Position Title: National Ombuds
Reporting to: Regional Ombuds Office
Duty Station: Lusaka, Zambia
Region: East and Southern Africa (ESAF)
Context of the Organization
SOS Children’s Villages International (SOS CVI) is non-governmental and non-denominational organization working with communities, partners and states to ensure that the rights of all children are fulfilled in every society. SOS CVI is a global federation working to protect and care for children who have lost parental care, or who stand at risk of losing the care. We respect all religions and cultures and work with trusted partners in places where we can contribute to social development. Everything we do is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and donors, institutional and corporate partners, and loyal friends worldwide.
Envisioning that every child belongs to a family and grows up with love, respect and security, we exist to build families for children in need, we help them shape their own futures, and we share in the development of their communities. Everything we do is guided by the firm belief that no child should grow up alone and that we need to improve care for children who are at risk, enabling them to overcome precarious conditions and to succeed in life. To achieve our mission, our strategy for the upcoming decade focuses on ensuring the best care of children, innovation, and effective collaboration with more partners. Our core values guiding who we are and what we do include courage to take action, commitment to keep our promises, trust to believe in each other, and accountability to be reliable Partners.
Purpose of the Job
The National Ombuds serves as a designated independent practitioner providing informal and confidential conflict resolution support to children, young people, care leavers, their families, and staff at the SOS country levels.
Historical and current children, young people, care leavers, families and staff in SOS programmes who have safeguarding and/or HR inquiries that were not resolved satisfactorily within the local safeguarding teams can contact the National Ombuds for advice, guidance, and support. The National Ombuds works to promote fairness of process and conflict resolution within SOS Children’s Villages Member Associations through the SOS Ombuds Office’s fundamental principles.
The National Ombuds is to provide additional safeguarding support, including checks and balances to the present SOS systems, so that children, young people, care leavers, programme adults and staff have a reporting and response process when they feel that their concerns have not been heard or addressed appropriately.
The Ombuds Office is based on a rights-based approach in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Developed with input from children and young people, the Ombuds Office functions on the principles of independence, impartiality, confidentiality and informality. Honoring these principles is critical to the success of the Ombuds Office.
Job Accountabilities:
a. Serve as a vehicle for historical and current children, young people, care leavers, families and staff to make safeguarding or HR inquiries about issues that have not been dealt with to their satisfaction by SOS. The Ombuds will:
Receive and address concerns in a timely manner;
Listen carefully to concerns, discuss an ‘action plan’, suggest next steps, guide Inquirers through the agreed process as needed, and be available for ongoing support;
Help Inquirers to understand SOS processes and navigate between SOS and community structures and systems; and
Make referrals to appropriate SOS departments, local child protection agencies, legal advice, and/or community resources when appropriate.
b. Collaborate and support children, young people and staff:
within their roles as Children/Young People and Staff Representatives;
within child-friendly and staff-friendly Safeguarding and Ombuds policies and processes; and
to share their views and feedback to improve the Ombuds Office.
c. Develop and maintain a confidential database that tracks concerns until they are resolved.
d. Identify relevant national trends within SOS programmes, services, and human resources; recommend changes to the National MA Board of Trustees and the SOS Regional and Global Ombuds, while maintaining the confidentiality of the Inquirers to the Ombuds Office.
Qualifications:
Full Grade 12 School Certificate
Essential: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area such as law, social work, psychology, or equivalent.
Desirable: Masters or other advanced degree in a relevant area such as law, social work, psychology, sociology, child rights, youth work and psychosocial wellbeing.
Experience:
Essential: Five years demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights. Experience in management and leadership.
Desirable: Seven years demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights.
Other competencies and requirements:
Honest and transparent with an understanding of children and young people’s developmental stages and needs
Knowledge of children’s rights, best interests of the child, safeguarding, and related issues
Excellent listening and consultation skills
Facilitation/training skills with participatory methods
Ability to work using child-centred principles, with children and young people
Excellent problem-solving and mediation skills; comfortable with innovation.
Ability to keep information confidential
All applications should be submitted not later than 14th January, 2024 to the address jobs@sos-zambia.org
Applications should encompass a Cover Letter and Curriculum Vitae. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
“SOS Children´s Villages has zero-tolerance neither on sexual exploitation, harassment, and abuse nor fraud and corruption, amongst other safeguarding aspects. We also provide equal employment opportunities to all employees & qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class. SOS Children´s Villages complies with all applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment.”
This position involves working with an INGO committed to children and human rights and is subject to strict safer recruitment checks. The successful candidate will be required to complete safer recruitment checks including police and reference checks to help verify their suitability to work for SOS CV. In addition to candidates’ ability to perform the duties of the post, in the selection process will be also explored the motivation and approach of the candidate to safeguarding.
