Safeguarding and Employee Relations Specialist At Save the Children

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children / young or adult people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work for country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: The overall aim of the Safeguarding and Employee Relation Specialist is to support and strengthen staff safeguarding management systems within Save the Children Afghanistan program. This role will also be leading the employee relations function of the country program.

The Safeguarding and Employee Relation Specialist will support the mainstreaming and strengthening of Save the Children’s staff safeguarding mechanisms and approaches, including Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, Abuse and staff grievances. This will include providing technical support to supporting safer recruitment approaches of Save the children.

The post holder will lead on monitoring the application of Staff Safeguarding policies, processes and practices, and working closely with CO Office HR staff, Safeguarding Focal Points and Head of Offices in the field to ensure our Safeguarding approach responds to the dynamic and evolving context and nature of work to ensure our staff safeguarding interventions are relevant, inclusive, efficient and effective.

Working with colleagues across different functions he/she will contextualise, coordinate and support training and continuous learning sessions on staff Safeguarding

The Safeguarding and Employee Relation specialist will oversee the staff safeguarding policy and quality standards implementation. S/he will be responsible to set up staff safeguarding systems across the Afghanistan program offices to ensure quality-safeguarding practices are delivered. S/he will be responsible for ensuring a survivor and rights based approach to Safeguarding is applied across the Afghanistan country program.

The role holder will work under the guidance of the HR, Admin and IT Director and in close collaboration with the safeguarding officers and focal points located across the country.

There will be a substantial reactive element, as this role will manage the response to safeguarding violation reports and concerns, working closely with, and building the capacity of the existing Safeguarding officers and focal points across the country programme. The role holder will lead on all investigations and reporting on staff Safeguarding cases across Save the Children’s country program in Afghanistan.

The role holder in conjunction with the line manager, will be responsible for handling employee relations and ensure amicable resolution for staff grievances and complaints.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: HR, Admin and IT Director Staff reporting to this post: None Direct report: None Indirect report: Field safeguarding FPs (Officer/assistants). Budget Responsibilities: Manage Staff Safeguarding related Budget. Travels to the field: Extensive travels required to the provincial offices.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

Safeguarding and Employee Relation Specialist will serve as Staff Safeguarding Lead with key areas of accountability as below:

* Role model high levels of professional safeguarding behaviour and maintain the standards required by the Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct.

AWARENESS * Ensure that information, tools and knowledge is inclusive, contextualised and available to staff in languages and mediums they understand and up to date. * Undertake clear, strong advocacy in line with the Safeguarding polices approaches and promote good practice at the country level. * Deliver mandatory trainings related to staff safeguarding to new staffs and refresher-trainings to old staff enabling them (regular and community based) to understand staff safeguarding responsibilities in their roles as guided by Safeguarding Policies. * In both development and emergency setting, ensure all visitors receive safeguarding contextual briefing within 2 days of their arrival (the briefing must be conducted within 24 hours, however 2 days is changed to adapt to COVID situation). * Ensure that all visitors to the Country Programme receive a visit specific briefing on arrival in Kabul and each location prior to any field visit. * Develop training and briefings for volunteers, suppliers , consultants and others workers on behalf of Save the Children who will have direct contact with Save the Children Staff. * Develop safeguarding IEC materials to create stronger awareness among staffs and partners. * Work with staff to strengthen the implementation of staff safeguarding policies and procedures, and build relevant SCI and partner staff skills in prevention, reporting and responses, including managing and investigation of safeguarding concerns. * Ensure that all safeguarding tools and knowledge (risk assessment, awareness materials etc.) is made available to managers and that they know how to access support and guidance. PREVENTION * Provide Technical support to implementing staff to identify potential risks to staff in the workplace. * Lead on Annual Staff Safeguarding Self-assessment, develop and implement country staff safeguarding plan. Include Safeguarding Leads from provinces to develop CO Safeguarding Plan. * Work with the HR, Admin and IT Director to develop, implement and regularly review the Safeguarding action plan. * Support staff to take proactive steps to ensure that all programming activity identifies the potential risks and works to eliminate and mitigate those risks. * Review and strengthen staff Safeguarding systems within the country office, including, planning and delivering capacity building and learning programs for different cadres and groups of staff accordingly. * Build the capacity of the Safeguarding officers, Focal points and colleagues across different functions to engage on safeguarding and embed this within their day-to-day work and functional trainings and briefings. * Apply critical analysis to ensure that we live up to our commitment to making Save the Children is safe for staff by ensuring staff safeguarding, bullying harassment concerns are reported effectively in line with the policy. * Participate in relevant coordination mechanisms, including Safeguarding networks within Afghanistan.

REPORTING AND RESPONDING * Ensure that concerns are followed up safely, effectively and efficiently and to the required standards. * Ensure timely reporting of cases to the CD, Internal Compliance Director and into DATIX * Promote reporting on Datix among staff and representatives * Manage cases online and offline with keeping all reports and cases confidential. * Ensure the investigation procedures are followed in all investigations with timely closures of all cases. * Ensure that lessons learned are captured and shared with the line manager and SMT on a regular basis. * Take creative approach on making reporting mechanisms accessible to staff.

HUMANITARIAN * Ensure all deployed humanitarian staff receive required country staff safeguarding related training and briefings to enable them to do their job and re-enforce their safeguarding responsibility. * Contribute in project designs and budgets by including staff safeguarding components. * Ensure 24 Hours reporting guidance is properly adhered even in emergency context * Ensure safeguarding considerations and resources are included in CO’s Emergency Preparedness Plan, initial assessments, community engagement, response implementation, and monitoring for the duration of the response.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS * Advise and train managers and supervisors in best employee relations practices and strategies for managing supervisor problems and employee grievances. * Collaborate with legal advisor and other departments in the preparation for and participation in negotiation with employee. * Resolve employees’ issues and handle complaints, and protect their general interests * Coordinate with managers, supervisors, and staff to implement employee relations services and programs. * Support and counsel employees in addressing workplace issues, advocating for employees when appropriate, and act as a liaison between employees and supervisors. * Provide guidance and make recommendations for successful resolution of personnel and performance issues, in accordance with SCI HR policy and labor laws. * Assist with discipline documentation and processes to ensure timely, consistent, and appropriate intervention.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice) Accountability: * Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values. * Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved. Ambition: * Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same * Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others * Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale. Collaboration: * Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters * Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength * Approachable, good listener, easy to talk with. Creativity: * Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions * Willing to take disciplined risks. Integrity: * Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS * Relevant qualifications and or experience in social work, child protection, GBV or other related area within safeguarding including legal. * Seeking Women applicants only

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS * 5 (five) years of experience in the area of employee relations and staff safeguarding with international organizations. * Experience of managing as well as undertaking complex safeguarding investigations and or disciplinary investigations. * Multi-disciplinary experience of working successfully with senior managers to deliver major operational change with a track record of delivering results to high standards. * Understanding and knowledge of gender-based violence. * Experience of building personal internal and external networks. * Experience of planning and undertaking training programmes/workshops in safeguarding at a range of levels (e.g. field workers, managers, senior managers and decision makers). * Strong verbal communication and report writing skills in English and Dari/Pashto languages. * Strong presentation skills. * Demonstrable commitment to Children’s Rights. * Self-sufficient, proactive self-motivating work styles. * Ability to provide long distance support and establish supportive relationships and networks. * Ability to deliver results against demanding timetables and in the face of competing demands. * Ability to travel and work within challenging environments. * Awareness of own strengths and weaknesses and evidence of commitment to self-managed personal development. Desirable * Desired experience of a lead role in national advocacy or policy work either in the field of Safeguarding, Child Protection or HR to ensure policy implementation. * Evidence of professional expertise, personal development and learning in the field of child protection, gender-based violence and adult safeguarding. * Good knowledge of and experience in using Inter-agency Standing Committee Six principles in relation to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; UN Secretary General’s Bulleting on special measures Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ; Core Humanitarian Standards * Experience in Survivor Centred approaches and setting up survivor and after care support * Experience of working within hostile and challenging environments. * Experience of work related travel in challenging environments.

Additional job responsibilities The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. Equal Opportunities The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures. Health and Safety The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.