Information about the role of a victim identification officer (CAID), including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A victim identification officer (CAID) 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 victim identification officer helps to support the identification of victims and potential victims of child abuse and provides evidence that supports the investigation and prosecution of suspects. They examine the digital, visual and audio content of photographs, video and social media interactions to create best possible opportunities to safeguard child victims.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Triaging exhibits where necessary and exporting exhibit data into force system to enable the creation of forensic images and initial image categorisation.
- Categorising pictures and videos to identify all indecent images and grading them in accordance with national categorisation guidelines.
- Applying filtering systems to pictures and videos and comparing indecent images to non-indecent images to identify victims, locations and suspects.
- Uploading confirmed indecent data to the child abuse image database (CAID), to build and enhance the capability of CAID.
- Refer images to the National Crime Agency (NCA), to enable the NCA to circulate these internationally.
- Editing pictures and stills and sanitising the images for circulation internally within police forces to support the identification of victims, the safeguarding of victims and potential victims, the prevention of crime, and the prosecution of offenders.
- Identifying the locations of scenes of warrants and the property recovered, including serial numbers of cameras and other device to support the investigation and prosecution of suspects.
- Extracting logs from social media sites and analysing conversations and other communications between individuals to support the identification of victims, potential victims and offenders; and to support the investigation and prosecution of suspects.
- Instigating investigation, safeguarding and prosecution processes where potential victims and offenders are identified to prevent further abuse.
- 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 1: practitioner
- We take ownership – Level 1: practitioner
- We collaborate – Level 1: practitioner
- We support and inspire – Level 1: practitioner
- We analyse critically – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- 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
- Successfully completed applicable entry training and professionalising investigations programme (PIP) 1 and PIP 2 registration by undertaking relevant learning, development and portfolio submission to evidence competence against relevant assessment criteria.
- Successfully completed the College of Policing public protection foundation training.
- Successfully completed the College of Policing national categorising indecent images of children (IIOC) – grading training.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Successfully complete a nationally accredited victim identification course.
- Successfully complete a nationally accredited victim identification refresher course after two years in role.
- Successfully complete a facial recognition training course.
- Successfully complete open-source training course.
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 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 core training 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 registration by keeping a record of recent experience of conducting 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
- keeping up to date with all technological advances that might facilitate offenders in committing crimes against children
- maintaining a working knowledge of how other agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) can assist in investigating child abuse cases
- analysing the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) 'learning the lessons' reports relating to child abuse cases
- familiarising self with National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) reports on child protection issues and associated inspections
- reading the Crown Prosecutions Service’s (CPS) guidance relating to cases of child abuse and identify how this can be applied to working practices
- participating in regular conversations with line manager regarding own emotional and psychological welfare
- maintaining a working knowledge of local, regional and national specialist support agencies for referrals
- developing a working knowledge of multi-agency responsibilities
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