Safeguarding Manager at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Safeguarding Manager

Job ID.: 7553
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Contract
Job Category: Child Safeguarding
Reports To: Deputy Director Programme Operations.
Grade: NAT 3
Team: Human Resource

Child Safeguarding

Level 3 – The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children or young people and, in the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3 posts in view of potential situations which may allow staff unsupervised access to vulnerable children and young people.

Role Purpose

Save the Children International is committed to strengthening our Child/Adult Safeguarding work in development and humanitarian settings – with robust mechanisms for prevention, disruption and response, offering support to survivors, promoting a child and adult safe environment, and holding those responsible for abuses to account.
Reporting and responding to concerns forms the cornerstone of safeguarding mechanism. The timely and thorough investigation and reporting of Safeguarding concerns raised is a core Key Performance Indicator for the Country Office and is therefore a priority area of accountability for the postholder, and includes actions to ensure survivor care and the capturing of lessons learned from each case.
Under the direct supervision of Country Director, the Safeguarding Manager will oversee the safeguarding framework policy and quality standards implementation of Save the Children International. S/he will be responsible to ensure that quality safeguarding practices are exercised and delivered across all sectors & location of the organization.
This not only encompasses internal aspects of Safeguarding with staff but also all aspects of our programming and advocacy in Nigeria (through partners and project quality).
The Safeguarding Manager will also build the capacity of field safeguarding focal points.

Scope of Role:

Reports to: Country Director
Budget Management: No budget management at the moment.
External Representation: Interpersonal contact varied in both oral and written with the local service providers both at government and other related stakeholders for strengthening legal and psychosocial services on referral systems.
Travel: Frequent monthly travel
Dimensions: Save the Children has been actively working in Nigeria since 2001. We currently operate from 15 field offices in 14 States (Lagos, Adamawa, Cross River, Borno, Biu, Kogi, Oyo, Yobe, Ondo, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Abuja) and presence through partners in a further 6 States (Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi).
Our localisation strategy aims to shift more of Save the Children’s resources and direct operations to our local partners in the years ahead.
Our programme is implemented in various sectors including Food Security & Livelihoods, Nutrition, Education, and Protection, WASH with some Health programming also. We engage in both humanitarian and longer term development work and are developing a Triple Nexus strategy in 2024.
The Nigeria Country Office employs over 550 staff and has an annual operating budget of approximately $50 million in FY24, much of which is focused on the humanitarian response in the North East involving cash/e-vouchers. We work directly with families and communities, foster the participation of children and partner with local organizations, UN bodies, International NGOs and the Nigerian government to deliver results for children

Key Areas of Accountability

S/he will be responsible for strengthening the Nigeria Country Office’s safeguarding systems at all levels, ensuring the effective implementation of standards, reporting, monitoring and sharing the learning and best practices that safeguard our beneficiaries, partners and the organization at large.
S/he will be responsible for ensuring regional and global compliance requirements are met and will provide input and advice to the Country Management Team for leadership decision-making.

S/he will ensure compliance with Save the Children’s global standards and best practices for safeguarding children, employees and adult. This will include:

Establish and update policy, local procedure, workflow and associated policy guideline on preventing harm to children, employees and adult
Ensure a clear and pragmatic reporting and referral system of alleged abuse
Contextualize the policies and procedure under safeguarding framework (CSG, PSEA, Anti-Harassment), guideline, training manuals, publications and related tools with the country local context for staff, beneficiaries and partners.
Improve Safe programming approach across our projects. Support to identify potential risks to children in all project activities and events, working with program teams to plan mitigating measures and assign staff to be responsible for the implementation and action plans
Putting the policy into practice using standard implementation guidelines
Ensure the implementation of safeguarding mainstreamed through program design, monitoring and evaluation.
Ensuring staff, partners, beneficiaries & representatives access to advice and support, communicating “keeping children safe” messages
Ensure the safeguarding policy and implementation standards are understood by key/senior staff and the management system and process incorporate the practice.
Ensure partner organization engagement process incorporate safeguarding requirements: grant agreement on obligation of safeguarding policy implementation, self-assessment on safeguarding and analysis is done.
Ensure partner organizations are implementing the safeguarding policy standards and clear guidance on safeguarding reporting procedure is in place.
Ensure system is in place on reporting, responding and appropriate support is given for senior managers on safeguarding incidents based on the local procedure and global guidance on abuse and exploitation as required.
Develop annual child safeguarding plan and prepare annual report.
Ensure all department activities of the organizations are periodically risk assessed on child safeguarding standard criteria, mitigation plan designed and managed appropriately.
Strengthen focal point representations for the implementation, program visit, regular reporting and monitoring of safeguarding practices.
Strengthen the capacity of focal points on awareness, documentation, risk assessment, recording, reporting, country audit exercise and regular meeting is conducted.
Ensure external and internal representation of the organization is actively participated and technical support is given for partners, regional and global offices as required.
Provide training on Child (CSG) and Adult Safeguarding (PSEA) and Anti-harassment to ensure that all staff understand and comply in their work.
Ensure the child safeguarding implementation plan and cost is reflected in country strategy plan and funding proposals.
Conduct all mandatory induction to complete for all new joining staff.
Lead the investigation of case report and ensure complete implementation of recommendations in Child safeguarding, PSEA and Anti-harassment investigation reports.
Monitor and advise on disciplinary matters in accordance with established policies and procedures and local labour law.

Person Specification
Education:

Minimum Bachelor Degree in Social Science or relevant fields.

Skills and Experience:

At least 6 years’ experience in related field
Strong background and experience with vulnerable children and case management issues, including playing a leading role in investigations.
Ability to communicate sensitive information to a wide and diverse audience.
Strong experience on policy development and procedures for child safeguarding, PSEA and Anti-Harassment.
Strong experience of child-focused programming.
Experience in conducting assessments, monitoring and evaluation, strong analysis and writing report.
Ability to facilitate training to a diverse audience in terms of facilitation skill and language.
Experience in building networks and coordination with other organizations who are working with children.
Strong computer skills, including the use of email, internet and designing/publication.
Ability to influence internal and external audiences at all level of the organisation.
Flexibility and commitment to ensure that concerns are reported and investigated in a timely manner.

Communication and Technical Skills:

Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal.
Excellent personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
Willingness to travel to field offices and work in difficult environment according to travel requirements.

Management:

Strong ability to create an environment which encourages team-working and motivates a team across various geographical areas mainly focal points.

General:

Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation developing effective working relationships to deliver outstanding results for children.
Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
Willingness and capability to comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to health and safety, security, equal opportunities and other relevant policies, including the Child Safeguarding Policy

Behaviours (our Values in Practice):
Accountability:

Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling 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 others to do the same
Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
Values diversity, see 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
Always acts in the best interests of children

Additional job responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

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.

Health and Safety: