Head of Regulatory Function, Children’s Services Regulation, Quality Assurance

The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st January 2014 and is responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. It represents the most comprehensive reform of services for the development, welfare and protection of children and the support of families ever undertaken in Ireland. It is an ambitious move which brings together some 4,000 staff who were previously employed within Children and Family Services of the Health Service Executive, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Family Support Agency. The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services: Child Welfare and Protection Services, including family support services, Family Resource Centers and associated national programmes, The statutory regulation and inspection of prescribed children's services, Educational Welfare responsibilities including School completion programmes and Home School Liaison, Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services & Services related to the psychological welfare of children.

About Tusla’s Quality Assurance & Regulation Directorate

Tusla’s Quality Assurance Directorate is concerned with promoting continuous improvement and effective risk management in services for children and families. It delivers its functions though the following functions:

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, school age 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.

Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU): The CSSCU has a national centralised function for the receipt and processing of referrals and notifications of failure to furnish Tusla with a copy of a relevant agency’s safeguarding statement made under Article 12(1) of the Children First Act 2015. The office is also responsible for appropriately supporting relevant agencies to achieve compliance under section 12 (1) – (5) of the legislation.

Regulatory Practice Development: The Regulatory Practice Development Team is responsible for a range of functions to provide support to Children’s Services Regulation. There are five distinct functions which are; management and analysis of data and business process design and re-design, implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management system across Children’s Services Regulation, co-ordination and delivery of Learning and Development, provision of expert advice and guidance on matters relating to children attending early years services and management of Children’s Services Regulation communications which includes the website and the publication of inspection reports.

Other functions within Tusla’s Quality Assurance Directorate:

Service Experience, Governance and Risk Systems

Service Experience and Feedback: Part 9 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 governs complaints procedures and reviews, complainants’ rights, referral to the Ombudsman, and annual report requirements. “Tell Us” is Tusla’s policy governing feedback and complaints. The team is responsible for managing Tell Us, including training other Tusla staff nationwide, collecting metrics, channelling complaints and feedback, and dealing with individual complaints. The team is also involved in encouraging participation of children and listening to the voice of the child in Tusla and Tusla-funded

Risk and Incident Management: The team is responsible for the corporate risk register, and all aspects of risk and incident management systems within the Agency. The team aims to ensure Tusla is aware of the nature of its risks, their status and how they are being managed.

Practice Assurance and Performance Systems

Performance Reporting and Information: The Performance Reporting and Information team collates analyses and reports on quality and risk data relevant to the child and services. It identifies trends and performance data to support accountability and transparency, inform policy development and legislative reform, to demonstrate where standards and targets are being met, and identify risk and support decision-making at all levels of the organisation.

Quality Assurance and Monitoring: The team monitors and reports on service delivery against standards, regulations and legislative requirements, and seeks to ensure that service improvement activity takes place in response to reviews. The post holder will have accountability and responsibility for the effective planning, design, implementation and delivery of Tusla regulatory inspections and assessments. Tusla is the statutory regulator of the early year’s sector, child safeguarding statement compliance and alternative care and education settings.

We are offering you an opportunity to start your professional career with a large and lively team who enjoy the fast pace and responsibility of public sector recruitment. You will be encouraged to grow and develop in your role, and you will be provided with the support to enable this.

This post requires urgent filling, please ensure you are readily available to commence in the role as soon as possible when applying.

Applications are invited by CV, together with a personal statement clearly stating suitability for the role as linked to the stated competencies (250 words max) to katie.power1@tusla.ie by 12 noon, 20th May 2024.