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

Tusla Therapy has responsibility for the management, development and governance of the agency’s therapeutic services.  Tusla Therapy aims to support children and those surrounding the child through working in partnership with families, carers, and their professional network to determine the child’s therapeutic needs.  Tusla Therapy operates within the legislative context for Tusla in Ireland and follows the direction of national strategy and policy. 

There are three dedicated therapeutic services: 

• Area Based Therapy Team (ABTT)
• Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS)
• National Interagency Prevention Programme (NIAPP) 

ACTS is a Tusla multidisciplinary clinical service with the remit of supporting young people who are at severe risk of harm and at risk of placement in special care or detention. ACTS work in collaboration with other agencies to address the risk of harm leading to referral, using a practice framework informed by Adaptive Mentalization-Based Integrative Treatment (AMBIT). This means that ACTS teams work to integrate systems of support, including supporting key relationships in young people’s lives, while also working therapeutically directly with young people. ACTS work toward therapeutic goals as defined and monitored with young people and the networks of family and professionals involved in their lives.

Purpose of Role

The Clinical Team Manager will:

• Have full responsibility and accountability for managing the regional ACTS Multi- disciplinary team.
• Supervise and manage a multi-disciplinary team and ensure a high quality evidence based assessment and therapeutic service is provided to young people in collaboration with their wider system.
• Provide day to day operational line management for the ACTS MDT team, and working with Heads of discipline who will provide clinical assurance and supervision regarding the practice of each professional within their own discipline.
• Provide excellent vision, direction and leadership.
• Ensure that there is appropriate governance in place and undertake on-going review 
• and evaluation to ensure that the delivery of the service is of a high quality.
• Be responsible in cooperation with Heads of discipline for ensuring that the clinical and line management governance will be provided in line with Tusla service plans and objectives and within established professional standards, regulations, guidelines and policy.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Professional/Clinical

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the team which will result in a high quality, effective, efficient and integrated multidisciplinary clinical service.
• To ensure that there is effective case management.
• To provide leadership for the team and promote evidence-based practice and a psycho-social model of care in collaboration with the Heads of Discipline
• To work closely with the Regional Therapy Manager to ensure integration and co- ordination of services.
• To ensure clinical supervision is provided for all members of staff from within their own discipline in line with the Tusla supervision policy.
• As required take responsibility for a defined caseload.
• Ensure that the assessment of the young person’s clinical needs is multi-disciplinary and completed in consultation with the young person, their family of origin, their social work team and the wider system to include care teams/foster carers and other appropriate stakeholders.
• Ensure that each young person accepted as an appropriate referral has a robust assessment of their clinical needs and an individual therapeutic plan that is developed, delivered and reviewed in collaboration and partnership with the relevant stakeholders.
• To manage referral intake meetings, allocation, caseloads, review pathways and discharge processes.
• To coordinate and chair weekly team meetings or designate as appropriate.
• Ensure that the delivery of service is in accordance with the relevant legislation, policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines. Lead on the identification of any further policies, protocols, procedures and guidelines which may be required.
• Develop and build strong alliances with other heads of services, professionals, specialist services, community and voluntary organisations in the regional area to ensure that children and young people can avail of integrated quality care.
• Work with the team to identify team based goals. To have an innovative and creative approach to service delivery.
• Lead the implementation of clinical audit and quality initiatives and evaluate the 
• outcomes of service provision.
• Ensure anti-discriminatory practice and cultural competence at individual and service levels.
• Provide as required information, professional advice and guidance to Senior Tusla Management for the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of services. 

Management

• Have full responsibility and accountability for managing the ACTS regional staff team.

• Be responsible for the day to day operational work of the team including management of probation, performance, certifying working hours and leave.
• Ensure that each team member has access to regular and appropriate discipline specific supervision.
• Liaise with the other Heads of Discipline regarding the clinical governance structures in place
• Ensure that each staff member receives an appropriate induction to the service. The clinical aspect of induction will remain the remit of the Head of Discipline.

• To liaise with the relevant head of discipline where concerns have arisen in relation to staff performance that cannot be resolved within the team structure.
• Report and advise on staffing needs to the Regional Therapy Services Manager.
• Liaise with staff, Staff representative organisations and Employee relations departments on service/staff issues in line with current Tusla policy.
• Oversee the implementation of an appropriate performance management system for the delivery of a high quality service
• Manage the delegated budget for the team in line with the relevant financial regulations. Liaise with the Heads of Discipline regarding the allocation of budget towards training and equipment as required.
• Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, and service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with other relevant managers.
• Keep updated on current and impending legislation and its perceived impact on Practice.
• Keep abreast and ensure service delivery corresponds to developments in national policies and strategies and best national and international practice.
• Keep up to date with national and organisational developments in the Child and Family Agency Tusla.
• Provide service delivery reports as required e.g. service plan, annual reports.
• Undertake responsibility for service evaluation to facilitate improved services and integrated care.
• Implement strategies to ensure that there is maximum service user involvement in the planning and delivery of the service.
• Ensure compliance with a high standard of documentation including service user files in accordance with local policy and relevant legislation, Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection legislation.as they apply to the service user and the service administration.
• Engage in IT developments
• Manage PQ’s, complaints, incidents, health and safety matters.
• Ensure there are robust child safe guarding processes in place.
• To liaise with external agencies as appropriate to ensure strong interagency cooperation to meet the needs of the young people.
• To implement an agreed care planning model to include key working and individual therapeutic plans.
• Promote a culture of shared respect, commitment and participation amongst staff in the management of change.
• Promote a culture that values diversity and respect in the work place.

Education and Training

• Be responsible for strategy and policy on practice development, education and professional duties within the team
• Manage mandatory and other relevant team training to ensure professional development requirements are met. This will be done in consultation with the other professional Heads of Discipline in accordance with service training policy.
• Ensure that each staff member has an individual Personal Development Plan which will inform the overall team training needs analysis in line with the Tusla National Strategy for Continuing Professional Development.
• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and ensure compliance with statutory registration requirements for themselves and all reporting staff.
• Be informed of advances in professional knowledge and practice and ensure their dissemination
• Facilitate and manage the provision of supervised training placements across the multi-disciplinary team appropriate to the client group in liaison with professional discipline leads.

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:

• Current Professional Qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Social Care, Addiction or Occupational Therapy. Relevant disciplines must be registered with CORU where there is a professional requirement to register.

AND

• 5 years’ relevant post qualification experience

AND

• Experience of managing a professional or clinical team

AND

• Must have the requisite and knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, professional and managerial experience) 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.