Child Protection Investigator

Company: Manatee County Sheriff's Office
Location: Bradenton
Posted on: June 21, 2022

Job Description:

General Description of Duties

Investigates allegations of abuse, neglect, and abandonment and takes the necessary steps to ensure the safety of children in Manatee County.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

* Ability to accurately enter and/or retrieve information from various computer systems and/or programs in a timely manner.
* Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
* Ability to react quickly and calmly to emergency situations, make effective decisions when in stressful situations and circumstances.
* Ability to organize, prioritize, and problem solve in a multi-task environment.
* Ability to independently meet stringent time frames outlined by agency policy, Administrative Code and Florida Statutes.
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with families, community resources, local and state law enforcement, other agencies, supervisors, and peers.
* Considerable knowledge of state, federal, and local laws pertaining to child welfare in the state of Florida.
* Knowledge of interviewing skills, principles, practices, and techniques of investigative efforts to ensure quality evidence gathering is accomplished.
* Skill in the use of computers, two-way radio communications, and various other equipment used to perform daily functions of position.
* Skill in analyzing and projecting consequences of proposed actions and implementing recommendations in support of goals.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES

* Required to speak and hear clearly. Often required to sit and use hands and fingers, to handle or feel. Occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb stairs or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
* May involve lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling.
* Must be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, or pull or otherwise move objects or possibly a child/children.

Tasks and Policies

* Investigates alleged child abuse, neglect and/or abandonment, and takes necessary measures to ensure the safety of children.
* Conducts thorough and timely investigations including interviewing childrenand families to ascertain validity of allegations, document living conditions, anddetermine the need to remove children from an unsafe environment.
* Protects the lives of children by devising safety plans, or in consultation with supervisor, makes decisions to take child into protective custody, and transports child to approved placement when safety intervention isrequired.
* Assists local law enforcement in fact finding and compiling case information.
* Prepares and maintains case management and other reports to provide accurate recording and availability of case information.
* Testifies in court in cases regarding child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
* Successfully completes all assignments to specifications, within specified timeframe and budget as directed and in accordance with agency policies and regulations.
* Performs other related duties as assigned.

POLICY

* Arrives on time for work, limits breaks, and lunches tothe allotted time, and leaves on time.Uses leave inaccordance with General Orders; communicates andcooperates with management in providing proper notice ofleave; patterns and amounts of leave usage (notincluding legitimate, properly scheduled and approvedleave and protected leave).
* Volume of work accomplished is consistent with positionrequirements and produced within quality tolerancestandards.
* Works with other team members to achieve group goals by contributing ideas in group settings, accepting ideas contributed by others, operating within team rules, participating in team meetings, working with team members to improve job knowledge and skills, putting team goals over personal goals, and supporting team leaders once decisions are made.
* Follows standard office procedures, safety policies and procedures and agency General Orders.
* Maintains good interpersonal relations (the manner in which the employee responds emotionally and verbally) with the public, other employees, and supervisors. This policy also relates to the image the employee projects and includes cleanliness and personal grooming.
* Operates and cares for equipment,tools,and vehicles according to prescribed standards and schedules.
* Identifies relevant facts in a situation, arrives at one or more viable solutions and recommends a course of action in a timely manner.

Minimum Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or universityrequired.
* Work experience of at least one year satisfactory performance as a CPI preferred.
* Florida certificationas a Child Protection Investigator upon completion of training required.
* 35 WPM typing required.
* Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. without assistance.
* Valid Florida driver license.
* Must pass MCSO 8-hour Driver Improvement Course.

Keywords: Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Bradenton , Child Protection Investigator, Other , Bradenton, Florida