Protcetion Assistant

Job title : Protcetion Assistant

Role Purpose:

To support the delivery of child protection, school safety, psychosocial support, referral and safeguarding activities under the ECHO project, working directly with children, caregivers, schools and community structures to promote a safe, inclusive and dignified environment.

Reports to : Protection Coordinator

Key Responsibilities:

Additional job responsibilities

• Perform regular child protection and school safety assessments to identify risks affecting children, particularly adolescent girls, children with disabilities and other vulnerable learners.
• Conduct child protection monitoring including identification and referrals of children at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, child labor, early marriage and other forms of violence in schools and communities.
• Identify children requiring additional protection support and facilitate safe, confidential and timely referrals to appropriate child protection, health, GBV and psychosocial support services.
• Conduct regular follow-ups on referred cases in coordination with relevant service providers, ensuring that children receive appropriate support while maintaining confidentiality and their dignity.
• Engage parents and or caregivers, local authorities and relevant community structures including Child Protection Focal Points and School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) to promote child protection and create safer learning environments.
• Promote participation and protection of girls, boys and children with disabilities by identifying barriers to accessing education and protection services and supporting inclusive project activities.
• Work closely with school Child Protection Focal Points and strengthen their capacity to identify protection concerns, provide basic psychosocial support and refer children who need specialised services.
• Provide Psychosocial Support (PSS) activities, including group sessions, storytelling, recreational activities and life skills sessions to promote children's well-being.
• Support the establishment and monitoring of accessible, child-friendly and confidential Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) that allow children and community members to safely report protection concerns.
• Support schools in developing and implementing school safety plans, conducting safety assessments, mapping unsafe routes and identifying measures to protect children from violence and other threats.
• Work with humanitarian partners including Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) and other stakeholders to strengthen child protection systems, support emergency preparedness and ensure timely responses to emerging protection risks.
• Assist in organizing and facilitating training for teachers, community structures and other stakeholders on child protection, GBV, safeguarding, PSHEA, positive discipline and referral pathways.
• Collect, document and submit accurate activity reports, referral updates, assessment findings and monitoring data while ensuring that sensitive information is securely managed with utmost confidentiality.
• Perform any other duty related to the project and or organization’s business that may be assigned by his/ her supervisor that have been captured in the job description

Qualifications & Skills:

• Essential: Bachelor’s Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) in Social Work, Law, Psychology, Sociology, International Development, Human Rights, or a related social science field.
• Alternative: A relevant diploma with substantial direct field experience in humanitarian protection, child protection, or Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programming.
• General Experience: 1 to 3 years of hands-on experience in humanitarian protection operations, community-based protection, GBV response, or child protection in emergency contexts.
• Field Monitoring & Case Management: Proven experience conducting protection monitoring, vulnerability assessments, referral tracking, and case management intake.
• Community Engagement: Experience conducting community-based awareness sessions, organizing Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and establishing/supporting Protection Action Committees (PACs).
• Interagency Coordination: Experience liaising with local authorities, community leaders, and protection cluster partners for referral pathways.