Regional Chief Officer

Scope and Purpose of the Post

Working in line with nationally agreed frameworks and reporting arrangements, the Regional Chief Officer will have full responsibility and devolved accountability for the delivery of all specified Tusla services and functions within the Region. The Regional Chief Officer is responsible for providing governance, leadership and developing operational capacity to ensure the delivery of an integrated service that addresses the needs of local communities. The Regional Chief Officer fulfills the functions of the CEO and/or the National Director of Services and Integration within the Region as delegated and is the most senior accountable officer in the Region.

Reports

Pending further organizational design (Structure Part 2) it is intended that the key direct reports to the Regional Chief Officer will include Area Managers, Specified Function Managers across a range of corporate services & supports, specified managers in devolving national services in Adoption & Commissioning (not exhaustive).

Key Accountabilities

The core duties and responsibilities for this post are set out as follows (applicants should note the list is not exhaustive and includes a clear understanding that the scope of the role is at the discretion of the CEO):

Leadership and Direction

• Lead on behalf of and represent the agency on all matters within and relevant to the region. This includes the integration of any service or function which does not report at Regional level.

• Lead the Regional Management Team in the development and implementation of a fully integrated model of service delivery based on national standardised models, including the devolution of national services into local regional management.

• Assist the CEO and the EMT in the overall external engagement of the Agency including media and parliamentary processes as relevant to the function and Region. The Chief Officer will be a key spokesperson for the Agency on a range of Regional and National issues.

• Produce an Annual Business Plan for the Region consistent with the national Business Plan for the Agency and the performance statement of the Minister. The Regional Business Plan will include integration of all Tusla operations in the Region regardless of their reporting arrangements.

• The Chief Officer will have prescribed national frameworks within which to work (consistency) and will also have local initiative frameworks within which to determine enhancements to a particular location or service.

• The Chief Officer will be the key point of internal and external integration for the Agency within the specified Region and will exercise the functions of the CEO and National Director of Services and Integration in that respect (by delegation).

Operational Excellence - Managing and Delivery Results | Performance

• Lead the commissioning and delivery of high-quality services to meet the needs of the population of the Region in line with national policies, standards and protocols.

• In line with national policy and the delegated framework, lead all Agency operations in the defined geographic region.

• Lead the implementation of a service delivery performance management process that uses established management techniques including logistics management, operations management and analytics to optimise the performance of departments and services within the Region and meet national performance management requirements.

• Organise at a strategic and operational level the necessary people and other resources as agreed nationally, across a complex network of services to meet budget, quality and timescales.

• Manage local internal and external stakeholders of all component dependencies of the Agency in the Region.

• Manage and participate in the management of national imperatives as arise and as required.

• Deputise for the National Director of Services & Integration as required.

Financial Management

• Hold full budgetary responsibility and accountability for the Region and be accountable for ensuring that relevant services operate within agreed service levels and budget and are delivered to the highest best-practice standards.

People Management

• Provide people leadership across the Region and be a role model for the Agency's Mission and Values.

• Manage all HR dependencies and deliverables including employee engagement.

Corporate Accountability Management

• The Chief Officer will oversee and produce annual certification of Internal Controls and Controls Assurance for the Region.

• The Chief Officer will have overall responsibility for the fulfillment by the Agency of ‘Public Sector Duty’ & ‘Code of Governance’.

• The Chief Officer will be the named person or delegated authority to sub-delegate on behalf of the provider/Agency in respect of any formal regulatory or legal ‘ownership’ requirements.

• The Chief Officer will be responsible for the compliance of the Agency (within the Region) with all regulatory requirements in Services (HIQA), Data Protection Commission, Health & Safety Authority, Ombudsman, Ombudsman for Children, Information Commissioner (not exhaustive).

• The Chief Officer will participate with the CEO / National Director of Services and Integration in the accountability of the Agency to the Oireachtas Committees of Children and Public Accounts (as required).

• The Chief Officer will in conjunction with the National Director produce regular performance reports on all aspects of the functions of the Agency within the Region for the purpose of assisting the CEO in reporting to the Board.

• The Chief Officer will be one of three Chief Officer colleagues to be assigned to be a member of the senior management leads for the sub committees of the Board of the Agency. E.g. Chief Officer 1 will be assigned with the Director of Quality and Regulation and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services to be the management lead for the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board.

• The Chief Officer will participate in specified performance and development meetings conducted by the Executive Management Team in respect of the performance and development of the individual Region (envisaged to be individual quarterly meetings).

Organisation Change and Development

• Lead, organise and motivate staff to function effectively in times of rapid change including the embedding of effective performance management by way of an accountability framework for all staff in the Region.

• Lead on the development and implementation of the new Performance Conference model at Regional Level ensuring effective cohesion with national Agency and Department reporting and oversight processes.

• Lead the completion of Structure Part 2 Reform for the Agency within the Region.

• Lead the implementation of new Practice models as specified with a particular emphasis on capacity building.

• Lead the development and implementation of a Regional Workforce Development Plan as a component of the national Plan.

• Lead on the major organisation plans for Structure, Practice & Culture within the Region.

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Hold a professional qualification (third level) in a Health & Social Care Professions and/or management related discipline.

• Have 5 years’ senior management experience in a comparable size and type (service) of organization.

• Have demonstrated operational management excellence in delivering services of significant scale and complexity.

• Have demonstrated experience of strategic planning and effectively implementing change and improving services.

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.

Age

Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is not classified as a new entrant within the meaning of the Public Services Superannuation Act, 2004. A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age.

Restrictions to eligibility

Persons who availed of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) in the Public Service or the Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme or Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in the Public Health Sector are not eligible to apply for this position in line with the terms and conditions of the schemes.

Tenure

The position is permanent whole-time, and the officer may not engage in private practice or be connected with any outside business which would interfere with the performance of official duties or conflict in any way with the position.

Location

The vacancy is located in Tusla South East Region. Location within the region is negotiable.

Remuneration

The Salary for this post is (as at 01/03/2025) €124,956 €130,511 €136,065 €141,616 €147,172 €152,732

Working Week

Hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount to not less than 41 hours gross per week. The holder will be required to work such additional hours from time to time as may be reasonable and necessary for the proper performance of his/her duties subject to the limits set down in the working time regulations. The rate of remuneration payable in the salary covers any extra attendance liability that may arise from time to time.

Annual Leave

The annual leave associated with the post is 30 days per annum.

Superannuation

The service is reckonable within the terms of the scheme of the successful candidate.

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