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:

As a senior administrative post, you will be required to effectively support the work of the National Placement Team Senior Manager and Children’s Residential Services in all matters pertaining to Child and Family Services within the Service Area, with a focus on Finance related to the National Placement Team.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Administration

• Support the monitoring and control of resources in accordance with Tusla’s Financial Regulations.
• Assist in all aspects of financial administration and day to day business including adhering to month- end deadlines in a strict and timely basis by linking with required finance representations to ensure that all accruals, prepayments, journals, etc. are accurately captured for reporting purposes on all business activities.
• Ensure all aspects of financial processes and administration related to Children’s Residential Services National Placement Team are completed to required standard and in line with specified deadlines
• Working with Children’s Residential Services, Regional Finance Team, in providing information, reports etc as required
• Collate and maintain all necessary data and records ensuring that they are accurate, maintained confidentiality and are readily available to the appropriate authority
• Respond to email and telephone queries in a timely manner and provide advice on finance matters to areas representatives
• Manage, input, process and analyse relevant data and information on platforms such as SAP, IFMS, and TCM
• Proficient in MS Office skills to include Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.

• Support and assist with internal and external audit queries from internal audit and C&AG
• Support achievement of Value for Money
• Involvement in the specification, development and local implementation of new financial processes.
• Quality assuring the day-to-day management and control of financial processes

• Ensure appropriate records are maintained as may be required by Tusla.
• Promote good working practices and uniformity of standards.
• Work with Management to ensure adherence to the legislative framework and internal Tusla policies and procedures.
• Undertake all duties assigned in line with relative policy, procedure and legislation.
• Support the development and implementation of integrated management reports across relevant performance indicators, human resources, finance, IT and risk management for Business Support Service.
• Provide high level administration support for the business support service for the Area Managers Office including management of staff as required.
• Deputising as appropriate
• Take a lead or support ongoing projects / initiatives within the Area Managers Office

Resource Management

• Support the Finance function to implement the above outlined responsibilities with a clear focus on change management and developmental support.
• Provide support and guidance to Tusla manager with regards to financial governance, compliance and oversight of Tusla local areas
• Provide training and development support where applicable.

Information Management

• Assist in preparation of service planning and business planning process and other planning processes as required
• Develop and maintain processes for monitoring the implementation of business plans.
• Liaise with relevant services to promote inter-department knowledge sharing.
• Ensure effective communication is maintained between the Area Management Offices
• Co-ordinate responses to PQ’s, FOI, Public Representatives, complaints on request from appropriate channels where required.
• Co-ordinate responses to queries / requests for information from the Area Managers Office to National Operations
• Contribute to policy development and implementation.
• Establish, maintain processes for the collation, analysis and reporting of data and collation of associated reports where required.
• Support the development of integrated management reports across relevant performance indicators, human resources, finance, and risk management.
• Have good working knowledge and to keep updated with new relevant legislation and developments as relevant to this role

• 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.

Human Resources:

• Supervise and make provisions for the well-being of staff within your remit.
• Create and maintain a positive working environment among staff members, which contributes to maintaining and enhancing effective working relationships
• Ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities in line with the relative policies and procedures developed to support the delivery of an effective service
• Plan, allocate and evaluate work and performance of teams and individuals.
• Support the preparation and issuing of office documentation (correspondence, reports etc) to the highest possible standard by monitoring and reviewing team work to ensure quality and accuracy.
• Provide HR support to assigned team and act as first point of contact for HR issues.
• Identify and agree training and development needs of team
• Manage the performance of staff, dealing with underperformance in a timely and constructive manner
• Implement Performance Achievement and Personal Development Plans in line with the unit and organisation objectives
• Embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly by finding practical ways to make policies work, ensuring team knows how to action changes
• Participate in the recruitment, retention and development of staff including training and continual assessment.
• Encourage and support staff through transformation and change process.

Education and Training

• To maintain continuous personal development and participate in team-based development, education, training and learning.
• To complete all mandatory training.
• Where appropriate, arrange for the induction and training for assigned staff, as required to maximise skill resources, (to include workplace experience placements where applicable).
• Where appropriate, provide supervision and assist in the development of knowledge, skills of relevant staff under your supervision.
• To participate in performance evaluation / review, identifying areas for improvement and appropriate plans / measures to achieve them.
• To ensure policies and procedures exist for all areas.

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:

• Candidates must be in employment within Tusla – Child and Family Agency, the HSE or within other statutory health agencies, or a body which provides services on behalf of the HSE under Section 38/39 of the Health Act 2004 or within a body that provides services on behalf of Tusla under Section 56 or Section 59 of the Child and Family Act 2013.

And

• Have at least two years’ administrative experience related to the role                                             

And

• Working knowledge of SAP Finance systems.
• Excellent IT skills including advanced Excel skills

And

Possess sufficient administrative capacity to discharge the functions of the grade/post.                                                    

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.