JOB PROFILE
JOB STORE # 174
TITLE: CHILD PROTECTION WORKER
CLASSIFICATION: SOCIAL PROGRAM OFFICER 24 (GROWTH)
CONTEXT
The job profile must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or equivalent.
This is the full working level for professional Social Workers working in the field of Child Protection.
JOB OVERVIEW
To provide child protection services to children and families in a community.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Required:

Investigates complaints of child abuse and neglect by interviewing clients, observing and involving appropriate
agencies in the investigation, evaluating risk indicators, validating the complaint, and determining a plan of
action.

Develops and implements a child protection plan by identifying client needs, establishing long and short term
goals and developing a contract with clients and other resources.

Ensures the ongoing management of cases by monitoring progress towards goals, coordinating services,
consulting with other service providers, examining the terms of the contract and making referrals to other
agencies.

Prepares documentation for court, files documents and ensures legislative requirements are addressed and
timelines for serving notice follow the Rules of Court.

Prepares clients for court by explaining the purpose, ensuring client has access to legal counsel, informing the
clients of other witnesses and explaining expected court behaviour and appearance.

Prepares and presents evidence for Family Court, determines admissible evidence, instructs legal counsel
regarding the type of court order sought, prepares for hearing, negotiates times and witnesses for hearing and
presents testimony.

Acts as the legal guardian by providing statutory services to feed, clothe and house the child, provides
opportunity for the social, developmental, intellectual and moral development of the child and identifies specific
needs.

Develops Life Plans with the purpose of reuniting the child with the family, placing the child for adoption or
placing the child into a permanent family setting.

Provides services to the family such as assistance with parenting skills or preparing parents for adoption
placement.

Authorizes expenditures for support services to families.
JOB REQUIREMENTS

Bachelors of Social Work or Masters in Social Work, or Bachelors of Art in Child and Youth Care, or Masters in
Educational Counselling/Masters Clinical Psychology, or equivalent.

Work experience through the completion of a practicum in family and child welfare.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Child Protection
Job Stream:
Role:
Professional

May be required to work evening/weekends.

Exposure to regular travel in remote locations.

May be required to use own vehicle on an expense account basis.

Subject to satisfactory reference check and criminal records review and police record checks.
Optional Statement - Opportunity to work with families facing challenges which may occasionally involve exposure to
unpleasant dealings with angry, abusive, or abused clients; exposure to hazards from frequently working around volatile
parents and/or children in crisis.
Competencies
Problem Solving/Judgement is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors,
identify underlying causes and generate solutions.
1. Breaks Down Problems:
 Breaks problems into simple components, in order to identify required lists of tasks or activities.
2. Sees Basic Relationships:
 Sees single causal link between components of a problem/situation.
 Analyzes pro-and-cons and establishes basic priorities or relationships.
 Recognizes cause and effect relationships.
3. Sees Multiple Relationships:
 Breaks down complex situations into manageable parts in a systematic way.
 Recognizes several likely causes of events, or multiple consequences and undertakes activities accordingly.
 Acquires new information and applies knowledge to analyze issues and resolve problems.
4. Makes Complex Plans or Analyses:
 Identifies a number of solutions and weighs the value of each to improve results.
 Uses several analytical techniques to break apart complex situations or problems to reach a solution.
Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the
organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond
effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
1. Co-operates:
 Participates willingly, is a “good team player,” does his/her share of the work.
 Supports team decisions.
 As a member of a team, keeps other team members informed and up-to-date about the group process,
individual actions, or influencing events; shares all relevant or useful information.
 Reiterates information to check understanding before responding or drawing conclusions.
 Reads body language and other non-verbal cues to structure appropriate responses.
2. Expresses Positive Expectations of Team:
 Expresses positive expectations of others in terms of their abilities, expected contributions, etc.; speaks of team
members in positive terms.
 Shows respect for others’ intelligence by appealing to reason.
 Responds to people’s concerns in a proactive manner that promotes long-term solutions.
 Demonstrates to others that they see things from another’s perspective.
3. Solicits Input:
 Genuinely values others’ input and expertise, is willing to learn from others (including subordinates and peers).
 Solicits ideas and opinions to help form specific decisions or plans.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Child Protection
Job Stream:
Role:
Professional
 Promotes team co-operation.
4. Encourages Others:
 Publicly credits others who have performed well.
 Encourages and empowers others, makes them feel strong and important.
5. Builds Team Spirit:
 Acts to promote a welcoming, productive climate, good morale and co-operation.
 Resolves team conflicts.
 Protects/promotes group reputation with outsiders.
Conflict Management is the ability to develop working relationships that facilitate the prevention and/or resolution of
conflicts within the organization.
1. Notices Conflicts:
 Recognizes that there is a conflict and respects others' points of view.
 Brings conflict to the attention of the appropriate individual.
2. Addresses Conflict as It Happens:
 Works to resolve conflict when directly involved, by actively listening and promoting mutual understanding.
 Identifies overlapping areas of shared interests in an open, respectful and timely manner.
3. Reduces and Resolves Conflict in a Proactive Manner:
 Works to resolve conflict between others if the conflict directly impacts on the achievement of work objectives.
 Anticipates and takes action to mitigate/reduce potential conflict management and to reduce and resolve
conflict at the outset, by encouraging continued, open, two-way communications.
4. Promotes Constructive Conflict Management:
 Promotes interest-based conflict prevention and resolution in the organization by coaching others to resolve
conflict using interest-based approaches.
 Provides consultation to or obtains consultation/mediation for others on approaches and processes.
5. Creates an Open Environment Where Conflict is Employed Positively:
 Creates a conflict-resolving environment by anticipating and addressing areas where potential misunderstanding
and conflict could emerge and by addressing systemic workplace irritants.
 Employs conflict as a catalyst for positive change.
Flexibility is the ability and willingness to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of diverse situations, and with
diverse individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing perspectives on
an issue, adapting one's approach as situations change and accepting changes within one's own job or organization.
1. Values Need for Flexibility:
 Accepts that other people's points of view are reasonable or valid.
 Acknowledges that people are entitled to their opinions, and accepts that they are different.
 Steps into co-workers' tasks when needed or required.
2. Demonstrates Flexibility:
 Works creatively within standard procedures to fit a specific situation.
 Understands policies and can work within them to meet branch, work group, team or individual goals.
3. Adapts Approach:
 Changes one's approach as required to achieve intended outcomes.
 Prioritizes actions effectively in order to respond to numerous, diverse challenges and demands.
4. Adapts Strategy:
 Changes the overall service plan and implements new practices when original approach and assumptions are no
longer valid.
 Able to shift strategic focus and activities quickly in response to changing organizational priorities.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Child Protection
Job Stream:
Role:
Professional
Empowerment is the ability to share responsibility with individuals and groups so that they have a deep sense of
commitment and ownership. People who practice empowerment participate and contribute at high levels, are creative
and innovative, take sound risks, are willing to be held accountable and demonstrate leadership. They also foster
teamwork among employees, across government and with colleagues, and, as appropriate, facilitate the effective use of
teams.
1. Expresses Positive Expectations:
 Expresses positive expectations of others, speaks of team members in positive terms.
 Trusts their judgement and that they know what they are doing; shows respect for others' intelligence.
2. Delegates Routine Tasks:
 Gives routine tasks to employees; demonstrates trust in employees' ability to accomplish tasks to acceptable
levels of performance, and assigns appropriate resources to employees.
3. Demonstrates Trust:
 Demonstrates trust by recognizing and acknowledging that others have the skills and abilities necessary to
achieve high goals.
4. Lets Others Lead, Encourages Others:
 Publicly credits others who have performed well.
 Encourages and empowers others, makes them feel strong or important.
 Accepts and supports others' considered views, recommendations, or actions.
5. Delegates Fully:
 After assessing subordinates' competence, delegates full authority and responsibility with the latitude to do a
task in their own way, including the opportunity to make and learn from mistakes in a non-critical setting.
 Also assigns appropriate resources to employees.
Career Group:
Job Family:
Social Services
Child Protection
Job Stream:
Role:
Professional