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 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

To provide a comprehensive financial management and accounting service for the Tusla DML, specifically the SCSIP service, to work as part of a larger national Finance Team which ensures that resources are well managed, and that proper financial reporting and accounting process are in place; specifically but not solely in the area of Staff Budget Management and Costing but also in the areas of Quality Assurance, Internal Control, Customer Service and support to Operations and Planning.

To also work with HR, Area Managers and their staff and liaise closely with service staff in the areas of finance processes. He/she will also maintain an on-going working relationship with area, corporate and regional finance department staff.

Analysis, Evaluation and Reporting
•To support a financial reporting framework which facilitates effective performance management at Service level and at a Region/Area level, to include its ongoing development.
•To facilitate the monitoring and reporting on financial performance against budget on an ongoing basis.
•Support for services (SCSIP) cost containment planning and reporting.
•Assurance of income and expenditure coding
•Contribute to the preparation of the expense reports for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and associated backup material.

Operational Services & Support
•Contribute to the assuring of effectiveness in the functioning of the SCSIP team and the DML Regional Finance Team as the Services (SCSIP) and region’s key link with Corporate Finance and its various functional supports.

•Provide expert and responsive financial advice and decision support to the Service directors and Region/Areas to best facilitate, the planning, management and delivery of services, Effective application of financial transaction processes and systems.
•Support Service Directors and Regional/Area understanding and return on national finance information requests.
•Contribute and support the ad hoc operational projects as and when they arise separate to mainstream services.

Service Improvement
•Support the quality assuring of the day-to-day management and control of financial processes.

•Contribute to the development and implementation of best practice models of financial management services.
•Actively taking lead role, as required, on all systems development, implementation, and review initiatives

Compliance and Assurance
•Support the development and implementation of best practice financial accounting and control policies, procedures and standards and support their application at service and Region/Area level.
•Ongoing oversight of the services (SCSIP) financial processing systems and routines.
•Support the monitoring of progress on the addressing of gaps identified across Service as part of the annual Controls Assurance process.
•Liaise with and facilitate the work of Tusla Internal Audit Office and the office of the Comptroller & Auditor General.
•Advise and otherwise support service and Region on Audit plans, reports, and follow-up.
•Support the team’s facilitation of Commissioning in the oversight of funding arrangements with Grant-aided Agencies.
•Authorisation of expenditure as and when required.

Financial Planning and Budgeting
•Support collation of the service and region’s submissions to the Annual Estimates process.
•Assist in the preparation and ongoing maintenance of the annual budget.
•Provide advice and accounting inputs to service proposals to include validation, costing, options appraisal, outcomes analysis etc.
•Support employment control measures in place to assure budget affordability.
•Advice and sign-off on expenditure and budget transfers
•Preparation of forecasting reports for Service Director/area manager in contribution to operational delivery.

General Management
•Take lead role in assuring strict 5-day month end close required of the new Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS).
•Support the day-to-day management of the Regional Finance Team and provide for
staffs’ ongoing development and performance review.

•Actively participate in the development and implementation of the Regional Finance Team Operational Plan.
•Manage, as necessary, the Regional Finance Team resources to ensure that all departmental priorities and accounting deadlines are met.
•Assure pro-active communications with all the Team’s internal and external stakeholders.

• Participate on Finance project work and associated working groups as may be assigned, from time-to-time, by the Regional Finance Manager.

Learning & Development
•Contribute to the development and ongoing management of a programme of staff development covering the in-service needs of the Regional Finance Team including SCSIP.

•Organise and oversee delivery of planned training programmes aimed at the assurance of finance competencies across the service and region/Areas.
•Support maintenance of accessible and up-to-the-minute best practice guidance on all relevant matters of financial governance through a shared Regional Finance folder dedicated for that purpose.
•Cross-cover, as required, across the other Regional Finance Teams.
•Deputise, as required, for the Regional Finance 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.

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

Essential
•A minimum of 2 years’ relevant Finance/Budgeting experience.
•Direct knowledge and application of Financial Governance and Compliance.
•Have excellent IT skills including advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
•The requisite knowledge and ability for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

Desired
•A relevant third level Accountancy qualification.