The Child and Family Agency was established on 1^st January 2014 and is responsible for a range of statutory functions including provision of child protection, alternative care, specified regulatory services and a range of family support services.  The Agency has commenced a major improvement programme with significant focus on Practice, Culture and Structure.

The Agency currently has responsibility for a budget of circa €1.2billion and delivers its services through over 5,500 people in 259 locations across the Country.

The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Parenting, Family Support and Early Help Services
• Alternative Care
• Birth Information & Tracing and Adoption
• Tusla Education Support Services (TESS)
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie

Key relationships / interfaces 

• The National Manager for Data Protection Compliance.
• The Data Protection Officer, General Managers within the Data Protection Unit (DPU) and broader staff within the DPU.
• Tusla’s GDPR+ Programme Strategic Partner
• Tusla Service Directors and Area Managers
• Tusla’s Governance Boar
• Legal Department 
• IT Department
• FOI / Parliamentary Affairs Units
• Workforce Learning and Development
• Communications Department
• Transformation and Policy
• External data protection / IT security vendors

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of data protection awareness initiatives in Tusla.
• Manage Tusla’s data protection helpdesk (DPU Helpdesk), ensuring queries received from internal and external stakeholders are analysed, prioritised and responded to within agreed time limits.
• Manage the implementation of appropriate third party arrangements to govern the sharing of personal data by engaging with third parties to review and risk assess requirements.
• Complete desktop and in-person assessments of third party technical and organisational measures.

Team Effectiveness

• Escalate any high risk items to the National Manager for Data Protection Compliance and provide regular updates.
• Manage team members assigned including work prioritisation and output, personal development, and performance.
• Upskill DPU Helpdesk support staff and other relevant stakeholder groupings to monitor and respond to queries.
• Establish and maintain knowledge management tools for DPU Helpdesk support staff.
• Maintain accurate, real-time, metrics and reports of new, open, and closed DPU Helpdesk queries and provide reports as required.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage and support data protection training events including through the development and provision of SME content.
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders including Service Directors, Area Managers, Business Managers, Tulsa Legal Department and DPU Managers.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders including other state agencies, government departments and third party service providers.
• Engage regularly with stakeholders to identify areas of improvement.

Data Protection Advisory

• Ensure all DPU content on the Tusla HUB is kept up to date for Tusla staff Primary source of information.
• Support the Privacy and FOI Network in advisory and communications functions in partnership with other DPU technical specialists.
• Link with Communications to support awareness of Data Protection within the Agency

Health & Safety

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.

• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the service for example National Standards for Child Protection and Care and comply with associated Tusla – Child and Family Agency protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office. 

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• Have a minimum Level 8 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland (or equivalent in another jurisdiction) in a relevant discipline. 

AND/OR

• Have a formal Data Protection certification / qualification qualified i.e. ACOI Compliance Professional or CIPP-E, CIPM or other equivalent data protection certification holder.

AND

• Have at least 3 years’ experience in data protection or compliance – managing resources, projects, organisational change initiatives; and general administration.

AND

• Significant experience of one or more of the following:
  • Knowledge of the law and practice of the General Data Protection Regulation and experience of risk based compliance frameworks, control design and implementation.
  • Experience of the development and communication of policies, procedures and guidelines and the development and implementation of privacy controls.

AND

• Experience of managing and working collaboratively cross functionally with multiple internal and external stakeholders, as relevant to this role.

AND

• Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character