Child Abuse Investigator
Role Purpose
The Child Abuse Investigator is a specially trained PIP Investigator responsible for supporting victims and undertaking investigation duties to identify the perpetrators of child abuse and any associated offences. The Child Abuse Investigator will ensure that any evidence obtained is recorded, secured and preserved in a timely and appropriate manner to protect the public and to bring perpetrators to justice, thereby safeguarding and supporting victims and achieving the best outcomes for children.
Key Accountabilities
Collect and gather evidence and record and retain material from a range of sources in a format that is evidentially admissible to support the investigative process.
Identify, assess and tailor engagement with child victims, so that evidence is collected adequately and appropriately to support the child and proportionality achieve investigatory objectives.
Interview witnesses, victims and suspects and gather all required evidence in relation to child abuse investigations in accordance with PIP2 standards, generating further lines of enquiry to bring perpetrators to justice.
Complete risk assessments and provide appropriate support for victims during an investigation, such as through formulation of a victim safety plan, to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Provide information regarding additional services available for families and victims, including signposting to support agencies, and explain Criminal Justice and Coronial procedures, so that they can access all available services and support.
Carry out analysis, assess evidence, and evaluate material generated by the investigation of serious and complex crimes, so that intelligence generates evidence to identify and charge offenders.
Work in partnership with agencies, such as social workers and health professionals, to develop networks, enable best use of resources, enable joined up approaches to services, and drive safeguarding of children.
Ensure all material, including exhibits generated by serious and complex crime are seized, examined, and retained in accordance with legislation and policy, where necessary.
Prepare reports on the outcome of investigations and manage case files within best practice procedures to ensure there is an accurate audit trail.
Contribute to the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), providing updates on offenders, and update records to support and enable joined up public agency management of offenders.
Behaviours
All roles are expected to know, understand and act within the ethics and values of the Police Service.
The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) has six competencies that are clustered into three groups. Under each competency are three levels that show what behaviours will look like in practice.
It is suggested that this role should be operating or working towards the following levels of the CVF:
Resolute, compassionate and committed
Inclusive, enabling and visionary leadership
Intelligent, creative and informed policing
Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Prior Education and Experience:
Specialist Child Abuse Investigation Course (SCAIDP).
Successfully complete initial training and undertake further training to achieve Professional Investigation Programme (PIP) level 1 and 2 accreditation.
Successfully completed Level 2 of the Public Protection Learning Programme (PPLP).
Experience in conducting serious and complex investigations.
Experience in interviewing to PIP 2 standards.
Skills:
Good communication skills with the ability to listen, empathise, provide support and adapt language, form, and message to meet the needs of different people / audiences.
Skilled in the use of use IT packages, systems and/or databases to fulfil role requirements.
Able to break down complex problems into component parts and determine appropriate action in investigations.
Ability to work effectively in a team to achieve shared objectives, demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support and advice as required.
Able to review own performance objectively and to maintain and enhance competence and professional standards.
Able to appropriately prioritise and plan own work.
Able to proactively develop effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and other stakeholders.
Able to produce clear and concise reports and other documents within best practice procedures.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Keep up-to-date with changing legislation and current national priorities relating to all key areas within Public Protection and how these might affect child abuse cases e.g. Modern Slavery and Female Genital Mutilation.
Keep up-to-date with all technological advances that might facilitate offenders in committing crimes against children.
Maintain a working knowledge of how other agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), can assist in investigating child abuse cases.
Analyse the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Learning the Lessons reports relating to child abuse cases.
Familiarise yourself with National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) reports on child protection issues and associated inspections.
Read the Crown Prosecutions Service’s (CPS) guidance relating to cases of child abuse and identify how this can be applied to working practices.
Develop and/or maintain knowledge of College of Policing guidance on Child abuse, Child sexual exploitation and Investigation.
Ensure that regular conversations with line manager take place regarding the emotional and psychological welfare of the officer.
Maintain a working knowledge of local, regional and national specialist support agencies for referrals.
Develop a working knowledge of multi-agency responsibilities.
Professional Registration/Licenses
Specialist Child Abuse Investigators Development Programme (SCAIDP) Register.
PIP Accreditation
Assessed competence against relevant professional standards for this role is required to achieve PIP accreditation. Maintenance of this accreditation requires the demonstration of continued competence against professional standards as well as evidence of CPD, in line with the College’s Model.
Links to other Profiles
Child Abuse Investigator
Domestic Abuse Investigator
Missing Persons Coordinator
Rape and Specialist Sexual Assault Investigator
Sexual Offences Investigation Trained Officer
Sexual or Violent Offender Manager
Victim Identification CAID
Modern Slavery Investigator