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

Post Specific Service: About Tusla’s Quality Assurance Directorate

Tusla’s Quality Assurance Directorate is concerned with promoting continuous improvement and effective risk management in services for children and families. Children’s Service Regulation is located within the QA Directorate

Children’s Services Regulation:

Early Years’ Inspectorate: The Early Years’ Inspectorate is the independent statutory regulator of Early Years’ Services and is responsible for registering and inspecting pre-schools, playgroups, crèches, day care and similar services. Its role is to promote the quality, safety and appropriate care of children by robust regulation of the sector.

Alternative Education Assessment: Children who are educated at home or who attend a non-recognised school (i.e. a school that is not funded by the Department of Educational and Skills) must be registered with Tusla by their parents/guardians. The registration process requires that an assessment or assessments be carried out to determine whether the child is receiving a certain minimum education and therefore can be placed on the statutory register of children educated outside of a recognised school. Children who are educated in an independent school setting can also be placed on the register where it is determined that the school is providing a minimum education to the pupils who are enrolled there.

Alternative Care Regulation: The team monitors and reports on alternative care settings for children who cannot live with their families The service is responsible currently for the registration and inspection of non-statutory residential care settings for young people, as well as the monitoring and audit of non-statutory foster care providers.

School Age Care Regulation: The Child & Family Agency is the independent statutory regulator of School Age Care Services and is responsible for child and youth school age care & similar services. Its role is to promote the quality, safety and appropriate care of children by robust regulation of the sector.

Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance: The agency promotes proactive compliance with the requirement for all relevant children’s services to have a child safeguarding statement in place, and maintains a register of services who do not following the application of enforcement protocols.

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie

Purpose of Role: The centralised early years services (preschool & School Age Care) registration office is responsible for the receipt and processing of applications for registration of early years’ services made under Part 58D of the Child Care Act, 2013. The office is responsible for the receipt and processing of other regulatory compliance information including change of circumstances applications, fee collection, maintenance of registers, notifiable incidents management, and cessation of service notifications. The office is responsible for the implementation of enforcement actions under Part 12 of the Child & Family Agency Act 2013. This post will be initially assigned to oversight of the regulatory compliance support functions

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Professional

• To lead and oversee designated regulatory compliance and enforcement functions
• To lead and oversee regulatory support teams and resources.
• To manage and implement the registration process as purveyed by the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and any regulations made there under.
• To maintain National Registers of Early Years Services.
• To process and risk assess all received notifiable incidents
• To collate and report on all data received relating to the functions of the office.
• To develop and implement policies and procedures for the office.
• To set performance indicators for the office.
• To audit and quality assure the function of the office.

Education & Training

• Maintain standards of practice and levels of professional knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives and attendance at courses as appropriate.
• Engage in career and professional development planning.
• Oversee the provision of a framework for the promotion of staff development and training by making recommendations with regard to the ongoing education, mentoring, training and in-service needs of the inspection and monitoring team.

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:

• Relevant qualification in health, social care, early years or business administration to minimum level 8
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a senior leadership and management role.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience with the application of administrative law and procedures.

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.