Overall purpose of the role: 

Under the Supervision of the Protection Officer-Child Protection, the incumbent will assist in the implementation of refugee child protection activities ensuring compliance with relevant child protection standards including children’s participation in activities and decision on issues that affect their lives.  S/he will lead the day-to-day implementation for child protection case management and community engagement activities at the child friendly spaces and within the Kakuma. S/he will directly supervise social workers and a number of child protection community incentive staff.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Project Implementation/Case management:

• Assist in monitoring developments in the implementation of the refugee child protection strategy and ensure congruence with national and international child protection strategies;
• In collaboration with the Protection Officer-CP lead planning and implementation of activities, develop necessary tools to support the child protection implementation including BIA/BID, alternative care arrangements,
• Conduct high quality assessments including best interest assessment/determination for vulnerable children and other children at risk and ensure presentations to the BID Panel;
• Assist in implementation of decisions relating to children made by the BID and psychosocial panels;
• In collaboration with social workers maintain up-to-date individual case files, data and information relating to refugee child protection and progressively generate appropriate periodic reports on trends and activities;
• Liaise with and support partners in refugee child protection through activities such as capacity building, and inform and participate in relevant network and coordination forums;
• Community Engagement and Outreach:
• Conduct sensitization, dialogue and training sessions with the community members in Kakuma refugee camp on child protection issues
• Ensure that Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) are proper managed and all children have equal access to all materials within the CFS
• Facilitate formation of community-based child protection structures (CBPN), Child rights clubs in schools, children parliament and community support groups for children.
• Identify and strengthen Community structures through engaging community leaders, camp management and other stakeholders to ensure that the survivors receive adequate support at the community level.
• Support the in dissemination of relevant information during the Community forums, meetings and campaigns.
• Identify and maintain up to date database of community foster care families and provide ongoing capacity building

Coordination & Partnership

• Maintain and strengthen existing networks through other service providers at the camp level, to ensure that children receive quality complementary services and support both at the agency levels.
• Actively participate in scheduled meetings such as the Case Conferences, BID panels and CP inter-agency meetings.
• Identify new networks to work with to ensure wholesome support to the Children.
• Strengthen existing referral systems and networks of psychosocial service providers, education sectors and law enforcement agencies
• Identify and strengthen linkages with the local authorities to ensure that host community children have equal access to CP interventions

Staff Management:

• Monitor and provide objective feedback related to staff performance, including objective setting, probation & performance evaluations to promote growth and professional development.
• Provide leadership and support to ensure social workers and community incentive staff well-being, i.e. monitor and manage stress management by providing regular opportunities for staff debriefing to address secondary trauma.
• Ensure staff timesheets are done and submitted to HR on time on a monthly basis.

Requirements

Experience and technical competencies:

• At least 2 years of experience working in Child Protection, protection and/or human rights with refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and/or other orphans and vulnerable children; with at least 1-year experience working with refugee children in a camp setting
• Must have technical expertise in case management and psychosocial support to children at risk including Unaccompanied children and separated children (UASCs)
• Experience with conducting best interest assessments (BIA) and Best interest determination (BID)
• Experience in establishing and working with community structures including foster careers, committees, child rights clubs etc
• Knowledge of international and national child protection standards and instruments
• Experience and proven ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent analytical and writing skills; cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with local partners and other stakeholders
• Experience and willingness to work in the field and proficient in the use of computer/email/internet

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in (Law, Human Rights, Social Work or any other Social Sciences)

Language:

• Fluent in written and spoken English and Swahili.

Key stakeholders: Internal & External

• Protection team, DRC Kakuma Staff