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 & Regulation Directorate
Tusla’s Quality & Regulation 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, childminding, 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
Professional
•Make recommendations to the designated Inspection Manager with regard to the registration of designated services.
•In accordance with Part 7(a) of the Child Care Act Inspect Early Years Services. This is detailed in the Act as preschool, school age and childminding services (0-15 years).
•Follow up on Feedback and Concerns/complaints received in regard to Registered Early Years services.
•
Prepare reports in respect of Inspection, reviews & complaints to a level suitable for public dissemination.
•Liaise with other professionals in relation to early years services.
•Provide advice and information to early years providers including external agencies as appropriate.
•Undertake duties in connection with the organisation, delivery and evaluation of the early year’s services as required.
•Undertake duties as required in the context of new legislation and relevant national guidelines, standards and policies.
Management
•Collect statistical information and data as appropriate and to keep such records as are required.
•Liaise with County Childcare Committees and participate in CCC meetings as representative of Child and Family agency if required, and national voluntary organisations and other external agencies.
•Prepare Inspection reports and advise the Inspection Manager on the performance of Early Years Services.
•Work to agreed priorities and objectives to assist in implementing the inspectorate’s service and operational plans.
•Respond to and monitor concerns received.
•Manages all assigned services in particular in relation to Planned Inspections
oTriggered inspections carried out on foot of Notifications of Incidents and Feedback & Concerns received
oPre-Registration Assessment
oFit for purpose Inspections
•Assist in the formation of policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures.
•Participate on working groups where requested.
•Implement all policies, standard operating procedures and guidance issued by the National office.

Education and Training
•Where an Inspector is registered to a relevant professional body this will be supported and facilitated by oversight of an appropriate person(s) within Tusla.
•Provide mentoring to new Early Years Inspectors and assist with Induction training when required.
•Co-operate with on-going development of early years Inspection services.
•To assist & support in the implementation of agreed audit programme for early Years service.
•To participate in the implementation of any ICT support initiative.

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:
•Be registered or entitled to be registered in the Public Health, paediatric, midwife, intellectual and mental health Divisions of the Register of Nurses & Midwives maintained by Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland) or Be entitled to be registered with CORU for with a relevant profession.

OR
•Hold a professional qualification (Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) or equivalent in Social Care, Social Work, Early Years Care and Education, Bachelor of Education, Child Psychology, Youth & Community Work.

AND
•Have not less than 5 years satisfactory experience as a Public Health Nurse in the Irish Health Sector.

OR
•An aggregate of five years such experience.
•Relevant experience in a professional regulatory role

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