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 in excess of €800m and delivers its services through circa 5,000 people in 350 locations across the Country.

The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Family Support
• Alternative Care
• Adoption
• Tusla Education Support Services (TESS)
• Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV)
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie

Barnahus is a multi-disciplinary and interagency intervention responding to child sexual abuse (CSA) that is delivered in a child-friendly setting. The model offers forensic interviews for children up to 18 years that are carried out according to an evidence-based protocol; medical evaluation for forensic investigative purposes as well as to ensure the child’s physical well-being and recovery; psychological support, and therapeutic services to the child and protective family members and caretakers; and assessment of protection needs of the child victim and siblings in the family (Promise Project 2015).

Barnahus South, West and East are the three regional interagency sexual abuse services to children and families that has been developed in conjunction with the HSE, An Garda Siochana and CHI (Barnahus East).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

In conjunction with other team members and reporting to the Barnahus Manager , the Counsellor/Therapist will

• Be professionally responsible for all aspects of the post holders own work.
• Co-assess with the other members of the Barnahus therapy team the therapeutic needs of children and families referred to Barnahus.
• Formulate therapy plans according to the needs identified in accordance with the National Barnahus Therapeutic Framework.
• Manage and oversee varied clinical caseloads and complex clinical presentations.
• Offer individual therapy, brief or medium-term to children and adolescents when appropriate.
• Facilitate therapeutic support work with parent / carers as part of the therapeutic package offered to families.
• Facilitate group work with  children, parent / carers as part of the therapeutic package offered to families
• Participate and engage in forensic interview training to support the joint
• interviewing of children who have experienced child sexual abuse
• Recognise and manage the limits of confidentiality in the work and to appropriately address any child protection matters which arise
• Ensure that clinical records are properly and accurately maintained as required and that statistical information is available when requested.
• Ensure records of work activity are accurately kept and inputted on service electronic data-base system in a timely fashion
• Attend meetings and case conferences and court as required.
• Deliver training and presentations as may be required and appropriate.
• As a member of the multi-disciplinary team, participate in team meetings, case discussions, service development initiatives and on-going professional development and training.
• Independent of their own therapeutic orientation, this post holder will help develop an understanding of trauma-focussed therapies for children and the specific contribution it can make in the work of the therapy team.
• Case presentations to team members.
• Recommend needed therapy supplies / equipment and in consultation with line manager, co- ordinate their requisition when required.
• Deliver a high quality service in an efficient, effective and ethical manner.
• Oversee the public display or presentation of any client art work produced in psychotherapy work /group art work is carried out in a respectful and ethical manner (consent/risk of exposure).
• Be accountable to the Barnahus Manager particularly through active participation in self-reflective clinical supervision and line management.

Continuous Professional Development

• Take responsibility for ensuring that clinical professional needs are met by attending regular clinical and line management supervision
• Be responsible for one’s on-going professional development in the field of psychotherapy in accordance with membership of a professional therapy body under the umbrella of the Irish Council of Psychotherapy and as required by the ICP aligned profession.
• Ensure compliance with any necessary on-going psychotherapy registration requirements.
• Adhere to the Codes of Ethics of the ICP.
• To keep informed of on-going developments in the field of Barnahus, including child protection and welfare, forensic medical examination and Specialist Interviewing of children and acquire training as provided and/or mandated by the Child and Family Agency.
• Keep informed of developments in national and relevant international policies, strategies and legislation and offer advice on any perceived impact on practice.
• Contribute to the teaching and training functions of Barnahus.
• Ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of professional standards of practice through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.

Research /Information Technology

• Participate in audit and research as required.
• Maintain an interest in current research and literature on trauma-focussed therapy and child protection matters, including internet safety.
• Maintain appropriate clinical records, databases and statistics as required by Tusla.
• Comply with legal and local guidelines in respect of the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act and other such requirements.
• Be ICT competent, having experience in the use of MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint, along with other desktop software.

Quality, Risk & Safety Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all staff to:

• Participate and cooperate with TUSLA Quality and Risk and Safety initiatives as required.
• Participate and cooperate with internal and external evaluations of child protection structures, services and processes as required, including but not limited to:
• Safety Audits and other audits specified by TUSLA or other regulatory activities.

• It is the responsibility of all managers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for Quality, Safety and Risk within their area/ department.

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 Barnahus Quality Standards as they apply to the service 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:

• A recognised qualification at Level 7 or higher on the NQAI framework in Medicine, relevant Health and Social Care Professionals (e.g. Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy) or registered or eligible to be registered as a nurse with An Bord Altranais.

AND

• An Accredited qualification in counselling or psychotherapy recognised by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a relevant body within the Irish Council for Psychotherapy, or an equivalent body in another jurisdiction, of which there is sufficient theoretical content, clinical placements, skills training and personal development as part of the qualification.

OR

• Hold Chartered Membership with the PSI and be a full member of the Clinical or Counselling Psychology Division of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).

AND

• Have a minimum of three years’ experience after accreditation of working clinically with children /adolescents and their parents / carers and families.
• ICP accredited qualification in Supervision
• Experience of working with children and families involved with the Child and Family Agency / Protection and Welfare issues. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary setting i.e. CAMHS, PPFS etc

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.