Senior Child Protection Associate

The Senior Child Protection Associate supports the protection of children of concern by monitoring child protection standards, providing functional support to information management and programme staff, and coordinating protection responses. The role involves implementing Best Interests Procedures, liaising with authorities and partners, and engaging communities to protect children, adolescents, and youth.

Responsibilities

• Support in the formulation of the child protection key considerations in multi-sectoral and protection specific assessments and participate in the assessment teams.
• Participate in the formulation of child protection strategy as part of the operation's broader Protection and Solutions Strategy.
• Ensure compliance with UNHCR's child protection policy, priorities and commitments, as well as other aligned policies on age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP), GBV, gender equality, disability and youth empowerment.
• Support identification of, and the implementation of context-appropriate approaches for meaningful participation of children, adolescents and youth.
• Support the analysis of the national systems and ensure that child protection programmes complement national child protection systems.
• Provide input to Protection Unit and undertake advocacy to address key child protection concerns.
• Support development and implementation of child protection programmes, including multi-sectoral activities, and monitoring framework.
• Conduct Best Interest Procedures for individual children at heightened risks, including BIA, case conferences and BID.
• Oversee Best Interests Procedures for children at risk, including Best Interests Determination Panels and supervision of staff.
• Implement and monitor the application of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for child protection.
• Provide support to UNHCR and partners' case workers to ensure that child protection case files are stored and regularly updated.
• Engage children, youth and communities in the implementation of child protection activities and provide information about child protection services.
• Support partners and communities in strengthening/ establishing community-based child protection programming.
• Support partners and communities in ensuring quality alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children.
• Monitor and support appropriate care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children and referral of children to ICRC or other relevant partners.
• Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards.
• Provide functional guidance to UNHCR and partner staff involved in child protection activities.
• Regularly report on emerging protection issues and assist in drafting reports and preparing data.
• Assist the Child Protection interagency coordination and information management activities.
• Represent UNHCR in interagency fora related to child protection.
• Assist in strengthening strategic and innovative partnerships for Child Protection.
• Provide technical support and monitoring to child protection partners.
• Assist in carrying out learning needs assessment and analysis of findings.
• Contribute to development/ adaption of training packages and co-facilitate training for UNHCR and partners staff, refugee community.
• Identify and document lessons learnt and good practices.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• 4 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of child protection in a local context and having experience in the field of child protection prevention and response, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of women and girls, gender, child protection, mental health, counselling and working with survivors, humanitarian and development issues.
• Skills and experience in interviewing and working with children and families including supervision of child protection case management.
• Knowledge of UNHCR child protection policies and tools including the UNHCR Best Interests Procedures Guidelines, and interagency child protection Minimum Standards, Guiding Principles and GBV case management standards (desirable).
• Knowledge of local child protection laws, policies and services (desirable).
• Knowledge and experience of participatory approaches to engage with and mobilize communities (desirable).
• Understanding of displacement and protection issues including GBV, education and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy (desirable).
• Completed Protection Learning Programme (desirable).
• Experience working with marginalized groups (desirable).
• Knowledge of protection information management tools, including but not limited to proGres and/or CPIMS (desirable).
• For G7 - 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.
• Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Skills

• Child Protection Case Management
• Child Protection Prevention
• Child Protection Response
• Interviewing Children and Families
• Case Management Supervision
• UNHCR Child Protection Policies
• UNHCR Best Interests Procedures
• Interagency Child Protection Standards
• GBV Case Management
• Knowledge of Child Protection Laws
• Participatory Community Engagement
• Displacement and Protection Issues
• Age Gender Diversity policy
• Protection Information Systems
• proGres
• CPIMS+
• Mental Health Counselling
• Working with Survivors
• Empowerment of Women and Girls

Languages

English