The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer in Lumos Foundation Ukraine

Lumos is an international children’s charity founded in 2005 by the author J.K. Rowling to promote every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world. Our vision is for all children to grow up in safe and loving families.

Find out more about our work at www.wearelumos.org

Position Overview

 The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer (CPMHPSSO) will be responsible for leading and coordinating the child protection and MHPSS components of the “Integrated Education, Child Protection, Resilience and Inclusion to war-affected, vulnerable, IDP children and caregivers in North and East of Ukraine” Project in conflict-affected regions of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro oblasts). This role will focus on ensuring the effective implementation of child protection and mental health and psychosocial support interventions in line with international standards, particularly in emergency situations, to support the needs of war-affected children, children with disabilities (CWD) and special educational needs (SEN), internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their caregivers.

The CPMHPSS officer will also coordinate the work of both mobile teams and case management multidisciplinary teams, in the component of providing MHPSS assistance to ensure that child protection activitiest, psychosocial support, community-based protection mechanisms, and referral pathways are effectively implemented. This includes overseeing the delivery of child protection services, ensuring that all interventions respect the best interests of the child and adhere to national and international child protection standards, delivery of trainings on child protection to serice providers. The CPMHPSSO will also be responsible for ensuring that child protection concerns are properly addressed in the 9 TLS (Temporary Learning Spaces), during the work of mobile teams and case management multidisciplinary teams and other child-focused interventions, integrating these aspects into the overall project strategy.

Key expectations include:

• Leading the coordination and management of mobile teams and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring the effective delivery of child protection activities, psychosocial support and referral services, in line with child protection principles.
• Overseeing the ongoing support and management of 9 TLS, ensuring child protection standards are upheld and that these spaces provide a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for children.
• Coordinating with local authorities, civil society organizations (CSOs), and government stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and effective child protection response, including advocacy for child protection needs.
• Providing technical support and training to enhance the capacity of staff and partners in child protection, case management, and safeguarding practices.
• Ensuring the monitoring, evaluation, and documentation of child protection activities, ensuring that child protection risks are addressed and outcomes are tracked.
• Promoting community resilience and strengthening child protection mechanisms in the targeted regions.

Roles and Responsibilities

Project Management

• Ensure that child protection standards and international best practices are incorporated into project implementation, particularly in emergency and crisis situations. Support the development and implementation of child protection response strategies, ensuring the safety and well-being of children in all project locations.
• Provide technical support and training on child protection to project staff, Sub implementing partners, and local stakeholders, including education and social protection practitioners, local civil society organizations (CSOs), and government representatives.
• Coordinate the work of 5 mobile teams and 9 case management multidisciplinary teams in the field, ensuring the integration of child protection approaches in all activities, including psychosocial support and community engagement in Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro oblasts.
• Plan, coordinate and monitor the progress and quality of provision targeted MHPSS support for children and their caregivers in TLS, by mobile teams, social psychologists while dlivering child protection services, including by sub-implementing partners
• Ensure close coordination with external partners (government and non-governmental organizations), collaborating with relevant authorities and organizations to effectively implement child protection activities.
• Support and guide staff working, including by sub-implementing partners, on child protection-related activities, including psychologists, social workers, and mobile team members, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to implement effective child protection services.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Capture of Learning 

• Contribute to developing tools and methodologies for assessing child protection needs in target areas and ensure that these tools are applied in the evaluation process.
• Monitor child protection and MHPSS interventions, including by subimplementing partners, and ensure the activities are implemented according to set guidelines and standards, including conducting regular field visits, monitoring activities, and reviewing progress to the locations of the interventions in Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro oblasts.
• Collect data on child protection concerns, document cases, and provide recommendations for improvement based on monitoring visits and evaluations.
• Provide regular updates and reports on child protection and MHPSS activities to the Project Manager, Lumos senior management, and partners, ensuring clear communication of progress, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Support the development of monitoring tools that incorporate child protection, safeguarding considerations, ensuringthe continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions and timely adaptation as needed.
• Contribute to drafting project internal reports and donor
• Coordinate and ensure collecting video materials to evidence the progress and impact achieved. Liase with the Lumos Ukraine relevant staff to cumulate and promote project visibility nationwide, regionally, locally

Methodological Support and Maintenance 

• Develop and update child protection guidelines (Safeguarding in the Humanitarian Context, leaflets on prevention of sexual expluatation and abuse (PSEA), Safeguarding, gender based violence (GBV), information leaflets on the project child protection component and training materials in the part of Safeguarding and Child protection also within educational interventions, for project staff, partners, and relevant stakeholders, ensuring they align with international child protection standards.
• Ensure the main pronciples and approaches of developing protective, disability and gender inclusive protective environment for children and caregivers in the humanitarian context are included into MHPSS Handbook
• Create disability and gender inclusive training packages focused on child protection in emergency contexts, covering key areas such as psychosocial support and child protection in humanitarian crises.
• Provide ongoing support and technical assistance to staff and partners in applying child protection approaches in all aspects of the project, including the integration of child protection in the operation of 9 TLS.
• Support the development of effective referral tools to ensure children receive appropriate support services, including health care, psychosocial support, and other relevant services.
• Ensure the creation of feedback mechanisms and child-friendly complaints procedures, facilitating the safe and confidential reporting of any concerns regarding child protection.

Additional Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing support to child protection staff in 9 Temporary Location Sites (TLS), ensuring the effective delivery of child protection services in these locations, including psychosocial support and community outreach.
• Ensure the coordination of child protection efforts within multidisciplinary teams, providing regular guidance and supervision to staff working with children, such as psychologists, social workers, and other child protection professionals.
• Support the development and delivery of training on child protection, gender-based violence (GBV), including sessions on disability inclusive safeguarding, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and psychosocial support for both Lumos and partner staff.
• Monitor and assess risks to children in the target areas, and ensure the timely adaptation of project activities to mitigate identified risks.
• Provide technical support to local authorities and partners on child protection issues, ensuring coordination and alignment with national and international standards.
• Lead advocacy efforts to increase awareness of child protection issues at local, regional, and national levels, promoting a strong child protection system in line with international best practices.
• Coordinate the integration of child protection into other sectors (e.g., education, health, social protection), ensuring a holistic approach to addressing the needs of children in crisis situations.
• Ensure that child protection data is handled in accordance with Lumos’ data protection policies, maintaining confidentiality and safeguarding sensitive information.

Reporting

• Direct Reporting Line: The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer will report directly to the Project Manager, providing updates on the progress of child protection activities and any challenges faced during implementation.
• Internal Reporting Obligations: The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer will submit weekly and monthly progress reports outlining activities carried out, achievements, and challenges related to child protection efforts in the field. These reports will focus on the implementation of child protection activities ospecified in the project outcomes and outputs, coordination with mobile and case management teams progressing with provision of MHPSS, and the status of the 9 TLS.
• Donor Reporting: The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer will contribute to the preparation of donor deliverables by providing accurate and timely information for quarterly and bi-annual reports, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and objectives of the project.
• Field Reporting: The officer will ensure that regular field reports are submitted, documenting the outcomes of monitoring visits, assessments, and any incidents or concerns related to child protection. These reports should highlight key findings, actions taken, and recommendations for adjustments to activities or strategies.
• Coordination Reports: Regular updates will also be provided on coordination efforts with external partners, local authorities, and community stakeholders, particularly related to child protection activities. This includes reporting on meetings, joint activities, and any agreements made to enhance child protection responses.
• Data and Risk Reporting: The Child Protection and MHPSS Officer will ensure timely and accurate reporting of any risks identified in the field related to child protection and propose mitigation measures. This will include updates on the impact of child protection interventions and any adjustments needed based on ongoing assessments.
• Ad-hoc Reporting: As needed, the officer will provide ad-hoc reports on urgent or unforeseen issues that may arise in the course of project implementation, particularly in relation to child protection concerns, incidents, or changes in the operational context.

Qualification, experience, and competencies required

• Bachelor/Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law, Education, or related fields; 
• A thorough understanding humanitarian context in Ukraine, including the context of IDPs and/or returnees protection and assistance and humanitarian cluster system; 
• Excellentknowledge and understanding of international child protection and safeguarding standards, country child protection system, public authority system, childcare and children’s rights related systems and structures/bodies; 
• Knowledge of child protection principles, and safeguarding standards, country child protection system, public authority system, international CP standards (e.g., the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Sphere Standards, and the IASC Guidelines for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action), and best practices for working with vulnerable children and families;
• Experience working with international NGOs/donors and familiarity with donor requirements and reporting processes.
• At least three years of experience of implementing projects on child protection and safeguarding; 
• Field experience and a solid understanding of psychosocial / protection issues in such a context.  
• Experience in remote management and staff capacity building. 
• Ability to build and sustain effective working partnerships with colleagues, partners, target communities as well as key actors within Ukraine and internationally, when required;
• Experience in coordinating projects or specific program areas, including managing mobile or multidisciplinary teams, is an asset;
• Ability to travel in the field, with minimal supervision and demonstrate initiative, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in complex and changing environments.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating child protection programs to assess impact and adjust activities as needed.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in Ukrainian. Good command of English, both oral and written will be an asset; 
• Computer literate: Word, Excel, Internet, Outlook, PowerPoint. 

Special Requirements

1. The Consultant has the responsibility to review and adhere to organisational policies of Lumos: 

• Safeguarding Policy;
• Whistleblowing Policy;
• Data Protection Policy.

2. A breach of Lumos policies may result in termination of the consultancy agreement.