Child Protection Caseworker - Chakdara

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to displaced communities, forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 27 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC has been working in Pakistan for over 40 years, and manages and delivers large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, protection, environmental health, and livelihoods for displaced, poor, and disaster-affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and is currently present in all four provinces of Pakistan including Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the newly Merged Districts of KP – formerly, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Major Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Area Manager and with technical support from Child Protection Coordinator, the Child Protection Officer will have the responsibility to supervise, coordinate and manage the child protection (CP) activities including Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs), formation of Children Clubs (CCs), developing a referral mechanism/pathways, and capacity building of community-based structures, project staff and persons from COSs & Government Departments on child protection and monitoring, life-skills and CP Case Management. The incumbent will work closely with the communities and children of concern to identify the risks they face and to demonstrate their capacities to better protect themselves, their families and communities. The CPO will provide day to day supervision, guidance and on the job training to field staff and will also be responsible for assisting in tracking project’s progress by regular follow ups to ensure that project’s technical and financial progress is on track. The incumbent will be expected to work in close coordination with the team including Child Protection Coordinator, CFS Supervisors, Community Mobilizers, communities, children, Government representatives and CSOs.

Key of the tasks for the position holder may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervises the implementation of Child Protection activities at the district level ensuring appropriate coordination with all collaborators.
• Ensure that all interventions are in-line with the IRC strategy, and CP Minimum Standards.
• Supervise and provide technical support to Community Mobilizers/ CFS Supervisors by visiting Child Friendly Spaces and field locations on a regular basis, ensuring that activities are implemented in an agreed manner.
• Establish and oversee the referral mechanism (Identification, registration, referral and case closure) for an effective support to the survivors/children at risk
• Guide CFS supervisors in working with children to develop new, creative activities as appropriate.
• Ensures that safeguarding standards are understood and met and ensures a safe and child-friendly atmosphere in the Child Friendly Space.
• Strengthen community-based child protection mechanism in coordination with community-based protection colleagues and organizations.
• Generate and disseminate detailed daily / weekly information regarding activities (children attendance with breakdown by gender and age, activities carried out, issues affecting program delivery, material needs etc.) to the supervisor.
• Work closely with SWD for the deployment and capacity building of case workers and strengthening of CP case management system in accordance with case management SOPs
• Build strong relationships with relevant departments, other government actors as appropriate, and other collaborators, establishing IRC as a key actor in Child Protection.
• Lead awareness raising campaigns for sensitization of communities and collaborators on child protection issues and concerns.
• Ensures the participation of all groups of children, especially children who are most vulnerable.
• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions and implement modifications as required.
• Support field team including Social Mobilizer in conducting parents’ and community meetings.
• Document success stories and lessons.
• Ensures that health and safety regulations are understood and followed, and that health and safety incidents are logged
• Ensures that equipment inventories are up to date and that replacement needs are highlighted.
• Support preparation of requisitions for appropriate project supplies in line with approved budget from time to time.
• Perform any other project related tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Job Requirements:

a) Education:

• University Degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law or other social science field is required.

b) Work Experience:

• Should have a minimum of 5 years field experience in child protection case management programming preferably in emergencies/refugee response.
• Ability to work under pressure in an unstable security environment. Able to handle sensitive information with strict confidentiality.
• Experience in training, capacity building and team building of staff.

c) Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Applied experience in child protection prevention and response in emergencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and implementation of multi-sectorial child protection prevention and response programming.
• Experience managing child protection case management programs, including implementation of best interests procedures.
• Demonstrated understanding of critical issues around child protection data and knowledge of safe and ethical data collection analysis and conducting assessments.
• Flexibility to work in a diverse multicultural team with respect for Pakistani culture and norms.
• Ability and experience coordinating with government and CSOs.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Flexible attitude towards receiving feedback
• Knowledge of MS Office package (word, excel, power point).

d) Language:

• Good written and spoken English and Urdu skills.
• Proficient spoken in local / Pushto language.

e) Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Direct reporting to Area Manager, technical reporting to

Child Protection Coordinator.

• Staff reporting to position: CP case worker
• Position Coordinates With: Child Friendly Space Supervisors, Communities,

Children, Government Departments & Civil Society Organizations including

UNHCR partners.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.
• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Level of interaction with children: Frequent and direct contact with children.
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.