Child Protection Case Management Officer

Organization
description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst
humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered
by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives.
Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people
forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which
support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities.
At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in
the areas of health, safety, economic wellbeing, education, and power. Given
the disparity faced by women and girls, IRC seeks to narrow gender inequalities
and ensure social inclusion of all vulnerable groups in broader policies,
processes and actions affecting their lives. In Ukraine, the IRC started
emergency programming in April 2022 in the field of child protection (CP),
protection and rule of law (ProL), women’s protection and empowerment (WPE)
(i.e. gender-based violence), health and cash and basic needs.

Job Overview:
Under the supervision of the Sn Child Protection (CP) Officer,
the CP Case Management Officer will be responsible for supervising IRC’s CP
Case Management program in Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts. Through supervision, monitoring, guidance and support
to 3 CP Case Workers, the CP Case Management Officer will be responsible for
the effective implementation of
CP case management services for children harmed or at risk of being harmed.
He/she will provide technical, educational and supportive supervision to the CP
case management team in individualized and group settings. The CP Case
Management Officer will work in close collaboration with IRC’s CP psychosocial
(PSS) team and CP MHPSS (mental health and psychosocial support) Officer; as
well as with key
stakeholders in order to regularly report trends and advocate for vulnerable
children. The CP Case
Management Officer will have good technical and organizational
capabilities to ensure that CP CM activities are implemented in line with IRC’s
program guidelines and according to CP minimum standards and principles. The CP Case Management Officer
will be based in Odessa and supervise the team of Case Workers in Odessa.

Major Responsibilities:

Technical Quality 
– Ensure that each CP Case Worker is effectively providing CP case management services according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) through regular individual meetings and case reviews with CP Case Workers 
– Appropriately assign and review CP Case Workers’ caseloads to ensure they are manageable 
– Ensure cases are receiving appropriate support
– Monitor timescales for response, services follow-up and review of cases
– Regularly review the safe and appropriate documentation of CP cases through case audits, review of files and databases
– Ensure confidentiality and that data protection and information-sharing protocols are respected. 
– Schedule and lead case management meetings at least every week with the Case Management team 
– Organize and lead case conferences for complex and high-risk cases 
– When needed, support individual cases and provide regular monitoring of all aspects related to case management services
– Coordinate the reception of referrals from IRC’s CP PSS, CP MHPSS and other sector teams for CP Case Management services 
– Facilitate and ensure a strong collaboration and coordination between IRC’s CP PSS, MHPSS and Case Management Teams
– Provide ongoing technical support and capacity building to CP Case Worker through trainings and on-the-job training, including shadowing, observations, coaching sessions etc.
– Conduct post-service interviews of the child and family to evaluate the quality and impact of the case management services provided by the CP Case Workers; document feedback and analyze trends regularly
– Monitor and analyze CP data collected by the CP Case Management team and provide regular reports to the CP Sn Officer on caseload (information disaggregated by sex, age, risk level, etc.) 
– Ensure regular communication with the CP Sn Officer for updates on achievements and challenges
– Support monitoring and activities (M&E) activities to support quality programming

Staff Supervision & Development: 
– Directly supervise 3 CP Case Workers 
– 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
– Ensure support and ongoing capacity building opportunities for CP Case Workers on technical and managerial skills.
– Ensure regular communication with Child Protection Management to integrate appropriate technical priorities into program design, in order to provide recommendations on program adjustments based on achievements and challenges encountered.

Administration & Reporting:
– Be the lead for all planning and reporting activities related to CP Case Management
– Monitor and consolidate information collected by case managers.
– Ensure the proper and timely management of the Emergency Case Management Fund 
– Prepare and submit weekly activity work plans and reports in a timely manner to agreed-upon deadlines
– Contribute to monthly reports
– Complete all relevant tools for activities conducted (e.g. indicator trackers for CP Case Management activities)
– File and archive all important documents and correspondence relating to CP Case Management activities
– Support the implementation of and compliance with work plans, spending plans and M&E plans
– As requested, contribute to the collection of M&E data to support the development of project proposals in Child Protection

Coordination & Representation:  
– Actively coordinate with staff from other IRC sectors in the field, including Protection & Rule of Law, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Health, Economic Relief and Development 
– Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant local actors in the field, including community, non-governmental and governmental actors
– Upon request by his/her supervisor, actively take part in relevant CP coordination meetings at the local and national level (e.g. national and sub-national CP Cluster)

Other:  
– Stay informed about the child protection situation and developments within the communities and surrounding areas
– Consistently and proactively monitor the safety and security of field teams, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment
– Promote and adhere to the principles, objectives and code of conduct of the IRC
– Act both professionally and personally in a manner that brings credit to the IRC and does not compromise its humanitarian mission
– If necessary, provide translation and interpretation at meetings, training sessions and/or documents for a better understanding of all staff
– Conduct any other task requested by his/her supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS 

Position reports to: Child Protection Sn Officer 
Direct reports: Child Protection Case Workers in Odessa
Other internal contacts: Protection & Rule of Law (PRoL), WPE, MEAL, ERD, Health, Finance, Supply, Grants, HR and other relevant departments 

Requirements:

The Child Protection Case Management Officer will need to meet the requirements below: 

– Degree desired in Social Work, Psychology, Education, Human Rights, Social Science, Humanities or other related field
– Minimum of 2 years’ experience of implementing child protection programs, preferable in social work, CP case management or psychosocial programming for children, in humanitarian or development settings
– Demonstrated experience of providing direct support (basic counselling, case management, PSS, etc. ) to children and their families
– Previous experience and demonstrated understanding of working with children, particularly children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing harm
– Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting
– Ability to keep records and write simple and basic reports of activities 
– Comfortable speaking about sensitive topics in an honest, professional, and thoughtful manner
– Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients/beneficiaries
– High degree of flexibility and strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail
– Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel
– Language: Fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, advanced skills in English

This position will be based in Odessa, with frequent travel to field
locations.

Standards of
Professional Conduct
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles
outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and
Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces
policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child
Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation,
Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality
& Equal Opportunity
We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We
offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to
participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive
security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and
strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on
the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin,
religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability
or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.