National Ombuds

Reporting to the Regional Ombuds, 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 level. 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.

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in a relevant area such as child rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial wellbeing, law;

• Minimum five years demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights;

• Good level of knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues - child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and International Standards related to children's care;

• Experience in working with children and youths;

• Very good listener with good observational skills;

• Strong communication skills;

• Strong facilitation/training skills - Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and children' representatives;

• Demonstrated ability to build rapport with children and young people, to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them and build trust;

• A problem solver, adviser and mediator capable of resolving young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner;

• Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;

• Be gender and diverse sensitive and representative;

• Professional proficiency in English;

• Understand the foundations of the Ombuds’ work;

• You have the right to live and work in Uganda;

• Experience working in an NGO or international organization would be an asset.

Reporting to the Regional Ombuds, 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 level. 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.

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in a relevant area such as child rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial wellbeing, law;

• Minimum five years demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights;

• Good level of knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues - child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and International Standards related to children's care;

• Experience in working with children and youths;

• Very good listener with good observational skills;

• Strong communication skills;

• Strong facilitation/training skills - Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and children' representatives;

• Demonstrated ability to build rapport with children and young people, to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them and build trust;

• A problem solver, adviser and mediator capable of resolving young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner;

• Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;

• Be gender and diverse sensitive and representative;

• Professional proficiency in English;

• Understand the foundations of the Ombuds’ work;

• You have the right to live and work in Uganda;

• Experience working in an NGO or international organization would be an asset.

Serves 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.

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.

• Develop and maintain a confidential database that tracks concerns until they are resolved.

• Identify relevant national trends within SOS programmes, services, and human resources; recommend changes to the National MA Board of Directors and the SOS Regional and Global Ombuds, while maintaining the confidentiality of the Inquirers to the Ombuds office.