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

Post Specific Service: About Tusla’s Quality & Regulation Directorate

Tusla’s Quality and Regulation Directorate is concerned with promoting continuous improvement and effective risk management in services for children and families. It delivers its functions through the following functions:

Children’s Services Regulation: Children’s Services Regulation (CSR) is part of Tusla’s Quality & Regulation Directorate and has responsibility for providing public assurance that Tusla’s regulatory functions operate to a high standard, in accordance with legislation and evidence-based practice. CSR’s remit includes the Early Years Inspectorate, the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service, the Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service and the Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit. CSR continues to strengthen its governance, quality, data and assurance arrangements through implementation of the CSR Strategy 2025–2030, the CSR Governance Framework, the Quality Management System, internal quality assurance audit activity and the ongoing development of digital and case-management systems to support consistent, proportionate and child-centred regulation.

Early Years Inspectorate: The Early Years Inspectorate is the independent statutory regulator of Early Years’ Services and is responsible for registering and inspecting pre-schools, playgroups, crèches, day care, school age care and similar services. Its role is to promote the quality, safety and appropriate care of children by robust regulation of the sector.

Alternative Education Assessment: Children who are educated at home or who attend a non-recognised school must be registered with Tusla by their parents/guardians. The registration process requires that an assessment or assessments be carried out to determine whether the child is receiving a certain minimum education and therefore can be placed on the statutory register of children educated outside of a recognised school. Children who are educated in an independent school setting can also be placed on the register where it is determined that the school is providing a minimum education to the pupils who are enrolled there.

Alternative Care Regulation: The team monitors and reports on alternative care settings for children who cannot live with their families. The service is responsible currently for the

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Professional

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of new systems, processes and functions across Children’s Services Regulation, ensuring alignment with CSR governance, quality assurance, audit and continuous improvement requirements.
• Design, document and implement business processes, procedures and workflows that support consistent, proportionate and child-centred regulatory practice across CSR.
• Support the development, implementation and maintenance of CSR policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, templates, guidance and controlled documents.
• Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of the eQuality Management System (eQMS) across CSR, including document control, performance indicators, audit readiness, corrective actions and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop reporting mechanisms, dashboards and management information to support evidence-informed decision-making, performance oversight, quality improvement and regulatory assurance.
• Support the development and implementation of ICT-related solutions, including user requirements, business process mapping, testing, implementation support, user guidance and system improvement activity.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, automation, data quality, document control and user experience across CSR functions.
• Manage, track and process stakeholder feedback and information relevant to CSR systems, processes and regulatory functions.

Management

• Provide leadership and direction in the development and implementation of systems, processes and functions that support CSR’s strategic priorities, annual business planning and service improvement objectives.
• Manage and supervise assigned staff or team members, including allocating work, supporting performance, promoting professional development and ensuring delivery of agreed outputs.
• Work collaboratively with managers across CSR to support consistent implementation of new and existing systems, processes, procedures and quality arrangements.
• Support change readiness by engaging with staff, identifying implementation issues, developing practical solutions and promoting adoption of new ways of working.
• Maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and represent CSR in an informed, professional and credible manner.
• Monitor progress against agreed objectives, identify risks or barriers to delivery, escalate issues appropriately and contribute to resolution planning.
• Prepare briefings, reports, updates and other documentation for CSR senior management, governance groups and relevant stakeholders as required
• Contribute to the effective strategic and administrative delivery of CSR functions and undertake any other duties appropriate to the post as assigned.

Education & Training

• Support the development and delivery of training, guidance and user supports for new systems, processes, procedures and eQuality Management System (eQMS) requirements.
• Develop or contribute to user guides, knowledge-base materials, standard operating procedures and training materials to support consistent implementation and staff understanding.
• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attending relevant training as appropriate.
• Engage in career and professional development planning and support a culture of learning, quality improvement and shared knowledge across CSR

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. 

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• A relevant third-level qualification in business administration, ICT, information systems, data analytics, quality management, health, social care, early years, public administration or another area relevant to the role.
• A minimum of three years' relevant experience in one or more areas such as systems development, business process improvement, quality management, regulatory administration, business analysis, service improvement, ICT-enabled change, or another related business management function.
• Demonstrable experience in improving business processes, systems, or ways of working, including activities such as process review, procedure development, 
• workflow improvement, quality management, reporting arrangements, or administrative systems enhancement.
• Experience using digital platforms, tools, or systems to support business operations, service delivery, data management, reporting, workflow management, or business intelligence.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and experience with relevant business systems or technologies, such as SharePoint, databases, CRM/case-management systems, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Experience working collaboratively with managers, staff and /or other stakeholders to identify business needs and contribute to the development, implementation, or improvement of business processes or systems. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience in one or more areas such as requirements gathering, solution development, implementation support, user guidance, stakeholder engagement, or training delivery.

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.