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

The staff appointed to these roles will be assigned to work with children in care in a specified TUSLA area, working as part of multi-disciplinary team(s) delivering a co-ordinated service to children, young people and their families.
The post holder will work collaboratively with a variety of services to assess and understand the therapeutic needs of young people and their families in the care of Tulsa and respond with interventions that are timely, proportionate, needs led, evidence based and in partnership with the young people and their families. Other key stakeholders could include An Gardai Siochana HSE primary care, Disability services, CAMHS, Schools, PHN’s, GP’s, Adult mental health, substance misuse services and other community and voluntary organisations.
The senior psychologist will be responsible for the delivery of the psychological interventions in line with Tusla policies and within established professional guidance, standards and policy.
The role of psychology in TUSLA is based on the scientific evidence of the impact of accumulated Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on emotional stability, mental health and daily self-care and living skills immediately, and for the rest of the children’s lives. Family disruption and break down, exposure to violence and subjection to abuse are major traumatic events meriting psychological assessments, supports and interventions. These are aimed to alleviate immediate suffering at family crisis points, (re-)stabilise positive developmental pathways in the re-settling periods and provide restorative therapy when an equilibrium has been re-established. The target group of TUSLA psychology services are children and young people whose safety in their family of origin was compromised to such an extent that alternative care had to be implemented. Training, consultation and support for current carers, guardians and support care staff are included as vital parts of the internal TUSLA psychology services. Internal TUSLA psychology services are specific to the issues directly linked to jeopardising a child’s place in his/her family (e.g. sexual abuse and offending, exposure to violence) and to the ramifications of in-care experiences (loyalty conflicts between family of origin and care family, being subject to court decisions, stigma of not living with one’s family etc.). In providing for a holistic, all- encompassing service and for provision and smooth transition into aftercare/adulthood, close co-operation with other health care providers in primary care, mental health and disability is of paramount importance. The TUSLA psychology service takes the role of an essential secondary service provider in the care pyramid with referral protocols up and down to specialised services of mental health/disability and generic services of primary care.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
Research & Evaluation

• Utilise evidence-based literature and research to support effective practice
• Undertake project management including audit and service evaluation with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.
• Participate in evaluation of all clinical activity within the post and provide such information as required by the Principal Social Worker for the purpose of service monitoring and evaluation.
• Undertake appropriate research and provide research advice as appropriate.
• Publish research outcomes in professionally recognised journals and share information on outcomes at professional conferences where appropriate.
• Represent a professional viewpoint in relation to nationally accepted good practice and to ensure a high level of ethical standards and professional conduct.
• Contribute to developments and innovative practice in psychology within Tusla.
• Conduct all research activity under the guidance of Tulsa’s national research office.

Education & Training

• Attend mandatory training programmes
• Be informed of advances in professional knowledge and practice.
• Keep abreast of best practice as outlined by the Psychological Society of Ireland
• Participate in continuous professional development initiatives and ensure compliance with statutory registration requirements when required.
• In collaboration with the Senior / Principal Psychologist and Principal Social Worker attend training courses as informed by service requirements and career and personal development planning
• Attend and engage in clinical and line management supervision effectively and in a reflective capacity.
• Support the education of those in post graduate professional psychology training
• Participate in the learning and practice education of students on placement from the MDT team.
• Provide trainings as warranted.

Management
The Senior Psychologist will:

• Provide clinical supervision to assigned staff as appropriate.
• Identify staff training and development needs through the completion of personal development plans with staff, reporting needs to work force learning and development and in consultation with the wider Tusla therapy MDT, social work, and other managers.
• Manage and co-ordinate service delivery in their area of responsibility.
• Assign duties and responsibilities as appropriate to ensure effective service delivery.
• Ensure the maintenance of a high standard of appropriate service user records and statistics in accordance with Tusla requirements and local guidelines, Freedom of Information Acts, Data Protection Acts, GDPR and other relevant legislation.
• Act as a person mandated under Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015.
• Provide service reports / data as required by the Regional Therapy Manager or Principal Social Worker
• Maintain accurate up to date records and files and submit activity data as required.
• Write accurate, clear, concise and purposeful reports.
• Contribute to service developments by monitoring and evaluating emerging needs and trends in consultation with team members, the Regional Therapy Manager or Principal Social Worker
• Collaborate with the Regional Therapy Manager and Principal Social Worker in developing the role of the Senior Grade Psychologist and the service e.g. through planning, audit, production of standards, continuing education, quality improvement initiatives and research.
• Be responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of service in designated area(s).
• Ensure good working practice and adherence to standards of best practice.
• Promote quality by reviewing and evaluating the Psychology service, identifying changing needs and opportunities to improve services.
• Represent the department / profession / team at meetings and conferences as appropriate.
• Participate in the control and ordering of clinical equipment.
• Engage in technological developments as they apply to the service user and service administration.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols, audit systems, referral pathways and integrated care arrangements.
• Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, business / service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with Regional Therapy Manager and Principal Social Worker and relevant others.
• Keep abreast of developments in national policies and strategies and international best practice.
• Maintain an awareness of HR policies and procedures / engage in recruitment processes and other HR functions as required.
• Assist in ensuring that the psychological service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in IT.
• Maintain professional standards with regard to service user and data confidentiality.
• Keep up to date with organisational developments within Tusla.

Administrative

• Maintain appropriate records, databases and statistics in accordance with Tusla requirements and local guidelines, Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Acts GDPR and other relevant legislation.
• Maintain professional standards with regard to records of children, young people and their families and maintain data confidentiality.
• Actively participate in development and continuing improvement initiatives of psychological services in liaison with the Principal Psychologist and relevant others including your MDT colleagues, Regional Therapy Manager and Social Work Management.
• Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, business proposals, service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with t Principal Psychologist and Principal Social Worker and the Regional Therapy manager.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols, audit systems, referral pathways and integrated care arrangements.
• Assist in ensuring that the psychology service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in Information and Communications Technology
• Keep up to date with organisational developments within the Tusla and the wider public sector.
• Staff will work within the values and principles as outlined in the national framework of Signs of Safety.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National.
• Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards, regulations regarding foster care and residential care etc and comply with associated Tusla protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• As a mandated person under the Children First Act 2015 you will have a legal obligation to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to TUSLA Child Protection teams.

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:

• A recognised University QQI Level 8 degree (or equivalent) obtained with first- or second-class honours in which psychology was taken as a major subject and honours obtained in that subject.

And

• A recognised postgraduate professional psychological qualification in Clinical, Counselling or Educational Psychology, as appropriate to the area of professional psychology in which the position is designated and accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland.

Or

• Qualification(s) from another jurisdiction confirmed by the Department of Health to be equivalent to the above.

And

• Have at least five years satisfactory post graduate clinical experience, inclusive of any time spent pursuing a course leading to the postgraduate qualification and including at least two years full-time satisfactory experience as a staff grade psychologist (or at a more senior grade with a psychologist title) in the area of professional psychology in which the position is designated.

And

• Possess 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.