Inspection Officer Alternative Care Inspection & Monitoring Service

Purpose of Role

To fulfil the function of the Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring in children’s services and to encourage best practice developments in accordance with the National Standards and relevant legislation. The post holder will be an authorised person under the auspices of the relevant sections of the Child Care Act 1991, and the Child & Family Agency Act 2013. To inspect non-statutory children’s residential centres in accordance with Child Care (Placement of Children in Residential Care) Regulations 1995 as amended, Part III, Article 17 and the Child Care (Standards in Children’s Residential Centres 1996). The core function of the post is to provide an independent review on the quality of the services for children in residential care in accordance with the National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres 2018 (HIQA). Undertaking the necessary checks of compliance to meet registration requirements and to undertake required assessment and inspections. To assist the relevant registration panel in their assessment of registration applications by the presentation of evidence informed recommendations as required. To assist in the monitoring of non-statutory foster care services and to promote best practice in the provision of services to foster carers and children in foster care. To develop inspection and monitoring reports in accordance with agency policy and guidelines. The post holder will assist the National Manager in the examination of significant event notifications, unsolicited information, and complaints in respect of relevant alternative care children’s services.

The post holder will report to the assigned Inspection & Monitoring Manager Alternative Care.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish with the Service Manager agreed objectives for the delivery and performance of the inspectorate.

• Conduct statutory inspections of non-statutory children’s residential centres.

• Prepare written reports of the inspection and monitoring of relevant children’s services, and other regulatory compliance matters as required.

• Collate and prepare data and records on all inspection and regulatory activity.

• Maintain effective reporting, recording and administrative systems to support the inspection process.

• Ensure that prescribed actions identified as necessary by inspection reports are followed through and achieved by the target dates.

• Ensure that all residential Child Care services in the non-statutory sector are registered with Tusla and are fulfilling their obligations under the relevant legislation and national standards frameworks.

• Ensure that Foster Care services in the Non-Statutory Sector are fulfilling their obligations under the relevant national standards.

• Assist the National Manager in the quality assurance and audit of regulatory functions, and in the execution of their service supervision duties.

• Ensure compliance with service key performance indicators, policy and procedures.

• Ensure that effective professional rapport and partnerships with colleagues and other key stakeholders are maintained.

• 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.

Qualifications and/or Experience Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• Third Level Qualification in Social Work, Social Care, Psychology, Nursing or Teaching

• A minimum of five years relevant experience in childcare services

• Experience of working with children in a residential, foster care or other relevant alternative care children’s or social care services

• Experience of management of staff in a relevant Child Care Context

• Experience in regulation and/or quality assurance systems

• Must have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, professional and managerial ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office

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.

Tusla Leadership Competency Framework The Tusla Leadership Competency Framework describes the behaviours that are key to Tusla colleagues being effective in the execution of their role at all levels within the Agency. The competencies and associated behavioural descriptors capture the transversal knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics that will enable colleagues, regardless of role or rank, to be effective in their work. The Tusla Leader Framework relevant for this role is Leading Others. Please access this Leading Others link to fully familiarise yourself with the impact of this Leading Others proficiency for Tusla. The competency of Professional Knowledge is specifically linked to the duties, responsibilities, and criteria for this role.

• The post holder will require a current driving licence and access to appropriate transport as the post will involve travel.

• Have awareness of children and young people’s participatory practice.

Campaign Specific Selection Process: Shortlisting / Interview The online application system has a time out facility, this is in order to protect the privacy of the user. This time out facility activates if the application has been ‘dormant’ for over 60 minutes. Any work not saved will be lost if the system times out due to lack of activity. As such, please ensure to save your application as you work on it. Any lost data cannot be recovered. It might be an idea for candidates to work on their applications outside of the system and copy and paste their answers into the online application forms once they are fully complete and submit then. Once your application is fully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email to your profile. If you do not receive this email, your application HAS NOT been submitted and you should log back on to submit fully.

AI-generated content must not be used in your application. Tusla reserves the right to assess if content in applications is likely created by AI in part or in whole. Use of AI may result in disqualification and exclusion from the recruitment process.

Shortlisting may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application. The criteria for shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore, it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements. Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Those successful at the shortlisting stage of this process (where applied) will be called forward to interview.

The Recruitment Service, Child and Family Agency will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be applied on a principle basis. The Code also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, facilities for feedback to applicants on matters relating to their application when requested, and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process and review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice.

Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.cpsa.ie.

Tusla Child and Family Agency is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Tusla Child and Family Agency recognises its responsibilities under the Data Protection Acts 2003–2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Tusla Child and Family Agency Transformation Programme may impact on this role and as structures change, the job description and reporting relationships may be reviewed and updated.

This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

Tusla values individuals' rights and freedoms in respect of privacy and fully complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018. All roles within Tusla carry responsibility towards the protection of personal and sensitive data.

The current vacancies available are permanent and whole time. The post is pensionable. A panel may be created from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part-time duration will be filled. The tenure of these posts will be indicated at “expression of interest” stage for each individual post. The purpose of this campaign is to fill immediate urgent vacancies and it is expected that panel placements will cease if expressions are not received within the appropriate processes. Appointment as an employee of the Child & Family Agency is governed by the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.

The Salary scale for the whole time equivalent of this post is: 01/03/2025: €70,277, €72,280, €74,287, €76,290, €78,294, €80,296, €81,063

LSIs (Long Service Increments) are represented by emboldened figures. 1st LSI is paid after 3 years on the max, the 2nd LSI after 3 years on LSI1, and the 3rd LSI after 3 years on the 2nd LSI (where applicable).

The appointee shall commence on the first point of the salary scale. Incremental credit may be given on appointment for certain types of relevant experience – more information available in Appendix 5. Candidates should note that entry will be at the minimum point of the scale and will not be subject to negotiation, and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy. Different terms and conditions may apply if the appointee is a currently serving civil or public servant.

The standard working week applying to the whole time equivalent of this post is: 35 hours.

The annual leave associated with the whole time equivalent of this post is 30 days per annum.

The safety and welfare of children and young people is a key priority for Tusla – Child and Family Agency. All employees of Tusla are required to be vigilant to any concerns regarding the protection and welfare of children and to bring them to the attention of the Tusla Designated Person in a timely manner, in keeping with the Tusla – Child and Family Agency Child Protection policies.

Employees must have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards (https://www.hiqa.ie/areas-we-work/childrens-services) and/or the Adoption Authority of Ireland Standards as they apply to the role. All employees must be aware of their responsibilities under Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017).

Positions remunerated at or above the minimum point of the Grade VIII salary scale are designated positions under Section 18 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.

This section refers to posts at €79,847 plus Any person appointed to a designated position must comply with the requirements of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 as outlined below:

A) In accordance with Section 18 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, a person holding such a post is required to prepare and furnish an annual statement of any interests which could materially influence the performance of the official functions of the post. This annual statement of interest should be submitted to the Chief Executive not later than 31st January in the following year. B) In addition to the annual statement, a person holding such a post is required, whenever they are performing a function as an employee of Tusla and have actual knowledge, or a connected person has a material interest in a matter to which the function relates, to provide at the time a statement of the facts of that interest. A person holding such a post should provide such statement to the Chief Executive. The function in question cannot be performed unless there are compelling reasons to do so and, if this is the case, those compelling reasons must be stated in writing and must be provided to the Chief Executive. C) A person holding such a post is required under the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 to act in accordance with any guidelines or advice published or given by the Standards in Public Office Commission. Guidelines for public servants on compliance with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 are available on the Standards Commission’s website: http://www.sipo.gov.ie