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

Purpose of role:

The policy of the Child and Family Agency to enable children to live with their own families wherever possible and to support parents where necessary in fulfilling that role.  In circumstances where this is not possible, Residential Care incl. Special Care remains a valuable option for children who cannot be cared for at home.

To work as part of a team to provide a safe, caring environment for resident young people with the primary aim of providing the intervention necessary to address the issues that are preventing them from living at home, in foster care or in Community Based Centres in the case of Special Care Interventions.

To do so up to a point to be determined by their age, need or development, whereby circumstances are such that it becomes more feasible to help prepare them to live independently with the support of our aftercare services.

The policy of the Child and Family Agency to enable children to live with their own families wherever possible and to support parents where necessary in fulfilling that role.  In circumstances where this is not possible, Residential Care incl. Special Care remains a valuable option for children who cannot be cared for at home.

To work as part of a team to provide a safe, caring environment for resident young people with the primary aim of providing the intervention necessary to address the issues that are preventing them from living at home, in foster care or in Community Based Centres in the case of Special Care Interventions.

To do so up to a point to be determined by their age, need or development, whereby circumstances are such that it becomes more feasible to help prepare them to live independently with the support of our aftercare services.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Management:

• To create and maintain a safe, caring and stable environment for the young people placed in the centre
• To manage the centre in accordance with Child and Family Agency policies, guidelines and protocols and with the regulations made by the Minister for Health and Children under the Child Care Act 1991 and other relevant legislation.
• To ensure that Care and Placement Plans are in place, agreed, implemented and monitored regularly in respect of every young person placed in the centre.
• To promote the rights and responsibilities of each young person in the centre.
• To comply with the Child and Family Agency Admissions and Discharge Policy.
• To participate in on-going planning and strategic development of Child and Family Agency Children’s Residential Centres.
• To ensure the appropriate use of resources within the centre.
• To consult with young people placed in the centre, their families, centre staff and external stakeholders as appropriate.
• To provide such reports, statistics to the Social Care Manager (or other specified person) as required.
• To ensure that the maintenance and upkeep of the centre, its furniture, vehicle and equipment.
• To adhere to Fire Safety Requirements as specified by the local fire safety authority and the Child and Family Agency Fire Safety Officer.
• To ensure compliance in the unit with the provisions of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act, (1989) and other relevant legislation.
• To provide an on call service for the centre and / or for the Child and Family Agency Children’s Residential Centres on a rota basis.
• Such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Social Care Manager (or other specified person) to include working shifts where rostered staff are not available.
• To engage in age-appropriate play and other activities with each child/young person within the centre as required.
• To engage in physical intervention and / or restraint which is in keeping with local policies and procedures.

Financial Management:

• To manage the budget for the centre, in compliance with approved budgetary procedures, and to ensure that optimum benefit is achieved from available resources.
• To ensure that expenditure in the centre is controlled within agreed cash limits and in compliance with approved procedures.
• To maintain such records as are required by the Child and Family Agency, or the Minister for Children to ensure that such records are at all times available for inspection by an authorised officer.
• To ensure that appropriate financial information for the unit is provided to the Social Care Manager (or other specified person)

Staff Management:

• To manage and supervise staff in the centre.
• To arrange the duty roster and manage the designated staff resources, ensuring that staff levels and skill mix are appropriate and within the resource allocation.
• To identify in consultation with the Social Care Manager the training and development requirements for the centre.
• To maintain staff records within guidelines laid down by the Child and Family Agency and the Department of Children.
• To participate in relevant professional development and training programmes.
• To attend and participate fully in professional supervision with Social Care 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:

• Be registered in the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board maintained by CORU.

or

• Hold a CORU approved Social Care Worker qualification and have applied for CORU registration (evidence of application will be necessary)

(https://coru.ie/health-and-social-care-professionals/education/approved-qualifications/social-care-workers/)

• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Atlantic Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Care, Atlantic Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Atlantic Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Institute of Technology, Sligo
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Care, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care, Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care, Munster Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care, Institute of Technology, Tralee
• Honours Bachelor of Arts (Social Care), National University of Ireland, Galway
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care), Quality and Qualifications Ireland, delivered by Carlow College, St. Patrick’s
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, delivered by The Open Training College
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Professional Social Care Practice, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts in Professional Social Care Practice, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, South East Technological University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Professional Social Care Practice, Institute of Technology, Carlow
• Bachelor of Arts in Professional Social Care Practice, Institute of Technology, Carlow
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care, Institute of Technology, Carlow
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Professional Social Care, Institute of Technology, Carlow
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Waterford Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Waterford Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Technological University Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Technological University Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care, Technological University Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Technological University Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Care, Technological University Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care, Dublin Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Institute of Technology, Tallaght
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care Practice, Institute of Technology, Tallaght
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care Work, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Work, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Care, Athlone Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies in Social Care, Athlone Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Practice, Athlone Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Care Work, Limerick Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care Work, Limerick Institute of Technology

or

Be eligible for registration in the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board maintained by CORU (evidence of application will be necessary)

And

           A minimum of 3 years’ experience of working in a Social Care Grade in a Children’s Residential Centre as relevant to the role.

    And

• Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of 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.