Information about the role of a child abuse investigator, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A child abuse investigator is a public protection position within the investigation sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The child abuse investigator is a professionalising investigations programme (PIP) 1 investigator, trained in section 47 of the Children's Act 1989 and associated statutory guidance (Working together to safeguard children 2023). They work in partnership within multi-agency arrangements to manage risk, support victims and prevent future offences.
The child abuse investigator undertakes investigations to identify the perpetrators of child abuse and any associated offences. They 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 responsibilities
- Collecting and gathering evidence and recording and retaining material from a range of sources in a format that is evidentially admissible to support the investigative process.
- Identifying, assessing and tailoring engagement with child victims, so that evidence is collected adequately and appropriately to support the child and proportionally achieve investigatory objectives.
- Interviewing witnesses, victims and suspects and gathering all required evidence in relation to child abuse investigations in accordance with PIP2 standards, generating further lines of enquiry to bring perpetrators to justice.
- Sharing information and undertaking risk assessments to contribute towards multi-agency decision-making (for example, in section 47 strategy meetings) and providing appropriate support for victims during an investigation to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
- Providing information regarding additional services available for families and victims, including signposting to support agencies, and explaining criminal justice and coronial procedures, so that they can access all available services and support.
- Carrying out analysis, assessing evidence and evaluating material generated by child abuse investigations so that intelligence generates evidence to identify and charge offenders, supports the prevention of future offences and connects the work of other policing teams.
- Ensuring all material, including exhibits generated by serious and complex crime, is seized, examined, and retained in accordance with legislation and policy, where necessary.
- Preparing reports on the outcome of investigations and managing case files within best practice procedures to ensure there is an accurate audit trail.
- Initiating multi-agency arrangement discussions in cases where there are no further criminal proceedings to assess potential ongoing risk.
- Contributing to the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA), providing updates on offenders, and updating records to support and enable joined-up public agency management of offenders.
Competencies, values and core skills
The competency and values framework (CVF) provides clear expectations for everyone working in policing. It describes the behaviours required by police officers and staff to be effective in their roles and uphold the Code of Ethics for policing.
Competencies
The CVF has six competencies, which are split into levels. These levels can be used flexibly to allow for a better fit with frontline and non-frontline policing roles, and at different levels of seniority. This ensures that there is consistency throughout all the policing professional profiles. Some roles may contain different CVF levels due to the specialist nature of the role. Those working at higher levels should also fulfil the requirements of the lower levels.
This role should be operating at or working towards the following competencies.
- We are emotionally aware – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We take ownership – Level 1: practitioner
- We collaborate – Level 1: practitioner
- We support and inspire – Level 1: practitioner
- We analyse critically – Level 1: practitioner
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 1: practitioner
Values
The CVF has three values that apply to everyone in policing, regardless of their role or seniority.
Core skills
All roles in policing have nine core skills in common. These are split into levels that represent the different levels of policing. This role should be operating at or working towards the following core skills.
- Communicating and influencing – Level 1
- Problem solving – Level 1
- Performance management – Level 1
- Relationship management – Level 1
- Change management – Level 1
- Managing people – Level 1
- Managing resources – Level 1
- Planning – Level 1
- Use of IT – Level 1
Education, qualifications and experience
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following standards, training, registration, accreditation and qualifications should be met.
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Successful completion of College of policing public protection foundation training or previous equivalent course.
Where the role holder is required to investigate volume and priority child abuse cases:
- successfully completed applicable entry training and PIP 1 registration by undertaking relevant learning, development and portfolio submission to evidence competence against relevant assessment criteria
- experience in interviewing to PIP 1 standards
- experience in conducting volume and priority crime investigations
Where the role holder is required to investigation serious and complex child abuse cases:
- hold applicable PIP 2 registration by undertaking relevant learning, development and portfolio submission to evidence competence against relevant assessment criteria
- experience in interviewing to PIP 2 standards
- experience in conducting serious and complex crime investigations
- successful completion of specialist child abuse investigators’ development programme (SCAIDP)
Continuing professional development
Continuing professional development (CPD) enables everyone in policing to develop and gain recognition for their professional skills, knowledge and competence.
CPD ensures that we continue to provide high-quality policing to keep the public safe and help to drive career aspirations. Discussion of CPD is usually included as part of professional development review (PDR) conversations.
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following standards, training, registration, accreditation and qualifications should be met.
Learning and accreditation
- Assessed competence against relevant professional standards for this role is required to achieve PIP and SCAIDP registration. Maintenance of this registration requires the demonstration of continued competence against professional standards as well as evidence of CPD, in line with the College’s model.
- Complete all training and learning as required by the force.
- Any exemptions to learning and accreditation requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
This role should consider the following CPD:
- maintaining PIP and SCAIDP registration by keeping a record of recent experience of conducting multi-agency child protection investigations to evidence knowledge and skills gained
- keeping 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, for example, modern slavery and female genital mutilation
- keeping up to date with all technological advances that might facilitate offenders in committing crimes against children
- achieving specialist investigative interviewing status to professionalise interviews of vulnerable children
- maintaining 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
- analysing the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Learning the Lessons reports and child safeguarding practice reviews relating to child abuse cases
- familiarising oneself 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
- reading the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) guidance relating to cases of child abuse and identifying how this can be applied to working practices
- developing and/or maintaining knowledge of the College of Policing guidance on child abuse, child sexual exploitation and investigation
- developing and maintaining relationships with partner agencies, for example, children’s social care, understanding partners' roles and responsibilities and how they can support the safeguarding of children
- developing an understanding of vicarious secondary trauma, including how to recognise it, how to escalate any concerns and how to access support
- undertaking reflective practice to support own emotional and psychological welfare
- maintaining a working knowledge of local, regional and national specialist support agencies for referrals
Related roles
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