Child Protection Officer ( CM & PSS) - Beirut

Background/IRC Summary: The International Rescue Committee is an international organization specializing in Emergency and humanitarian programming existing since 1933 and working in more than 40 countries. In response to the influx of refugees in Lebanon, the IRC started a Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program and a Livelihood program in 2012 with program strategies implemented in various locations. To complement these ongoing programs in 2013 started child protection programming throughout the country. In 2015 Child Protection activities will continue to include: psychosocial support for children and caregivers, life skills for adolescents, and individual case management services. The IRC will also continue to implement specific activities for street and working children. Capacity-building efforts will be strengthened by the continuation of the program of case management coaching program, and more targeted case management and PSS training for local partners.

Job Overview/Summary: The IRC Child Protection program is seeking a Child Protection Officer to ensure the good delivery of Child Protection activities all over Lebanon.

Major Responsibilities: The Child Protection Officer will be responsible for technical support and supervision and will act as a focal point for local program partners. The Child Protection Officer will be supporting the design, set-up monitoring, and evaluation of the program in the North and Bekaa and also in other governorates within the scope of the program, ensuring timely, effective, and quality programming by sharing tools and resources and providing capacity-building support and on-the-job coaching to the child protection staff recruited by IRC and IRC’s local partner. The Child Protection officer will work closely with the Child Protection Specialist and the Child Protection Support Manager, to supervise and monitor the project implementations, and provide the required capacity building to IRC’s partners, and local partners.

Program:

• Support the design, set-up, monitoring, and evaluation of the child protection Psychosocial Support, and Case management activities implemented by IRC CP’Partners in the North and Bekaa.
• Provide capacity-building support, on-the-job coaching, and technical supervision of the Child Protection case management staff of the partner team on the implementation of center-based and mobile outreach psychosocial support activities (including night shifts on a rotational basis depending on the situation) and Case management activities
• Support the development of Psychosocial Support, and Case management tools, resources, and lessons learned of partners in Bekaa and North.
• Develop psychosocial support tools specific to the street and working children, including the development of activity modules in close consultation with the CP  Specialist and CP support Manager.
• Ensure monitoring, evaluation, and accountability tools are utilized and completed accordingly by the Psychosocial Support, and Case management team of the partners.
• Seek opportunities for close coordination and collaboration with IRC programs (i.e. education, Early childhood development, protection and women’s protection and empowerment, MHPSS, Protection) to ensure smooth mainstreaming and integration of Child protection across sectors
• Ensure that all cases of children at risk of or affected by exploitation, abuse, neglect, and violence are immediately supported by the partner's case management team in both areas.
• Support in the planning, organization, and implementation of targeted awareness-raising and advocacy events in close coordination with the CP Managers.
• Monitor the implementation of IRC’s local partner in Bekaa and North through weekly follow-up and monitoring visits.
• Ensure the referring CP team receives the needed services from local partners in Bekaa and North and by other CP agencies and non-CP agencies.
• Write and send out weekly and monthly reports to the CP Specialist and keep the child protection manager informed, promptly.
• Actively participate in all relevant working group meetings as well as bilateral meetings with other agencies once needed and requested.
• Deliver, based on the needs, a set of Training of Trainers (ToT) with the support of the  CP Specialist, to the child protection actors on IRC curriculums.
• Design and Co-design training packages for community stakeholders from different backgrounds (non-CP aid workers, community volunteers, networks, municipal police, camp representatives, etc.…) on different CP topics (child safeguarding, safe identification and referrals, communication with the children, etc.….).
• Mainstream child protection concepts in other humanitarian sectors via training the non-CP actors on the relevant topics.
• Integrate and mainstream child labor component into other sectors to work holistically and comprehensively for the best interest of the child ( other sectors i.e. education, Cash, protection, MHPSS, and livelihood).

Monitoring & Reporting

• Fill out observation checklists whenever conducting field visits.
• Compile weekly and monthly reports of activities.
• Hold case audit and case closure interviews for CP cases under case management at IRC’s partners.
• Attend case reviews, case meetings internally, and case conferences with external agencies.
• Ensure having all M&E tools for PSS activities are in place.
• Follow up and report on referrals.
• Follow up on the case management database.
• Close follow-up on partners’ CP technical capacity progress.
• Close Follow on the Field observations and the PSS facilitators ‘progress.

Staff Management and Development

• Coach, train, and mentor staff to strengthen their technical capacity, exchange knowledge within the team and provide professional development guidance
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including recruiting, communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the CP Specialist to enable and develop the program.
• Comply with IRC policies and practices concerning child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities, and other relevant policies and procedures.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to CP Specialist
• Indirect Reporting: Child Protection Support Manager
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: CP Coordinator, CP manager, M&E   team.
• The position directly supervises: N/A
  • Internal: Other IRC programs in the field
  • External: other NGOs

Job Requirements:

Education: University degree in social science, social work pedagogy, or relevant field

Work Experience:

• BA in Psychology, social work, human rights, or related degree preferred.
• Minimum of two to three years experience in implementing child protection programs preferably psychosocial activities, social work, or case management, in humanitarian or development settings.
• Experience in capacity building, conducting training, on-the-job coaching, and technical supervision.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering Training of Trainers (ToTs) on child protection topics.
• Demonstrated experience in planning and conducting children’s psychosocial support activities.
• Demonstrated experience in child labor and working with children is a mandatory requirement.
• Basic knowledge of working across sectors for Child labor i.e. livelihood and cash coordination, integration, and referrals.
• Knowledgeable or/and experience in Child Protection Case Management and its National SOPs.
• Ability to work on the street supporting psychosocial activities for street and working children.
• Demonstrated understanding of working with children particularly vulnerable children.
• Good communication skills with children particularly vulnerable children.
• Strong drafting and reporting skills.
• Knowledge and experience in using and updating Excel databases.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English.
• Personal qualities: Team player, flexible, able to handle pressure well, and work in cross-cultural settings.
• Staunch advocate of child protection and child rights.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Team player, flexible, network-builder, able to handle pressure, enjoying working in the field Ability to develop partnerships, network, and attend a coordination meeting.
• Good communication skills.

Language Skills:

Fluency in writing and typing in Arabic and English is mandatory.

Certificates or Licenses:

Proficient in Word and Excel

Working Environment: Office work, field trips, and visits to partners.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. By these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.