Duration: Permanent 

Salary: circa £42,000 per annum 

Job Level: 3 

Hours: 35 hours per week. Other flexible arrangements will be considered 

Disclosure Level: Basic. This role may involve some direct / indirect work with children  

Reports to: Senior Safeguarding Specialist 

Location: Working from home and at 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ  

At the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), we pull together to create a better world for children.  We believe in an inclusive workplace and in the power of fulfilled colleagues who share the same values and goals, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.   

Our work is guided by the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognise the universality of children’s rights. 

ABOUT THE TEAM  

The Safeguarding Specialist sits within the multifaceted Advocacy, Programmes and Safeguarding Directorate (APS). The purpose of our directorate is to effectively protect, promote and uphold the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by mobilising multiple stakeholders, influencing key decision makers, and driving direct change, to effectively deliver positive outcomes and lasting impact for children in the UK and around the world.  

The Safeguarding Specialist role is part of the Child Rights, Safeguarding & Participation Team. This is a highly specialised team of technical experts that work cross organisationally to embed UNICEF UK’s work on Safeguarding, Youth Voice and Influence and Child Rights and Sport.   

ABOUT THE ROLE 

This role will sit alongside another Safeguarding Specialist and will work closely with our Director of Safeguarding and Youth Voice and Senior Safeguarding Specialist to influence and deliver safeguarding best practice across the organisation in relation to both child and adult safeguarding, ensuring that everything we do is fully aligned with domestic and international regulatory frameworks. 

This role will be responsible for providing operational safeguarding support across multiple directorates and teams within UNICEF UK. These include our UK Programmes; Rights Respecting Schools, Baby Friendly Initiative and Child Friendly Cities. The role will also work closely with our Advocacy Team, People Team, International Programme Engagement Team and across our Soccer Aid Campaign and will provide safeguarding support around our work in Sport. 

By being visible and accessible to colleagues you will help drive forward our operational safeguarding priorities as set out in our Strategy and Operational Roadmap. 

You will be a technical expert and will provide operational support and guidance to colleagues, key stakeholders and wider civil society to champion and influence robust and holistic safeguarding practices. You will support and encourage strong collaborative working across children’s rights, youth voice and meaningful participation, whilst contributing to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all. 

What we will expect you to achieve 

• Champion best practice in child and adult safeguarding, ensure all organisational safeguarding policies, procedures, systems and ways of working are successfully implemented and fully compliant with all statutory and legal provisions. 

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues to provide technical safeguarding support on all safeguarding matters. 

• Uphold our D&I commitments and work consistently, compassionately, and collaboratively to support a psychologically safe, inclusive, and holistic culture where we can achieve our best work for children. 

• Respond to safeguarding concerns and ensure these are progressed in a timely manner. Effectively monitor and analyse safeguarding risks across all of our work to ensure we uphold our commitment to Article 19 of the UNCRC. 

• Uphold a commitment to continuous improvement and learning, keeping up to date and informed on safeguarding practices across different sectors. 

• Develop and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with colleagues to understand ongoing operational demands and scope opportunities to build internal safeguarding capacity and experience to support long-term sustainability across all of our work. 

• Widen our external presence and networking across the sector and wider civil society by acting as a representative for UNICEF UK, building key relationships with other National Committee’s, Country Offices and UNICEF, to help influence cultural change and shape best safeguarding practice. 

• Demonstrate and model a commitment to our shared values, behaviours and inclusive practices (known as Our Shared Commitment) in all aspects of your work 

BEHAVIOURS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

This section contains the essential behaviours, experience, knowledge and skills needed in order to be effective and successful in this role. All criteria in this section are essential. 

Effective behaviours 

Supporter driven and mission aligned 

• Is committed to children and their rights and motivated to work towards creating a better world for every child.  

• Values the opinions and needs of children and young people and puts them at the centre of all decision making.   

Communicating, negotiating, and influencing 

• Presents and conveys complex information using a variety of methods to engage varying audiences in a complex stakeholder environment to deliver messages clearly and with impact. 

• Has an awareness and consideration of partners needs and objectives, balancing their expectations with UNICEF UK’s values and mandate, placing children’s rights at the forefront. 

Information and Data 

• Works in a confidential, sensitive, and complex environment whilst delivering change for children. 

• Protects our reputation when working with confidential/sensitive data, effectively manages systems to ensure information is processed and stored appropriately. 

Achieving Change 

• Works on own initiative, assesses priorities, and makes decisions within agreed parameters. Is proactive in managing multiple tasks and projects, meeting conflicting work demands with resilience and pragmatism. 

• Challenges accepted ways of working where needed, and demonstrates flexibility, adaptability, and a solution focused approach to overcoming barriers to change 

Relevant experience 

• Substantial experience working directly in the field of safeguarding and child protection - ideally this will include experience of working within the voluntary sector, civil society and/or the sports industry across both domestic and international contexts. 

• Demonstrable experience of effectively supporting the development and implementation of robust safeguarding processes in a large complex organisation. 

• Extensive experience responding to safeguarding concerns and effectively managing safeguarding case management systems - including liaising with multiagency partners, reviewing risk assessments, responding to complaints, and supporting the development and delivery of training. 

Specific knowledge and skills 

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of safeguarding legislation and standards of best practice for safeguarding, child protection and adult protection in both domestic and international contexts 

• Demonstrable skill in assessing operational priorities and working with others in the most effective way to support meaningful and sustainable outcomes for the work around safeguarding.