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

Purpose of Role

The General Assistants employed in Ballydowd work, primarily, in the Reception Area: providing twenty-four hour cover, seven days a week with live nights included. They are subject to the authority of the Director, the Deputy Directors and the designated on-call managers

Main Duties and Responsibilities
•To ensure the security of the reception areas: including, controlling entry to and exit from it. To do this effectively they must maintain regular contact with the units in relation to the coming and going of people. This information should be entered into the reception dairy.
•To ensure proper operation of all Gates, permitting only authorised entry to, and exit through these gates in the grounds of Ballydowd.
•To ensure that both staff and visitors sign in to the campus, that they remain in the reception area while General Assistants contact the unit or specific member of staff, to collect them. To ensure that these sign in records are kept.

•Where it is necessary to allow individuals and vehicles onto the service road or main campus, the General Assistants will operate the gates/doors and supervise them, or will ensure that some-one authorised supervises them.
•To monitor and control the closed circuit television cameras, and to record and report any incidents, suspicious circumstances or concerns to a member of management/on-call manager immediately, and also inform staff in the relevant unit.
•To monitor equipment in the reception office and record and report any difficulties or faults to member of management/on-call manager.
•To answer the telephone in a respectful manner, where appropriate handling initial enquiries, transferring calls or taking a message.
•Carry out daily checks on gates and equipment and report any difficulties to a member of management/on-call manager.
•To ensure their office, their reception area and the car parks are kept tidy and clear of obstacles. The bins store in the staff car park must be wheeled into the reception car park on the day refuse is collected.
•To ensure that no unauthorised persons are allowed access to their office.
•To ensure that the General Assistants office, kitchen in admin and reception is cleaned each night.
•If an alarm is set off i.e. Fire or Connesus: General Assistants should attempt to contact relevant unit and ascertain the nature of the alarm. Records of these events are to be recorded and kept.
•General Assistants to participate in the supervision process and undertake training and self-development as required by management.
•To ensure that Ballydowd policies and procedures and those of Tusla are adhered to.
•To inform a member of management/on-call manager, of any accidents or incidents of concerns, and if required provide a written report.
•While operating within the safety requirements of their role, they must also endeavour to make visitors feel welcome.
•To ensure that the rights of the young people in our care are respected and the young people are not subjected to any forms of abuse.
•To communicate appropriately with the young people, their families, other members of Ballydowd staff, and various other individuals.
•To maintain a log-book, to record details of the shift; and a diary in which events such as meetings and visits can be entered prior to their happening.
•To provide on-coming General Assistants with a hand-over, detailing relevant information and incidents.
•Any other duties, as required by a member of management/on-call manager.
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:
•Junior Certificate or equivalent
•Good telephone skills
•Basic computer skills
•have satisfactory relevant experience which encompasses demonstrable equivalent skills
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.