Senior Officer, Safe Healing and Learning Spaces (SHLS)

Key working relationships:

• Position Reports to: Child Protection Manager, Poland

• Position directly supervises: TBD

• Internal collaborations within IRC: Community Mobilizers; Economic Development and Recovery Officer

• External collaborations to IRC: Child protection and education actors, organizations and agencies

Job Overview/Summary:

As part of its Child Protection program in Poland in response to the conflict in Ukraine, the IRC will be rolling out the safe healing and learning spaces (SHLS) approach across multiple shelters in Warsaw. A SHLS is, above all, a safe, caring and predictable environment where children and adolescents in conflict and crisis settings can go during the day, allowing them to do well and thrive, in the immediate term and later in life. The SHLS approach in shelters can be seen as a steppingstone to the full integration of children in the school system. The SHLS Senior Officer will work closely with the Child Protection Manager to roll-out this intervention through a phased approach.

The SHLS Senior Officer will support the establishment of each SHLS; plan and conduct trainings for SHLS Facilitators, youth and community members; and conduct support and supervision visits for each SHLS and verify records and reports from SHLS staff.

Technical Quality

· Provide daily guidance on SHLS activities to the SHLS staff in Warsaw in accordance with the standard tools and procedures

· Ensure weekly support supervision visits for each SHLS and structured observations of SHLS and Facilitators happen and write brief report on each visit

· Ensure there is regular review and interaction with community members

· Ensure that records of children/youth and Facilitators attendance are accurately recorded and reported

· Support safe identification and referral of child protection concerns, supporting SHLS staff to make safe referrals, and updating local service mappings

· Conduct risk assessments for each SHLS, ensruing a safe and adqueate space for children of diverse ages

· Capture learning and examples of contextualization of SHLS apporaches

· Review comments received in the suggestion boxes and other feedback mechanisms with SHLS Leaders

· Ensure proper documentation of pre/post tests for Facilitators in assigned SHLS

· Ensure regular communication with the CP manager for updates on achievements and challenges

· Support M&E activities as requested to support quality programming

Staffing Support

· Assist with the recruitment of SHLS Facilitators

· Supervise SHLS Team Leaders and/or Facilitators, conducting frequent :1 sessions

· Ensure support and ongoing capacity building opportunities for SHLS Facilitators on technical skills.

· Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

· Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly timesheets, probations reviews and annual performance reviews.

Other

· Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with relevant external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs

· Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Qualifications

· Technical diploma or degree in social work, education, human rights, or related degree desired

· At least 2 years’ experience of implementing child protection programs, preferable social work or education, in humanitarian or development settings

· Previous experience supervising and coordinating a team in a cross-cultural setting preferred

· Experience working with children and particularly vulnerable children

· Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response preferred

· Previous experience in capacity building and mentoring of staff preferred

· Personal qualities: Team player, flexible, network-builder, able to handle pressure well.

· Fluency in English and Polish required, Ukrainian desired

This position will be based in Warsaw.