This career specialist ensures appropriate child protection and child safeguarding plans are clearly understood by the appropriate stakeholders. This incumbent facilitates appropriate response, reporting, and management of assigned child protection cases from initial discovery through completion. In addition, he or she provides consultation and support to all stakeholders regarding effective child protection practices. Work may have direct impact in more than one field office. This specialist may coach and oversee the work of other specialists.

Responsibilities
• Maintains a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Is a consistent witness for Jesus Christ, maintains a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people within and outside of Compassion, and faithfully upholds Compassion’s ministry in prayer.
• Acts as an advocate to raise the awareness of the needs of children. Understands Christ’s mandate to protect children. Commits to and prioritizes child protection considerations in all decision-making, tasks and activities across the ministry. Abides by all behavioral expectations in Compassion’s Statement of Commitment to Child Protection and Code of Conduct. Reports any concerns of abuse, neglect or exploitation of children through Compassion’s internal reporting process and appropriately supports responses to incidents if they occur.
• Solves complex problems and issues requiring practical knowledge of this discipline. Ensures appropriate plans are understood by staff, Partnership Facilitators, other church facing team members and Church Partners. Applies problem solving skills to creation of strategies/approaches, awareness raising/advocacy campaigns, prevention work, and/or case planning and management of child protection incidents from initial report through lessons learned.
• Leverages knowledge of evidence-based best practices for the prevention of and response to, and healing from child abuse, neglect and exploitation. Serves as a subject matter expert, sharing expertise in a full range of prevention and response knowledge areas. Consults with partners on Compassion’s child protection and child safeguarding policies, procedures, standards, and expectations, supporting partners to develop ownership of comprehensive child protection practices. Shares knowledge of legal frameworks, local resources, social service/child protection systems, investigation protocols and connections with national or international networks with partners, colleagues, and leaders. Engages in crucial conversations regarding the protection of children and youth, the necessity of reporting and intervention, the nature and complexity of trauma, and the critical nature of physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe and healthy environments to children’s development.
• Applies consulting skills to share technical knowledge and expertise, providing advice that can be applied to specific prevention and response situations, and effectively support the party for whom they are providing consultation. Generally provides support to other Compassion field staff and leadership, church partner members, including their volunteers, leaders, and board members, communities of practice, outside agencies, and interested NGOs. Includes direct visits to customer/constituent groups for technical assistance, support, and guidance.
• Leads investigations into allegations of abuse of beneficiaries. Maintains responsibility for investigation completion. Wherever possible and appropriate, collaboratively engages with partners to empower them to complete investigation activities, but directly engages in action steps when necessary. May provide coaching to partners on survivor-centered best practices when completing investigations. Activities may include effective and appropriate interviewing of witnesses, victims, alleged perpetrators and/or others with knowledge of the case, making arrangements for the care and treatment of victims, effective case coordination and communication with relevant staff members, timely case documentation, consultation and work with external parties and resources. Makes recommendations to leaders regarding partnership statuses based on identified risks and organizational values, partner resources to cases and evaluations of beneficiary safety in programming.
• In partnership with training staff and partnership teams, provides subject matter expertise in support of the development of training materials and curriculum on a broad spectrum of child protection topics, ensuring that stakeholders have ongoing, high-quality learning materials in the area of child protection and child safeguarding. May support trainer preparation or the direct delivery of some training materials as agreed and as capacity allows.
• Leads the development of child protection strategy for use across a specified geographic country and/or region and provides for local adaptation and implementation of strategy and plans of action. Partners with other colleagues and teams to complete development and implementation work effectively. Monitors implementation, revises strategy as needed and works towards continual improvement of strategy and plans of action. Assesses and revises strategy as needed and in response to organizational, national or legal realities or sector best practices.
• Supports regular assessments to identify child safeguarding risks at the National/regional level as well as guide partners in conducting assessments at the local program level. Engages in child protection and child safeguarding assessments, mapping exercises and evaluates external country/sub-county level data to inform strategy work. Develops risk mitigation activities and interventions identified in risk assessment in collaboration with local partners.
• Completes comprehensive documentation related to assessments, strategies, consultations, incident allegation reporting and case management, plans, needs assessments, risk assessment and mitigation efforts in a timely manner. Determines what documentation should be retained confidentially and what documentation should be shared in support of strategic activities, support to partners, advocacy, or team communication. Maintains records in accordance with Compassion standards, engages in appropriate file sharing system to ensure access to non-confidential information for others.
• Maintains the online reporting and case management system for geographic area of responsibility. Supports church partners in accessing and the effective use of the online system. Reviews cases entered into the system, makes assignments, case restrictions and/or notifications as necessary. Ensures appropriate follow-ups, case notes and other supporting documentation are entered by the relevant responsible parties. Completes and enters own case notes and other documentation into the system of record for cases s/he is responsible for in a timely manner according to Compassion standards.
• Builds strong partnerships and engages in active cooperation with government and non-government agencies, pursuing and acquiring new and innovative approaches to child protection. Additionally, may develop strategic relationships, leveraging Compassion resources to improve efficacy and efficiency of child protection programming. Researches industry best practices, experiential learning, etc. and shares this expertise with key stakeholders. Represents Compassion International by participating in inter-agency meetings within their area of influence.
• May work as a part of cross-functional teams to develop comprehensive policies for child protection and child safeguarding. May assist in the evaluation of other organizations’ child protection policies and examines industry best practices for application and adaptation to Compassion’s context. Supports training, education, and coaching on child protection policies and procedures to staff and/or church partners. May support individual functions (HR, Audit, etc.) in the development and implementation of policies designed to further child protection in those contexts.
• May coach and provide expertise to other professionals and support staff in this or a related discipline.

Faith
• Has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Culture
• Accountable for supporting, upholding, and engaging in Compassion’s core “Cultural Behaviors” in all internal and external communication and relationships.
• Education
• Bachelor’s Degree in health care, Sociology, Psychology, Social work, Child development or in a related field.
• Diploma in Legal practice will be an added advantage
• Experience
• Seven years Relevant experience working in this or a related field.
• Licenses and Certifications
• Certification from a nationally or internationally recognized organization in a related field.
*Equivalent education, training and/or certification may be substituted for experience and education shown above

Working Environment
• Office – Standard Office Environment
Physical Demands
• Sitting, standing, and/or walking for up to 8 hours per day
Travel Requirements
• May be required to travel up to 25% of normal schedule