The Child and Family Agency was established on 1 January 2014 and is responsible for a range of statutory functions including child protection and welfare, alternative care, specified regulatory services, and family support services. Tusla delivers services nationally and continues to develop its practice, culture and structures to improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

Tusla has responsibility for services including:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Parenting, Family Support and Early Help
• Alternative Care
• Birth Information and Tracing and Adoption
• Tusla Education Support Services
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

The Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS) is a multidisciplinary clinical service within Tusla – Child and Family Agency. ACTS supports young people who are at severe risk of harm, including young people placed in special care and young people at risk of placement in special care or detention.

ACTS works collaboratively with young people, families, carers, social workers, residential and foster care staff, youth justice services, education services, health services and other relevant agencies. The service aims to support safer, more integrated and more therapeutic networks around young people, while also providing direct therapeutic assessment and intervention where indicated.

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist ACTS will work as part of an ACTS multidisciplinary team and will contribute to the delivery, development and governance of counselling and psychotherapy practice within the service.

Purpose of Role

The purpose of the post is to provide a senior counselling and psychotherapy service to young people supported by ACTS, including young people placed in special care under special care orders and young people at high risk of harm in the community who are at risk of placement in special care or detention.

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will provide therapeutic assessment, formulation, intervention, consultation and review as part of the ACTS multidisciplinary team. The role will involve direct work with young people, work with families and carers, consultation to professional networks, and contribution to multidisciplinary case planning and risk management.

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will carry a clinical caseload appropriate to the senior grade and may provide clinical leadership and practice support to Counsellor/Therapists, psychotherapy staff, trainees or other relevant staff as assigned and appropriate to the role.

The post-holder will contribute to the development of ACTS counselling and psychotherapy practice in line with best practice, professional standards, Tusla policy, Children First requirements, AMBIT-informed practice, and the goals of Tusla Therapy.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist ACTS will:

• Provide senior counselling and psychotherapy assessment, formulation, intervention, consultation and review appropriate to the ACTS client group.
• Carry a complex clinical caseload appropriate to the senior grade.
• Contribute to the organisation, delivery and development of counselling and psychotherapy within the ACTS multidisciplinary team.
• Provide reflective practice and practice support to Counsellor/Therapists, psychotherapy staff, trainees or other relevant professionals as assigned.
• Contribute to clinical governance, risk management, service planning, audit and quality improvement within ACTS.
• Work directly with young people and indirectly through families, carers, residential care staff, foster carers, social workers and professional networks.
• Work within current legislation, Tusla policies, professional ethical standards, Children First requirements, data protection requirements, and relevant HIQA standards.

Professional/ Clinical Responsibilities

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Be responsible for the delivery of counselling and psychotherapy assessment, intervention and consultation appropriate to the post and in line with best practice.
• Provide therapeutic assessment and formulation informed by the young person’s developmental history, trauma history, attachment relationships, care context, presenting risks, strengths, protective factors and current network.
• Formulate and implement therapeutic intervention plans in collaboration with the young person, ACTS MDT, family, carers, social work services and other relevant professionals.
• Work toward measurable therapeutic goals that are agreed, reviewed and monitored with young people and relevant members of their care and professional network.
• Provide direct counselling and psychotherapy to young people where clinically indicated.
• Provide consultation to carers, residential staff, foster carers, social workers and other professionals to support therapeutic responses to young people’s needs.
• Participate in multidisciplinary case planning, case review, network meetings, placement planning, discharge planning and interagency meetings.
• Contribute counselling and psychotherapy perspectives to risk assessment, safety planning and the management of complex presentations, including self-harm, suicidal ideation, exploitation risk, trauma-related distress, relational difficulties and placement instability.
• Document assessments, formulations, intervention plans, reviews, clinical notes, contacts, reports and summaries in accordance with Tusla requirements, professional standards and data protection requirements.
• Provide reports and professional opinions as required, including reports for care planning, statutory processes, court, tribunals or other formal processes where appropriate.
• Support the participation of young people in assessment, planning and review, in line with Tusla's commitment to child and youth participation.
• Advocate for the therapeutic needs of young people and ensure that their views and experiences are appropriately represented in clinical and interagency planning.
• Work within the limits of professional competence and seek consultation or supervision where required.
• Maintain professional accreditation, membership or registration requirements as appropriate to the post.
• Work in an ethical, culturally competent, anti-discriminatory and rights-based manner at all times.
• Contribute to the development of trauma-informed, attachment-informed, mentalizing and AMBIT-informed practice within ACTS.
• Work within the AMBIT-informed ACTS practice framework.
• Support integrated network-based practice with young people, families, carers and professional systems.
• Contribute to shared formulation and active planning across the multidisciplinary and interagency network.
• Support therapeutic goal setting and goal review with young people, their families and professional networks.
• Promote a mentalizing stance in direct therapeutic work, consultation, team reflection and interagency practice.
• Work with the MDT to identify dis-integration within networks and contribute to actions that improve shared understanding and coordinated care.
• Attend and contribute to AMBIT training, team reflection, community of practice and ACTS practice-development processes.
• Contribute to the adaptation of counselling and psychotherapy practice to the needs of young people who may not easily engage in traditional clinic-based therapy.
• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with ACTS MDT colleagues.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with social work services, special care, residential care, foster care, youth justice, CAMHS, disability services, education, community services and other relevant agencies.
• Contribute to coordinated interdisciplinary and interagency service delivery.
• Provide consultation, advice and training to Tusla staff and relevant partner agencies in areas related to counselling, psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, relational practice and therapeutic engagement.
• Participate in meetings, committees, case conferences and professional forums as required.
• Support effective transitions into, within and out of ACTS involvement.
• Promote service-user participation, family/carer involvement and network collaboration in line with the young person’s needs and rights.

Clinical Governance, Senior Practice Responsibilities

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Provide reflective practice to Counsellor/Therapists, psychotherapy staff, trainees or other relevant professionals where such opportunity exists within developing agency structures
• Support staff to work within professional ethical frameworks, scope of practice, Tusla policy, Children First requirements, and relevant clinical governance arrangements.
• Provide senior clinical input on complex therapeutic presentations and support the team to maintain safe, effective and proportionate therapeutic plans.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of counselling and psychotherapy care pathways within ACTS.
• Support consistent use of assessment, formulation, goal-setting, intervention planning, review and outcome monitoring.
• Promote reflective practice and safe decision-making in relation to high-risk and complex cases.
• Attend regular professional supervision in line with professional body requirements and Tusla Therapy / ACTS governance arrangements.
• Participate in performance achievement / performance management processes as required.
• Ensure that clinical records, reports and service data are maintained to a high standard.
• Escalate clinical governance, safeguarding, risk, professional practice or service concerns to the appropriate manager or supervisor in a timely manner.

Research, Audit and Evaluation

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Utilise evidence-based literature, research and best practice guidance to support effective counselling and psychotherapy practice.
• Participate in evaluation of clinical activity and service outcomes within ACTS.
• Contribute to audit, service evaluation, quality improvement and practice-development initiatives.
• Collect, record and provide activity data, outcome information and other service metrics as required.
• Use data and feedback to support service planning, review and improvement.
• Contribute to service-related research where appropriate and in line with governance, ethics and data protection requirements.
• Share learning from practice-development, audit or evaluation activity through ACTS, Tusla Therapy and relevant professional forums where appropriate.

Education and Training

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Engage in specialised training appropriate to the post, including ACTS induction and AMBIT training.
• Attend mandatory training programmes.
• Maintain continuing professional development in line with professional accreditation, registration and service requirements.
• Provide induction, training, consultation and practice support to staff as required.
• Support Counsellor/Therapists, trainees and other relevant staff to engage in continuing professional development.
• Provide teaching, training, supervision or consultation to Tusla staff and interagency partners where appropriate to the role.
• Remain informed of developments in counselling, psychotherapy, trauma-informed practice, attachment-informed practice, child and adolescent mental health, child protection, special care, youth justice and relevant legislation/policy.
• Engage in planning and performance review processes.

Management and Administration

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Deputise for the Clinical Team Manager, Head of Discipline or relevant senior colleague as appropriate and within the limits of the role.
• Contribute to service planning, policy development, procedure development, referral pathways, information-sharing protocols and integrated care arrangements.
• Provide service reports, activity data, outcome data and other information as required by the Clinical Team Manager, Head of Discipline, Regional Therapy Manager or relevant governance structures.
• Maintain accurate, clear, concise and purposeful records and reports.
• Contribute to recruitment processes and other HR functions as required.
• Support efficient use of resources, including rooms, equipment, ICT systems, travel, administrative support and clinical materials.
• Keep up to date with organisational developments within Tusla.
• Contribute to a workplace culture that respects dignity, diversity, wellbeing, reflective practice and professional accountability.

Quality, Risk, Health and Safety

The Senior Counsellor/Therapist will:

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice.
• Adhere to relevant legislation, regulations, standards and Tusla protocols.
• Have a working knowledge of HIQA standards as they apply to the role, including standards relevant to children’s services, child protection and care.
• Contribute to risk assessment, risk management and safety planning in relation to young people and service delivery.
• Take appropriate action in relation to incidents, near misses, complaints, safeguarding concerns or other risks in line with Tusla policy.
• Promote quality standards and participate in audit, review and quality assurance processes.
• Maintain safe working practices when working in varied locations, including special care, residential care, family homes, community settings, offices and online/blended service-delivery contexts.
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low-carbon and efficient service.

The above Job Specification 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:

1. Professional Qualifications, Accreditation / Membership and Experience

Candidates for appointment must:

(1) Hold a qualification at Level 7 or higher on the QQI Framework in a human science discipline, such as medical, psychological, social or educational studies, or hold a qualification at Level 7 or higher in a health and social care profession.

And

Meet either 2A or 2B below.

2A. Counselling / Psychotherapy Route

(2A)(i) Hold a degree or postgraduate qualification in counselling or psychotherapy recognised by one of the following, as appropriate:

• Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), or
• one of the recognised sections within the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP).

And

(2A)(ii) Have full accredited membership with one of the following:

• IACP, or
• one of the recognised sections within ICP.

Pre-accredited hours must include a minimum of 100 hours of one-to-one counselling/psychotherapy with clients under the supervision of an IACP/ICP accredited supervisor.

2B. Counselling Psychology / Clinical Psychology Route

(2B)(i) Hold a postgraduate qualification in counselling psychology or clinical psychology recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland.

And

(2B) (ii) Hold full membership with the clinical or counselling psychology division of the Psychological Society of Ireland.

3. Post-Accreditation Clinical Experience

All candidates must have a minimum of 3 years’ full-time satisfactory, relevant clinical experience post-accreditation as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist, providing counselling or psychotherapy in a variety of clinical contexts.

4. Supervision / Case Management Experience

All candidates must have a minimum of 1 year’s experience providing supervision and/or case management to Counsellor/Therapists, trainees or other relevant professionals in a variety of settings.

5. Knowledge and Ability

All candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of suitability, organisational ability and management ability, for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

6. 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 that would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

7. Character

Each candidate for, and any person holding, the office must be of good character.