Child Protection Worker

_For more than a century, Family and Children’s Services Niagara, the local Children’s Aid Society, _has provided vital child welfare, family/community support, counselling, foster care and _adoption services to residents in the Niagara Region. _

**Child Protection Worker**

The Child Protection Worker provides advocacy, assessment, case management, educational, supervisory and administrative services to the families and children on their case load on a differential basis in order to reduce the factors which contribute to the protection risk to the child.

**Key Duties**:

- Provide child protection services to children, youth and families in their homes and community, consistent with the overall direction provided by the Supervisor, the requirements of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act and its regulations, Ministerial requirements and Society policies and procedures.
- Develop and deliver competent clinical treatment service to assigned families in order to reduce the factors contributing to the child protection risk.
- Ensure effective co-ordination of their duties, and effective communication with managerial staff, peers, clients and relevant community organizations.
- Ensure professional quality relationships with agency staff, clients, and community organizations.
- Collaborates with all other services within the agency and community collaterals to ensure the best possible service to the family.
- Assess and intervene with families to mitigate situations of protection issues, including child neglect or abuse in family’s homes and in the community.
- Initiate and participate in child protection court proceedings.
- Prepares all court work related to the assigned caseload. This includes preparation and presentation of evidence, consultation with legal counsel, recommendation regarding disposition and interpretation to parents and child.
- Participate in the process of matching foster parents to children.
- Arrange and carry out foster placement when required.
- Identify and report the needs of their families to the supervisor, to ensure protection services will be identified and addressed.
- Identify their individual professional developmental needs to the Supervisor, in order that their performance can be maximized.
- Maintain professional competence and promote professional development through reference to professional literature and by participation in professional development programs in the Department, the Society and the professional community.
- Actively uphold the principles identified in the Society's Code of Ethics.
- The Child Protection Worker is to carry out the appropriate provisions of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. In that regard, they have the authority under Section 81 (7) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to bring a child to a place of safety without a warrant if the condition of the CYFSA sections are met, in consultation with their supervisor.
- Voluntarily supervises, from time-to-time, University social work students on field placement.
- Strives to meet or exceed all accountabilities and achieve continuous quality improvement in all activities.
- Perform other duties as required

**Qualifications**:

- Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
- Experience working with families in crisis
- Valid Ontario G Driver’s License, access to a reliable motor vehicle with minimum occupancy of 4 - 5 passengers and appropriate liability insurance required.
- A Child Protection Worker is deemed Authorized upon successful completion of the Child Welfare Authorization Process effective January 2017.
**Knowledge and Skills Required**
- Personal integrity and responsibility and a commitment to the goals of Child Welfare and FACS Niagara.
- The ability to work effectively with children, youth, families, individuals and groups.
- The ability to safely drive and transport children, youth and families when required.
- Skills in assessment and case planning and the ability to provide on-going therapeutic intervention.
- The ability to make differential use of various treatment modalities.
- Highly developed skills in goal directed casework.
- The ability to write clear, concise reports and to meet deadlines and other administrative requirements.
- The ability to prepare cases for court and to present evidence when necessary.
- The ability to be decisive in a crisis and under pressure.
- The ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and work cooperatively in a team setting.
- The ability to assess the appropriateness of community resources and interpret the Agency role and responsibility in conjunction with other members of the Child Protection team.
- Computer literacy as well as proficiency in MS Office.
- Work is occasionally performed at a desk in a normal office environment with frequent work in the community, meeting with children and youth, care providers and other professionals.
- Intermediate periods of sitting and computer/phone use.
- Ability to multi-task w