Safeguarding Consultant

Consultancy to Conduct an Safeguarding Gap and Needs Analysis across War Child Fundraising Members

1. Background and Context
War Child is committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all individuals associated with its work, including children, young people, adults at risk, staff, volunteers, partners, and other stakeholders. Safeguarding is a core organisational responsibility and an essential component of our operations.

To strengthen its safeguarding framework and ensure alignment with legal requirements, best practice, and organisational risk exposure, we are looking to commission a comprehensive Safeguarding Gap and Needs Analysis across War Childs Fundraising Member offices.

In 2023/2024, War Child went through a merger process, bringing all separate War Child entities (the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the US, known as the Fundraising Members) together under a foundation agreement to form the War Child Alliance. The Alliance operates through a shared platform to deliver a networked organisation across all countries in which War Child operates, in accordance with a shared vision, mission and values. 

Our Fundraising Members still have wide ranging responsibilities, namely raising funds for War Child’s international projects, communications and advocacy, and many also directly (or through partners) deliver programmes for vulnerable children. 

In relation to Integrity & Safeguarding, all War Child entities and staff sign up to and operate under the I&S Policy Framework which incorporates our Code of Conduct, Safeguarding (Adults and Children) Policy and our PSEAH Policy. The merger saw the creation of a global Integrity & Safeguarding team who are ultimately responsible for ensuring the Alliance delivers on the commitments under this framework across the whole organisation (which includes Fundraising Members). 

The Alliance MoU is now being reviewed and we believe that this is an opportune moment to also review the I&S support provided to Fundraising Members to ensure that this is in line with their needs and risk profile and exposure. The review is also expected to supplement the wider MoU review process to ensure that War Child maintains the right support for Fundraising Members in a changing sector.

The findings will inform the wider organisation about the effectiveness, consistency, and accessibility of the current safeguarding framework across diverse operational contexts of Fundraising Members enabling us to better understand where targeted support, clearer guidance, or additional resources are required.
 
2. Purpose and Objectives

2.1 Purpose
The purpose of the consultancy is: 

• to assess War Child’s current safeguarding arrangements for Fundraising Member countries, identify gaps, risks, and strengths, and provide actionable forward-looking recommendations that are responsive to the specific contexts in which teams operate to enhance safeguarding effectiveness and compliance.
• to support the prioritisation of resources, strengthen accountability, and inform capacity-building initiatives to ensure that Fundraising Members are equipped to implement safeguarding measures consistently.

2.2 Objectives
The specific objectives of the assignment are to:

• Identify gaps between current safeguarding arrangements and applicable legal, regulatory, and best-practice standards within War Child Fundraising Members
• Identify priority safeguarding risks and unmet safeguarding needs within Fundraising Member county structures
• Review current safeguarding resourcing in Fundraising Members and consider current and future need
• Assess current reporting processes to regulatory and governance bodies (e.g. the UK Charity Commission) to ensure concerns are escalated and submitted in line with statutory guidance, that all relevant internal and external stakeholders are appropriately consulted, and information provided is accurate, to support transparency, accountability, and effective regulatory oversight.
• Provide practical, prioritised recommendations for improvement

3. Scope of Work
The consultant will conduct analysis that may include, but is not limited to, the following areas:

3.1 Governance and Leadership

• Safeguarding leadership, accountability, and oversight arrangements
• Board and senior management roles and responsibilities
• Safeguarding risk management and response mechanisms in line with the country office risk profile and existing I&S risk management tools and support
• Appropriate governance meeting schedules and information sharing arrangements to trustee and other appropriate oversight committees

3.2 Country Risk Profile

• Analyse prevalence and nature of safeguarding risks across FM operations e.g. fundraising activities and events, communication and advocacy campaigns, programme delivery (where applicable) and general office based safeguarding risks
• Assess the national context and legal framework for managing identified risks  
• Evaluate existing safeguarding resourcing and services within, and provided to, Fundraising Members, including the focal point role
• Map FM country office culture relating to safety, respect, and speaking up and assess strength of existing support mechanisms
• Recommend practical strategies to address potential gaps

3.3 Training and Capacity

• Mandatory and role-specific safeguarding training provision provided to FM staff, volunteers, ambassadors and others 
• Availability of safeguarding expertise and resources to effectively deliver training and awareness raising activities (including pre-departure briefings) within Fundraising Members and the Alliance structure

3.4 Partnerships and External Engagement (where applicable)

• Safeguarding due diligence of partners, contractors, and third parties
• Safeguarding expectations and accountability in partnerships
• Safeguarding considerations within the programme portfolios of relevant Fundraising Members

3.5 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Alignment with relevant national and/or international safeguarding legislation
• Alignment with sector standards, donor requirements, and recognised best practice
• Existing reporting processes to relevant regulatory bodies

Out of Scope
- Review of WCAF Safeguarding Framework and associated policies
- Review of WCAF global safeguarding team structure 

4. Methodology
The consultant is expected to propose and apply a robust, ethical, and proportionate methodology, which may include:

• Desk review of relevant documentation
• Confidential interviews and/or focus groups with key stakeholders
• Surveys or self-assessment tools (if appropriate)
• Comparative analysis against recognised safeguarding standards or frameworks

Visits to War Child Fundraising Member Country offices may be required. 

5. Key Deliverables
The consultant will produce the following outputs:

1. Inception Report(end of week 2, mid-July)

• Finalised methodology
• Data collection plan
• Stakeholder engagement approach

2. Evidence Gathering (end of week 7, end of August)

• Interviews
• Document review
• Surveys and self assessments (if required)
• Focus Groups
• Collation of all evidence into structured dataset and early themes and risks identified

3. Safeguarding Gap and Needs Analysis Report Writing (weeks 8-9 September start and finalise mid/end September)

• Summary of findings
• Analysis of strengths, gaps, and risks
• Assessment against relevant standards
• Clear, evidence-based conclusions
  
  

4. Action-Oriented Recommendations Developed (week 9 and 10, as above)

• Practical, prioritised recommendations, including resourcing requirements
• Indicative short, medium, and long-term actions

5. Presentation of Findings (weeks 11 and 12, complete by early October)

1. Prepare presentation 
2. Deliver presentation to stakeholders  
3. Facilitate discussion on implementation priorities 
4. Final refinements if required

6. Budget range: €11,000 - €14,000

7. Reporting and Management

• The consultant will report to Nik Clifton, Head of Global Integrity & Safeguarding
• Regular progress updates will be provided during the assignment

The consultant should demonstrate:

• Proven expertise in safeguarding, ideally within the INGO structure 
• Experience conducting safeguarding audits, gap analyses, or organisational assessments
• Strong understanding of relevant legal, regulatory, and best-practice frameworks
• Strong analytical, report-writing, and presentation skills
• Knowledge of fundraising organisations and the safeguarding risks, donor expectations, and compliance requirements specific to grant‑making and fundraising environments (desirable) 

Interested candidates submit CV and one page brief on how you would approach the project and a breakdown of your costs by 2/7/2026

Please note that CVs and applications sent by email will not be considered. Applications must be submitted through the official application channel only.

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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

Disclaimer

• Only applications received via our website are processed.
• If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
• It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.