those risks;
 Provide specific support to effectively deal with ‘high risk’ factors in Save the Children’s programming, such as the massive use of Incentive Workers/Community Based Volunteers in the areas of operation.
 Act as an ambassador for Safeguarding at all times.

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
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Humanities

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential
 At least 4 years working experience in Child Protection or training in an INGO.
 Fluency in Arabic and Kurdish languages
 Excellent written and verbal communications skills, and an ability to produce good quality documents, information for a variety of audiences and communicate good practices
 Experience in child protection/safeguarding practice in humanitarian setting
 Leadership experience within an INGO or similar other organisation working with vulnerable communities and children or with similar experience within Save the Children.
 Experience of managing as well as undertaking complex child protection/safeguarding investigations and or disciplinary investigations
 Multi-disciplinary experience of working successfully with senior managers in other parts of own/partner’s organisation to deliver major operational change with a track record of delivering results to high standards
 Ability to provide long distance support and establish supportive relationships and networks
 Experience of planning and undertaking training programmes/workshops in protection/ safeguarding at a range of levels (e.g. field workers, managers, senior managers and decision makers)

Desireable
 Excellent influencing skills, including an ability to deal with people at all levels with credibility, tact, and diplomacy
 Experience of a lead role in national advocacy or policy work either in the field of Safeguarding
 Demonstrable commitment to Children’s Rights
 Self-sufficient, proactive self-motivating work styles
 Ability to deliver results against demanding timetables and in the face of competing demands
 Ability to travel and work within challenging environments
 Good knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection, such as the Inter-agency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, IA Case Management Guidelines and others

Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Interested candidates who meet the required criteria, can complete their applications here

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.