CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

Section 2, Chapter 3 (County Protocol: Review and Assignment of Reports), Subsection 7 – Conflict of Interest

(Effective 04/15/19)

Table of Contents

3.7 Conflict of Interest

3.7.1 CD Employee/Family Member Involved in a CA/N Report

 

3.7 Conflict of Interest

The following categories of persons, when reported as either the alleged perpetrator or victim of child abuse and neglect, may present a conflict of interest:

  • An employee of the Children’s Division or other Department of Social Services employees located in a Children’s Division office;
  • The immediate family or household member of that employee; or
  • Children placed in foster care and in the custody of the Children’s Division when the alleged perpetrator is a licensed foster parent.  These calls will be investigated by the Out-of-Home Investigation Unit.

In addition to the above, contracted case management may also present a conflict of interest.  Also, there may be times in which the county office believes there is a conflict of interest due to an individual’s professional role within the community.  In these situations, the circuit manager should attempt to assign the report to another county within the circuit.  If this will not resolve the conflict of interest, the circuit manager should contact the Regional Office to determine the most appropriate circuit to complete the CA/N Report.

3.7.1 CD Employee/Family Member Involved in a CA/N Report

Employee reports are those listing a Children’s Division, Department of Social Services employee (or the employee’s immediate family member or household member), or contracted case management staff as either the alleged perpetrator or victim.  This can include student interns/volunteers who work in county offices and have access to information.  Immediate family member includes a parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, spouse, or sibling.

Procedure for CA/N Reports in which the alleged perpetrator or victim is an employee or an employee’s immediate family or household member:

  1. CANHU will contact they employee’s Regional Office who will determine a county other than where the employee, immediate family member or household member resides who would be most appropriate to conduct the report;
  2. CANHU will then send the report to the county of assignment;
  3. CANHU will also send a courtesy alert to the Region;
  4. On non-emergency employee reports taken after hours, CANHU will make a courtesy contact to the supervisor in the assignment county notifying them of the assignment.
  5. If field staff identify a report that CANHU has already submitted as an employee report, field staff will be responsible for updating the report to reflect the employee information and contacting their Regional Office to determine appropriate assignment of the report.
  6. The county of assignment will complete the report according to the appropriate track response; and
  7. Staff should immediately report any potential personnel concerns to their Regional Office through their supervisory chain of command.