National Child Protection Specialist Mediator

National Child Protection Specialist Mediator - Fulltime

About us:

The Ombuds Office for SOS Children’s Villages is an independent office supporting children and young people in situations that have not been successfully resolved by SOS Children’s Villages safeguarding processes. A Child Protection Specialist Mediator is a trustworthy person who can listen, support, and guide children and young people.

The National Child Protection Specialist Mediator follows the four principles: Confidentiality, Impartiality, Independence and Informality. They work independently of SOS Children’s Villages as a check and balance to Safeguarding with the goal of finding a solution to the concern raised.

SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini is a nationally rooted non-governmental social development organisation registered in 1987 and is a member association of SOS Kinderdorf International. In Eswatini, SOS Children’s Villages operates in Mbabane, Nhlangano and Siteki. Apart from the villages, SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini has its national coordinating office in Mbabane. The Organisation offers a Family Strengthening Programme which is operated in 12 communities in the Hhohho, Lubombo and Shiselweni Regions of the country. SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini is hugely recognised as a pioneer of alternative childcare in the country offering Family-Like Care, Foster Family Care and Youth Care Programmes. The Commission on Human Rights & Public Administration/Integrity is a constitutional body established under section 163 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini Act No.1 of 2005 with a broad mandate to promote and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all people in Eswatini. The Commission fulfills this mandate by processing complaints, monitoring and providing redress where violations have taken place.

About the role:

Location of the role: Eswatini (Mbabane)

Limited contract: 1 year Fulltime

Starting date: February 2025

To further their mission, SOS Children’s Villages in collaboration with the DPMO office has decided to Place a children’s desk at the Human Rights Commission in Mbabane.
The Child Protection Specialist Mediator – as a designated neutral professional, will work under the Regional Ombuds supervision, to build awareness, promote prevention, nurture child participation, and enable children and young people to be safe in all SOS Children’s Villages and other RCCF’s programs and services. She/He is a person of trust who has the skills and interest to work through their concerns and find a local solution by:

• Adhering to the principles of confidentiality, independence, informality and impartiality;
• Guiding a fair process through listening and supporting.
• Utilizing dispute resolution skills.
• Being a check and balance.
• Identifying trends and making recommendations to SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini and General Secretariat (GSC).

Profile, skills and qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights.
• Bachelor’s or higher degree in a relevant area such as child rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial wellbeing, law, or equivalent;
• Good level of knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues – child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and International Standards related to children’s care;
• Minimum 3 years demonstrated experience in working with children and youths;
• Experience in working in communities;
• Very good listener with good observational skills;
• Strong communication skills;
• Strong facilitation/training skills – Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and children’ representatives;
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport with children and young people, to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them and build trust;
• A problem solver, adviser and mediator capable of resolving young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner;
• Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;
• Be gender and diverse sensitive and representative;
• Be able to converse, read and write SiSwati and professional proficiency in one official federation language: English, French, Spanish or Arabic;
  Understand the foundations of the Ombuds’ work;
• Experience working in an NGO or international organization would be an added advantage.

We offer:

• Training and development
• Support from the Regional Ombuds
• Satisfying and stimulating work
• Remote and in-person work arrangements
• The opportunity to work for an NGO that is a member of a recognized international network.
• The opportunity to work closely with a National Human Rights Institution.

We are looking forward to receiving your motivation letter, application form and CV by Wednesday, 4th November 2024.

Please fill in the application form and send it together with motivation letter and Curriculum Vitae.

* To protect the independence of the Ombuds Office, this position is not open to SOS Children’s Villages employees or those who have been employed by SOS Children’s Villages within the last 2 years, or for those who have relatives working for SOS Children’s Villages.

** Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

***Only Curriculum Vitae accompanied by the Application form will be considered.

In case you have questions, please reach out to us by email: hr@ombuds-sos-cv.org

You can find more details about us here:
Ombuds Office – SOS Children’s Villages (ombuds-sos-childrensvillages.org)

In accordance with the organization’s Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy, this position will be subject to applicable background checks, including criminal record checks.