The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st 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

Barnahus
Barnahus is a multi-disciplinary and interagency intervention responding to child sexual abuse (CSA) that is delivered in a child-friendly setting. The model offers forensic interviews for children up to 18 years that are carried out according to an evidence based protocol; medical evaluation for forensic investigative purposes as well as to ensure the child’s physical well-being and recovery; psychological support, and therapeutic services to the child and non-offending family members and caretakers; and assessment of protection needs of the child victim and siblings in the family (Promise Project 2015).

Barnahus was first piloted in Ireland in the West in 2019, with the service centred in Galway now established. A second Barnahus will be opened in the Southern region, centred in Cork, and a third in the East, centred in Dublin.

Barnahus is the agreed national approach to supporting children and their families who may have experienced child sexual abuse. This is evidenced in Draft Programme for Government 2025 Securing Ireland’s Future and Young Ireland, Government’s National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028.

The National implementation of the model is supported by the Joint EU-Council of Europe project, ‘Support the implementation of the Barnahus project in Ireland’. The goal of the project is to strengthen Ireland’s response mechanism to child sexual abuse, to ensure that undue delays in the treatment of such cases are diminished, and that all children who are victims of sexual violence benefit from a child-friendly access to justice.
 

To work as part of the Barnahus East team, with the Tusla Barnahus SWTL, and in close
collaboration with the Barnahus Manager (Interim CHI) and administrative team to ensure highest levels of Tusla participation in the referral of children to Barnahus East. This includes attendance of Tusla staff at MDIA, communication of information to and from Tusla and Barnahus East Manager (Interim CHI) and MDIA team, coordination and allocation of Tusla (or others) Specialist Interview at Joint Specialist Interviews with An Garda Siochana and Tusla participation in the therapy Room of Barnahus. To work in collaboration with all partners in ensuring efficient and effective administration to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and highest standards in service delivery

Main Duties and Responsibilities
•Maintain agreed database for nationally agreed KPI’s and any other agreed databases and ensure that data metrics and records are accurate and readily available.
•Efficiently and effectively deliver full administrative day-to-day support for the Tusla Barnahus East service.
•Be responsible for Tusla Barnahus record management as per policy and procedures of all children referred to Barnahus East, including maintenance of children's records on TCM Barnahus.
•Effectively coordinate responses to all general inquiries received associated with Tusla Barnahus activities, including the oversight of Barnahus emails/contact pages.
•Develop working relationships with Tusla SI to develop and manage the Tusla Specialist Interviewing coordination and allocation process across the Banhus East region, and to provide activity reports as requested.
•Support administrative requirements for the Tusla Barnahus East provision of therapy to children and families.
•Organise interagency meetings, including coordinating calendars and attendance, preparation of materials (agendas, minutes, briefing papers, etc), arranging venues, ensuring availability of technical equipment and catering.
•Attend meetings as required, taking notes and minutes and coordinating and tracking action points.
•Manage Tusla Barnahus East financial requirements, including financial reporting for European Network, Council of Europe or other work streams as required
•Manage submission of travel and subsistence for Barnahus East, including that associated with European Network, CoE or other activities.
•Manage the submission of weekly time returns for Tusla Barnahus East.
•Act as liaison for the service with Human Resources.
•Maintain a log of recruitment, onboarding for HR and ICT, mandatory training completions and track the progress of each.
•Maintain Tusla Caseload Management for Barnahus.
•Maintain financial and technical reporting for the European Barnahus Network or other affiliations to ensure accreditation.
•Develop and maintain good working relationships with the Barnahus East Manager and associated administrative team at Barnahus East, led by Children's Health Ireland, Tusla, An Garda Siochana, with reference to DPSU and Specialist Interviewers, HSE, Therapy from CHI and voluntary and community organisations working alongside Barnahus.
•Establish and maintain effective communication systems, ensuring that communications reach the intended audience in a timely fashion.
•Support the preparation and issuing of documentation within a multiagency context.
•Maintain own knowledge of relevant procedures, practices and legislation to perform the role effectively and to ensure high quality standards.
•Line manage staff as required.
•Where appropriate, provide supervision and assist in the development of knowledge and skills of relevant staff under your supervision.
•Implement agreed changes to administration of the service, encouraging and supporting staff where necessary.
•Meet and greet children and families to Barnahus as required
•Participate in working groups or committees as required.
•As well as any other tasks as directed by the line manager.

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:
•Candidates must be in employment within Tusla – Child and Family Agency, the HSE or within other statutory health agencies, or a body which provides services on behalf of the HSE under Section 38/39 of the Health Act 2004 or within a body that provides services on behalf of Tusla under Section 56 or Section 59 of the Child and Family Act 2013.

                              and
•Have at least two years’ experience in a designated office within the Services.
                            and

•Possess sufficient administrative capacity to discharge the functions of the grade/post.

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.