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

Purpose of Role:

To ensure a proactive approach to the quality of services provided by Tusla’s Childrens Residential Services with a focus on the management of risk and incidents and service improvement across Childrens Residential Services that is consistent with the requirements of the Agency’s Policies and related guidance to meet the requirements of the Corporate Plan 2024 – 2026 and beyond.

• To support the delivery and implementation of the Agency’s risk and incident management systems to improve quality, safety, and learning.
• The post holds specific responsibilities in relation to providing support to managers with development and tracking of service and quality improvements within Childrens Residential Services.

• Provide high quality reports and analysis as required on Quality and service improvements, Risk and Incident Management metrics, and status updates.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Incident Management

• Support the continued implementation, compliance and monitoring of the Incident Management policy and related guidance
• Support the implementation and utilisation of NIMS
• Liaise with State Claims Agency as required regarding, Agency employer liability, public liability queries and the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
• Track implementation of major reports/investigations recommendations, locally, as appropriate
• Support the use of Significant Event Notifications, track themes and trends, support sharing of learning
• Conduct reviews into serious incidents as per National Incident Management Policy Guidance documents
• Monitor incident management activity systems and processes.
• Categorise and classify serious incidents to identify trends
• Share learning across the organisation through defined process and prepare incident trend reports

Risk Management Systems

• Support the continued implementation, compliance and monitoring of the Risk Management policy and related guidance
• Oversee the implementation of risk management systems.
• Support the Risk Assessment process and provide advice to the service on matters relating to risk management.
• Support Risk register development, monitoring and evaluation
• Support the updating of the risk register.
• Support children’s residential centre managers with the development and management of their risk registers.
• Support local teams with advice on matters relating to risk management
• Manage initiatives to drive effective risk management in the service
• Lead on on-going improvement in risk management in the service
• Support learning and development in relation to risk management practice in local area.
• Prepare risk activity and assurance reports for the line manager

Service Improvement

• Support co-ordination of service and quality improvements identified by the service through the implementation of the Quality Improvement Framework and other quality programmes
• Identify opportunities for service and quality improvements and quantify benefits.
• Support with the development and tracking of HIQA Action Plans, and recommendations from Ombudsman reports, National Review Panel Reports, local Internal Review Reports and actions from Significant Event Review Group Meetings
• Act as liaison with the National Practice Assurance and Service Monitoring Team in relation to completing the annual audit plan and tracking any action emerging
• Support the service with the implementation of their annual self-audit plan

Complaints Management

• To provide oversight of the responses to complaints and compliments in the service as per the Tellus policy and best practice
• To analyse the data from complaints to identify themes and trends to inform local service improvements
• Provide data to the service in relation to complaints management
• To provide oversight of the implementation of complaints processes in the  service region as per Tell Us Policy, Procedure and Guidance.

General

• To ensure that appropriate performance data, quality, risk and improvement review processes are in place within the area to support the delivery of effective services to ensure improved outcomes for children and families
• Maintain a repository of organisational learning from safety incident, risk and incident management, child death/serious incident review and disseminate learning in the service
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of performance indicators for risk and incident management systems
• Contribute to on-going development of ICT systems for quality and service improvement processes including developments of a Tusla electronic risk register and on-going development of the National Incident Management System.
• Active participation in collaborative working on risk and incident related initiatives/committees
• Participate in and lead project working groups in the area in relation to risk and incident management and service improvement.
• Attend meetings as requested to promote and report upon the Quality, Risk and Service Improvement agenda
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders both internal and external
• Undertake special assignments and investigations as directed
• Carry out any other appropriate duties or assignments as requested by senior management team and/or the line Manager
• Demonstrate pro-active commitment to all communications with internal and external stakeholders.

Health & Safety

• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient agency.
• Comply with the requirements of the Safety, health and welfare at Work Act as applicable to the role.

Change Management

• Promote and participate in the implementation of change as appropriate.

• Proactively identify inequities / inefficiencies in service administration and implement solutions to improve service delivery, in line with legislation and benchmarking against best practice
• Embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly by finding practical ways to make policies work, ensuring teams know how to action changes
• Encourage and support staff through change processes as they relate to quality, risk and service improvement.

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. 

Please refer to the Candidate Information pack attached to this campaign for full and further detail.

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

• Have 3 years’ experience of working in a relevant environment in a post that has involved risk management, incident management and investigations as relevant to this role.

• Demonstrated ability and experience in report writing regarding complex information and data for management

Desirable:

• Ability to quickly learn various technologies / programmes as required to expert level and ability to train users.

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.