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
Post Specific Service: About Tusla’s Quality Assurance & Regulation Directorate
Tusla’s Quality Assurance Directorate is concerned with promoting continuous improvement and effective risk management in services for children and families. It delivers its functions though the following functions:

Children’s Services 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 (i.e. a school that is not funded by the Department of Educational and Skills) 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 registration and inspection of non-statutory residential care settings for young people, as well as the monitoring and audit of non-statutory foster care providers.
Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU)
The CSSCU has a national centralised function for the receipt and processing of referrals and notifications of failure to furnish Tusla with a copy of a relevant agency’s safeguarding statement made under Article 12(1) of the Children First Act 2015. The office is also responsible for appropriately supporting relevant agencies to achieve compliance under section 12 (1) – (5) of the legislation.
Regulatory Practice Development
The Regulatory Practice Development Team is responsible for a range of functions to provide support to Children’s Services Regulation. There are five distinct functions which are; management and analysis of data and business process design and re-design, implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management system across Children’s Services Regulation, co-ordination and delivery of Learning and Development, provision of expert advice and guidance
on matters relating to children attending early years services and management of Children’s Services Regulation communications which includes the website and the publication of inspection reports.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:
•Conduct assessments of education provision under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 in accordance with Tulsa policies and guidelines and agreed service plans and work programmers
•Arrange professionals’ meetings, if required, to inform decision making
•Prepare clear and concise draft and final assessment reports
•Discuss assessment findings with parent(s)/ guardian(s) / school
•Attend Alternative Education Registration Panel as required
•Attend team meetings and training as required
•Maintain and review files in line with organisational standard operating procedures.
•Assist manager in the programme of service improvement of the Alternative Education and Assessment services.
•Assist in the development of service protocols, policies and guidelines
•Develop relationships and engage with key stakeholders
•Assist the management team to identify trends and issues in the sector
•Contribute to the development of research and information strategies
•Ensure reports are prepared accurately and on a timely basis.
•Ensure compliance with all related HR policies, procedures and guidelines.
•Ensure the practice is in line with current legislation, policies and procedures, guidelines, protocols and standardised operation procedures.
•Ensure compliance with a high standard of documentation in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
•Avail of appropriate supervision/case management support to ensure continued best practice.
Education & Training
•Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attendance at courses as appropriate.
•Engage in career and professional development planning.

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:
•Quality and Qualifications Ireland Level 8 (or higher) major academic award in teaching and / or Level 9 (or higher) major academic award in educational psychology.
•3 years’ relevant experience working with children in an education setting.
•Requisite knowledge and 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.