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 & Regulation Directorate is concerned with promoting continuous improvement and effective risk management in services for children and families. It delivers its functions though a range of functions including:

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 and childminding services. Its role is to promote the quality, safety and appropriate care of children by robust regulation of the sector,

Alternative Education Assessment and Review Service: 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) 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 Inspection and Monitoring Service: 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: 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 and Development: The Regulatory Practice and Development Team is responsible for a range of functions to provide support to Children’s Services Regulation. The core functions are.

• Development, coordination and implementation of policy & procedure and new regulatory systems and processes.

•Management & analysis of data and Business process development, design & implementation.
•Development and implementation of ICT solutions and systems
•Implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management systems.
•Implementation and development of Quality Assurance audit systems
•Co-ordination and delivery of Learning and Development across Children’s Services Regulation
•Management of Children’s Services Regulation communications and stakeholder engagement which includes the website and the publication of inspection reports.
•Provision of expert advice and guidance on matters relating to children attending early years services.

Children’s Services Regulation (CSR) is undergoing significant development in response to changes in legislation, changes to the sector, evolution of technology and enhancements to processes and procedures as a result of our quality management system. The CSR Programme Office has been established to centrally manage projects within CSR to ensure they are delivered on time and to the high level of quality required. The objective of the Programme Office is to offer a centralized approach to increase the success of CSR’s change initiatives by making efficient use of resources and skillsets and ease the burden on business as usual activities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:
The Programme Office Manager is responsible for;

Programme management:
•Lead, motivate and support staff by creating a positive work environment focusing on high quality results, continuous improvement, participation and creative thinking,
•Day-to-day management and oversight of CSR’s projects to ensure the delivery of agreed project goals, including scope management, communications, stakeholder management, reporting, risk management, governance and status reporting,
•Ensures approval and acceptance of project deliverables to agreed quality standards,
•Ensures the maintenance of the repository of project documentation,
•Contribute to the departments business plan and implement business plan objectives within own area,
•Contribute to policies and procedures for own area,
•Implement robust project management methodology and ensure its consistency across all projects,

•Seek feedback from service users to evaluate service,
•Make appropriate use of technology to advance the quality and efficiency of service provision,
•Deliver presentations to groups on Unit function and changes within service.
Programme reporting:
•Ensure that the appropriate level of programme governance is in place, is maintained and adhered to,
•Track and report on timescales, resources and risks, and recommend action where these deviate from agreed tolerances,
•Facilitate programme update meetings and report to the Head of CSR Programme Office on the progress and status of the assigned projects,
•Map, plan and record the management of programme risks, issues and dependencies and ensure they are effectively managed,
•Facilitate regular risk and dependency reviews with relevant stakeholders.
Training and development:
•Participate in mandatory training programmes,
•Pursue continuous professional development to develop professional knowledge.
Communications / stakeholder management:
•Participate in and lead project working groups,
•Ensure that highly effective communication mechanisms and processes are in place to manage, motivate and influence multiple project stakeholders,
•Promote and participate in the implementation of change,
•Deliver presentations to groups on Programme Office function and changes within service,
•Represent Tusla on committees and groups as required.

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:
•Have a third level qualification in a relevant discipline (business/management or other).
•Project management qualification (PRINCE2, PMP or equivalent.,
•Experience of working project management role including project design. business process mapping, budget management, system implementation.
•Experience of delivering change in a complex environment.
•Experience of managing and working collaboratively cross functionally with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
•Experience in team management and development.
•Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management 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