Child Protection ,Education and Health Officer

SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES GHANA is a child welfare organization that provides a stable Family-Like Care (FLC) for children in need. We also provide social services for families at risk through our Family Strengthening Projects. Currently, we operate in four locations; Tema, Asiakwa, Kumasi, Tamale with the National Office in Accra. Applications are invited from suitably qualified and dynamic persons for appointment as:

Child Protection, Education and Health Officer

Duty Post: Kumasi

Position Summary:
The Child Protection, Education and Health Programme Officer is responsible for the timely and quality implementation of the Child protection interventions within Family Strengthening and facilitates access to education and health services for children, young people, caregivers and community in liaison with the services providers, community based partners, development partners and other duty bearers. (S)he works closely with Local Government structures and community based organizations to improve the wellbeing of children and youth to eliminate their vulnerability to violence and rights abuses.
He/she is responsible for facilitating the capacity building of FSP supported families, communities and duty bearers to effectively protect and care for their children sustainably in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers, enabling children who are at risk of losing the care of the families to grown within a caring and healthy family environment. (S)he is mandated to facilitate capacity development of community structures and child protection committees.

Main duties and responsibilities including key tasks:

1.0 Programme Participation

• Actively participate in planning and budgeting processes for Child Protection interventions in the Family Strengthening service of SOS Children’s Villages programme.
• Gather, analyze and document community perspectives and needs on different Child Protection issues to inform Child Protection programming.
• Guide and support the identification and assessment of programme participants.
• Review and recommend programme participants.
• Facilitate the formation and development of Community Child Protection Committees (CCPC) to spearhead the implementation of child protection action.
• Identify local Child Protection partners (formal and informal), support and facilitate them in the implementation of planned activities.
• Facilitate the active participation of children in FS service processes.
• Shall ensure that children, caregivers and members of Community Child Protection structures and community-based partners are aware and have capacity to engage on child protection matters with the aim of preventing and responding effectively to all forms of child abuse as a way of capacity building.
• In liaison with the community-based partner, the child protection officer shall engage communities including children, caregivers, and political, cultural and religious leaders, among others to promote community engagement.
• Facilitate the formation and development of Community health and education support Task Force to spearhead education and health activities;
• Organise and facilitate training of Community health and education Task Force on vulnerability assessment at individual, family and community levels.
• Support Community Task Forces in the identification of programme participants for health and education support.
• Reviewing and submitting to the Admissions Committee the programme participants received from Community Task Forces.
• Facilitate active participation of children in all FSP health and education programmes.
• Facilitate the formation and functioning of community study groups.
• Facilitate the identification and training of community facilitators in Family Development Planning.
• Promote gender mainstreaming in all programme processes.
• Ensure children are protected from all forms of abuse by promoting child protection, wellbeing, and Advocacy safeguarding responsibilities

2.0 Programme Planning, budgeting and implementation

• Provide technical expertise in Child protection.
• Facilitate the community child protection situational analysis.
• Support the community in development of child protection empowerment plan.
• Facilitate the identification of opportunities and mobilization of local resources for the action plan to meet the child protection needs of each household and community.
• Support the preparation of Family Development Plans
• Build capacity of the Community Child Protection Committees.
• Facilitate the formation of family support groups and ensure they function effectively.
• Build capacity of family development planning (FDP) Co-ordinators in Child Protection
• Lead the budgeting on FS programme health and education components
• Support Community Task Force, families and communities in the assessment of root causes leading to child abandonment at family and community levels through use of appropriate participatory tools.
• Support the development of an appropriate action plan to meet the health and education needs of each child, household and community.
• Facilitate the identification of opportunities and mobilization of local resources for the health and education action plan to meet the needs of each child, household and community.
• Support the preparation of individualized health and education support in the family development plans.
• Support the preparation of community development plans in relation to health and education
• Support the programme coordinator in the consolidation of Family Development Plans and preparation of budgets relevant to the attainment of programme’s goal in health and education.
• Facilitate development of emergency preparedness plans related to education and health against potential disruption by disaster.

3.0 Facilitate Children’s access to Essential services

• Ensure families have access to essential services required to fulfil their children’s rights and development needs.
• Organize and facilitate training of children in child rights.
• Facilitate and monitor children’s access to education, health care and nutrition.
• Facilitate and monitor children’s access to vital registration, including birth certificates, national identity cards, etc.
• Ensure necessary attention is given to children of concern through the provision of case management, referral services, material and other psychological supports.
• Undertake monitoring visits to school, tertiary and vocational education Institutions to assess performance of children and young people supported by the program
• Analyse schools challenges and prioritise support which will have the greatest impact on the children and young people
• Facilitate the development of school support projects for quality improvement
• Undertake regular assessment of the class performance of supported children and young people;
• Organise and facilitate motivational talks for school going children and their caregivers;
• Organise career guidance for school going children;
• Undertake regular school visit to ascertain the learning environment for quality access to education
• Promote girl child and women access to education services
• In liaison with community based partners, facilitate the identification of young people for Vocational Training Centre ( VTC) enrolment;
• Facilitate the undertaking training needs assessment of identified young people to ascertain their trade placement;
• Facilitate young people enrolment in vocational training centres;
• Organise training meetings for caregivers in pre-school and after-school child support;
• Facilitate and organise capacity building of education service providers;
• Lobby government scholarship for children and young people on the programme;
• Identify caregivers in need of adult literacy;
• Facilitate programme participants/caregivers access to adult literacy services

4.0 Facilitate Children, Youth & Caregiver’s access to Health services

• Identify children and caregivers in need of health support;
• Facilitate programme participant access to child immunisation;
• Organise regular nutritional assessment of children on the programme;
• Organise nutritional training sessions for caregivers and children on the programme;
• Organise medical and supplementary nutritional support for malnourished children;
• Facilitate home based care support for programme participants in need;
• Facilitate children and caregivers access to ART/TB treatment services;
• Facilitate formation of child and adult support groups for children and caregivers living with terminally disease;
• Organise training of community home based care support groups;
• Facilitate the equipment of the CHBC groups with essential first aid kits;
• Organise capacity building CHBC support to support groups for self-reliance;
• Link CHBC groups to other support networks and institutions;
• Lobby government medical schemes for children, young people and caregivers on the programme;
• Organise psychosocial counselling to children and caregivers in need of it;
• Organise HIV and AIDS awareness creation campaigns among the supported households and programme catchment communities;

5.0 Networking and Partnerships

• Facilitate stakeholder analysis within the programme, maintaining and updating stakeholders’ profiles.
• Collaborate with community development structures, other NGOs and government departments for effective health and education service delivery to programme participants.
• Support functionality and sustainability of community based education and health networks on support for vulnerable children and other relevant development initiatives.
• Represent the FSP on education and health related fora.
• Identifying opportunities for children in need of health and education support partnerships within the programme Area;

6.0 Monitoring and Evaluation
• Facilitate participatory monitoring and evaluation of the programme interventions in Child protection, health and education.
• Facilitate regular child protection, health and education related data collection through appropriate monitoring tools on programme interventions.
• Organize and facilitate regular project reviews and case conferencing with child protection committees and other service providers on Family Strengthening.
• In liaison with the community-based partner, carry out regular home visits to families on the programme and write home visit reports.
• Carry out regular visits to CBPs, family support groups and other partners in the respective community for timely and relevant child protection, health and education programme support.
• Facilitate sharing of best practice amongst family groups, community based partners and other partners.

7.0 Reporting, Resource Management and documentation

• Shall prepare and submit timely, accurate, compliant and quality progress reports to the FS Co-ordinator on child protection, Education & health related interventions.
• Document family and child success stories on child protection programme interventions.
• Support community development structures to document chid protection processes.
• Keep, maintain and update the database and files of the programme in a timely manner.
• Ensuring that relevant community development structures have documented programme processes.
• Ensuring that the database and records on health and education programme interventions are maintained and updated timely;
• Comply and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages policies and guidelines.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCES
• Degree in community development, community nursing, Public Health, Education, and Rural Development related social and natural sciences/disciplines such as social work, social sciences, sociology, developmental studies, economics, and rural development.
• At least two years’ experience in a similar role or working with education and health programmes or implementing community development and child support programmes.

Competencies- Knowledge, skills, abilities
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of child rights and experience of implementing/managing child protection and child rights interventions.
• Sound understanding of child rights and safeguarding, child development, family and community development, rights-based programming and management of CBPs.
• Good communication and reporting skills, computer literate, understanding and ability to apply community development participatory methodologies, self-starter, ability to work in a team, strong family values, ability to work with minimum supervision
• Police clearance as per local child protection policies/Act
• Project management – Readily applies project management methodology to basic or routine projects to achieve stated objectives and/or outcomes.
• Embraces diversity – Effectively engages people from diverse backgrounds in the workplace and community.
• Solves problems – Uses experience and knowledge of the work area to assist in the development of solutions for day-to-day problems.
• Innovation and creativity – Demonstrates initiative and enterprise and supports others to work more effectively.
• Integrity – Understands and applies SOS Children’s Villages’ social, ethical and organizational standards and responsibilities in all interactions.

At SOS Children’s Villages Ghana we believe in creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. Our hiring process is based on skills, qualification and experience. We have a strict zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment or bias of any kind. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all.