Client Safeguarding Strategy Development Consultant

Introduction

The Client Safeguarding Consultant will support IRC efforts to strengthen safeguarding and protection of

clients (adults and children) from any harm, exploitation, or abuse of physical, verbal, emotional,

mental, economic, or sexual form by an IRC staff, community member or family member.

They will work with office leadership, Director of Safeguarding and programming staff, to develop,

implement, and document a strategy to strengthen our safeguarding practices and contextualise IRC

global policies to the UK.

At the start of 2021, IRC UK began programming in the UK. RISE is working in partnership with local

authorities to provide integration support to resettled refugees in South East England. Programming in

the UK has further expanded to support Afghan nationals in the UK and will open to arrivals from

Ukraine. IRC UK programmes also provides capacity strengthening to service providers including

teachers through its Healing Classroom trainings.

We are currently in the development of the IRC UK’s strategic action plan to outline the future of our programming to support of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. We are also transitioning our programming from an online modality to hybrid with some in person activities anticipated to begin this year. One priority already identified is ensuring the safeguarding and protection of our clients and that mechanisms are in place that meet the legislative and statutory legal requirements in the UK.

Key Stakeholders and Relationships

Accountable to Head of Programmes (HoP), UK

Close coordination with Director of Safeguarding and RISE Project Manager

Core Consulting Tasks

The scope of work includes but is not limited to the following:

a) Analysis, informed by UK programming to include:

· A critical review of existing policies and processes to address safeguarding in IRC UK programming current approaches and future proof based on projected expectations of programming types and approaches.

· Analysis of compatibility of IRCs global safeguarding and protection policies and processes with UK legal requirements such as the Children Act 2004, Housing Act, Mental Capacity Act, and local authority Multi-Agency Policy, Process, and Guidance Family Approach Protocol.

· Facilitate discussions and planning process among key internal and external stakeholders to inform analysis.

· Present recommended course of action for adapting IRC’s current global and UK policies and procedures to align with UK legal and regulatory framework required for domestic charities.

b) Lead development of adapting UK safeguarding strategy, policies, and procedures

· Outline steps required for IRC to implement programming in compliance with UK laws and Local Authority safeguarding policies, including training, skill set, and knowledge gaps.**

· Identify resourcing and tools required for the implementation of client safeguarding in UK programming.

· Adapt and draft corresponding policies or procedures, as needed.

· Present draft strategy, policy, and procedures to HoP, Director of Safeguarding and key programme staff and incorporate revisions as suggested.

c) Development of staff training plan

· Outline staff trainings required in order to comply with new strategy, including identifying existing external trainings that can be accessed, existing IRC trainings, and those that need to be developed in order to build staff capacity.

· Where needed, outline skills to be recruited for to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks.

d) Lead process of adaptation, creation and delivery of enhanced staff safeguarding training

• Develop training materials as well as lead a training to be provided to programme staff.

Key Outputs

a) Summary report of gaps in current IRC safeguarding framework and identification of actions required to align with legislative and statutory legal requirements in the UK as well as IRC inc. safeguarding policies to inform the UK safeguarding strategy.

b) Development of UK Safeguarding Strategy to outline policies and procedures including staff training plan and linkage with IRC global mechanisms.

c) Lead in house training for programme staff

d) Weekly updates to the HoP