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

Purpose of Role

To support provision of a comprehensive financial management and accounting service for the Tusla, Child & Family Agency ensuring that resources are well managed and that proper financial and accounting processes are in place. Role will be an integral part of Regional Finance Team West which provides support and advice to two specific Regions within Tusla.

Management and Administration

• Ensure line management is kept informed of issues presenting.
• Contribute to team effort and assist co-workers as needed to balance workloads.
• Work effectively to tight deadlines with multiple competing priorities.
• Take personal responsibility to initiate activities, in consultation with line manager, and drive objectives through to a conclusion.
• Ensure accurate attention to detail in your own work and that of those reporting to you.
• Ensure that all records are accurate, maintained confidentially and readily available as required at audit or otherwise.
• Provide administrative support for meetings and attend as required.
• Assure pro-active communications with all the team’s stakeholders.
• Maintain confidentiality and a high level of professionalism.
• Identify and, where beneficial, implement improvements to local work practices as necessary.
• Identify and implement improvements within the Regional Finance Team.
• Cross-cover, as required, across the Regional Finance Team.
• Participate on finance project work and associated working groups as may be assigned from time-to-time.
• Other duties as determined by your line manager.

Human Resources

• Create and promote a positive working environment among staff members which contributes to maintaining and enhancing effective working relationships.
• Promote cooperation and working in harmony with other teams and disciplines.
• Identify and agree training and development needs.
• Embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly by finding practical ways to make policies work.
• Encourage and support staff through transformation and change process.
• Supervise and ensure the wellbeing of staff within your own remit.

Operational Delivery and Improvement

• Assist with the month-end financial process to include posting of expenditure journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Support the analysis of budget variances and income/expenditure trends.
• Preparation and presentation of month-end and other reports.
• Preparation and presentation of costings as required.
• Preparation of expenditure and budget journals.
• Assist with queries and information requests for the preparation of the annual financial statements.
• Oversight and advice on income and expenditure coding.
• Assist with the administration of the staff Procurement Cards process.
• Effective application of purchase-to-pay processes in collaboration with the Region/Areas and the Purchasing Support Unit.
• Support the ongoing oversight and internal compliance checking of the Region/Areas financial processing systems and routines.
• Support work on various audits, including internal audits and the office of the Comptroller & Auditor General.
• Keeping abreast of emerging finance policy and regulation.
• Authorisation and certification of expenditure as and when required.
• Support cost containment and value for money initiatives.
• 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.
• Addressing issues identified across local regions as part of the annual control’s assurance process.

Learning & Development

• Actively pursue continuous improvement on your own professional learning and development.
• Support the delivery of routine training workshops on various financial processes and systems.
• Support the delivery of training on finance competencies, as required, at Region/Area level.
• To advise and assist in relation to compliance with Tusla’s finance policies, accounting standards, finance regulations and other relevant legislation.

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

• Candidates must be in direct employment with 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.
• Have at least 2 years’ experience in a designated office within the Services mentioned above.
• Have at least 2 years’ experience working in a finance environment.
• Experience of working on SAP financial system or on a similar financial system.
• High degree of proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Possess sufficient administrative capacity to discharge the functions of the grade/post.

Desirable

• A recognised accounting qualification

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.