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

The Professional Support Manager will support the Chief Officer in the development of the Tusla service in the Dublin North East. 

• Support the Chief Officer Dublin North East and Area Managers within the region with the consistent implementation of Tusla policies and procedures relating to child and family services. 
• Provide support to Area Managers and Chief Officer with governance of implementation of policies and procedures, which will include file audits, developing service improvement plans, facilitating learning events and chairing and participating in relevant forums. 
• Provide line management to Regional Fostering Principal Social Workers and any other regional staff as required.
• Support the provision of a framework for the promotion of staff development and training.
• Promote evidence informed practice.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Line Manager for staff within regional office as assigned by Chief Officer.
• Line manage Regional Fostering Principal Social Workers
• Manage services and projects as may be assigned by the Chief Officer.
• Support to Chief Officer in commissioning including service level agreements that are assigned regionally.
• Assist the Chief Officer to effectively plan and organise resources to achieve objectives and actions as set out in Tusla Corporate Plan and Business Plan and ensure all targets assigned to the Dublin North East Chief Officer are tracked and progressed.
• Support the Chief Officer in the maintenance and reporting on governance systems within the regional office.
• Have a lead role in supporting areas to be compliant with HIQA standards.
• To be responsible for and provide assistance and support to areas and region in preparing inspection datasets, action plans and tracking and reporting on actions from inspections, audits, national review panel, complaints and other reports.
• Lead regional assigned groups to support service reviews, improvement and developing service consistency.
• Lead on assigned area of performance monitoring and review, providing analysis and review of area and regional performance.
• Support the provision of a framework for the promotion of staff development and training by making recommendations regarding the on-going education, mentoring, training and in-service needs of the team.
• Lead the continued development of existing structures for sharing learning and promoting effective implementation of policies/procedures/practice including the promotion of evidence informed practice.
• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attendance at courses as appropriate. 
• Contribute to communication systems across region to ensure staff in Dublin North East are kept up to date with service developments and changes.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of best practice models of service.
• Promote and participate in the implementation of any change management programme.
• Promote and contribute to Tusla’s children and young people strategy, including leading initiatives whereby the children, young people and their families are given opportunities to contribute to service planning.
• Prepare briefing papers and presentations in response to queries from Chief Officer and Department of Service and Integration (DOSI), the CEO and as required DCDE.
• Carry out internal reviews of complaints that are escalated to regional office in line with Tell Us.  In addition to this, support local areas in ensuring complaints are completed in a timely manner, which will include acting as complaints officer if required. 
• As required, act as FOI and Data Protection decision maker relating to requests for regional office and as internal reviewer for areas.  
• Participate and as required lead national working groups for work streams/portfolios that are assigned to the Chief Officer. 
• Develop working relationships and act as liaison for Third Level institutions and co-ordinate practice placements. 
• As part of the Regional Management Team lead on practice, structural and cultural   reform as part of Tusla’s Integrated Reform programme.
• Engage and collaborate with key external stakeholders to promote inter-agency collaboration and promote joint working.
• Work to tight deadlines and operate effectively with multiple competing priorities and take personal responsibility to initiate activities and drive objectives through to a conclusion.

Education and Training

• Maintain continuous professional development and participate in team-based development, education, training and learning.
• To complete all mandatory training.
• Where appropriate, arrange for the induction and training for staff, as required (to include work experience placements where applicable).

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. 

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:

• Hold a Social Work Qualification and be eligible to register on the Social Workers Registration Board maintained at CORU and maintain live annual registration on this Register.
   
• At least 3 years’ experience as a Senior Manager in Health/Social Services;
• At least 5 years’ management experience in Health/Social Services.
• Have delivered large scale change programmes across a range of services and involving multiple stakeholder or professional groups.
• Have strong operational knowledge and experience of delivery of social work services in key areas of practice including child protection/welfare and alternative care.
• The requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of 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.