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 €1.02billion 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)
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie
The staff appointed to these roles will be assigned to work with children in care in a specified TUSLA area, working as part of multi-disciplinary team(s) delivering a co-ordinated service to children, young people and their families.

The purpose of the post is to participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary team within the Social Work Department to provide a psychology service to young people and their families who are in the care of Tusla.

The post holder will work collaboratively with a variety of services to assess and understand the therapeutic needs of young people and their families in the care of Tulsa and respond with interventions that are timely, proportionate, needs led, evidence based and in partnership with the young people and their families. Other key stakeholders could include
An Garda Siochana HSE primary care, Disability services, CAMHS, Schools, PHN’s, GP’s, Adult mental health, substance misuse services and other community and voluntary organisations.

The Senior Psychologist will be responsible for the delivery of psychological interventions in line with Tusla policies and within established professional guidance, standards and policies. The role of psychology services in Tusla is to address the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the emotional stability, mental health and daily living skills of children and young people. Psychologists in Tusla conduct assessment and deliver interventions designed to help both the provision of effective caregiving and the ability of the child to benefit from that caregiving to the greatest extent possible. This frequently includes offering training, consultation and support to current caregivers and professional social care staff. Interventions are designed to directly address the impact of traumatic experiences and to enhance children’s felt experience of security in relationships with others. Such services complement rather than replace other public psychological services such as those provided through the Health Service Executive (HSE). Tusla Psychology services form an essential part of secondary care structures for vulnerable children and young people.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
Professional / Clinical

• Be responsible for the delivery of professional psychology services appropriate to the post, in line with best practice
• Carry a clinical caseload appropriate to the post
• Provide /psychological assessments of the children, young people and their families based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, direct and indirect observation and interviews with clients, family members and/or carers in consultation with the professional network.
• Provide psychological assessment, intervention and monitoring of progress and outcome as required for children and young people in the care system in collaboration with their MDT colleagues.
• Attending Child in Care reviews and contributing to the child/ young person’s statutory care planning as appropriate.
• Provide professional reports as required in accordance with professional standards
• Foster an understanding of the role and contribution of psychology by providing professional consultation, education, guidance and support in collaboration with other colleagues.
• Communicate effectively and work in co-operation with other team members and others to ensure integrated service provision and collective risk management.
• Contribute to and participate in inter-agency work practice and service delivery as required
• Attending Child in care reviews, committees, case conferences, professional and network meetings and Signs of Safety meetings.
• Work within limits of professional competence in line with principles of best practice, professional conduct and clinical governance.
• Be aware of and refer the children, young people and their families to other services as necessary as part of the care planning.
• Work in an ethical and professional manner at all times
• Prepare professional reports and give evidence as required by the courts.
• Keep the Area Manager/Area Manager informed of any significant risk in line with relevant local and national protocols.
• Promote a culture that values equality, diversity, respect and child centred practice.
• Ensure that practice is in line with Tusla’s Child and Youth Participation Strategy.
• Keep abreast of legislation as relevant to your role.

Research & Evaluation

• Utilise evidence-based literature and research to support effective practice
• Undertake project management including audit and service evaluation with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.
• Participate in evaluation of all clinical activity within the post and provide such information as required by the Area Manager for the purpose of service monitoring and evaluation.
• Undertake appropriate research and provide research advice as appropriate
• Publish research outcomes in professionally recognised journals and share information on outcomes at professional conferences where appropriate.
• Represent a professional viewpoint in relation to nationally accepted good practice and to ensure a high level of ethical standards and professional conduct.
• Contribute to developments and innovative practice in psychology within Tusla.
• Conduct all research activity under the guidance of Tusla’s national research office.

Education & Training

• Attend mandatory training programmes
• Be informed of advances in professional knowledge and practice
• Keep abreast of best practice as outlined by the Psychological Society of Ireland
• Participate in continuous professional development initiatives and ensure compliance with statutory registration requirements when required.
• In collaboration with the Senior / Principal Psychologist and Area Manager attend training courses as informed by service requirements and career and personal development planning
• Attend and engage in clinical and line management supervision effectively and in a reflective capacity.
• Support the education of those in post graduate professional psychology training
• Participate in the learning and practice education of students on placement from the MDT team.
• Provide trainings as warranted.

Management
The Senior Psychologist will:
Provide clinical supervision to assigned staff as appropriate

• Identify staff training and development needs through the completion of personal development plans with staff, reporting needs to work force learning and development and in consultation with the wider Tusla therapy MDT, social work and other managers.
• Manage and co-ordinate service delivery in their area of responsibility
• Assign duties and responsibilities as appropriate to ensure effective service delivery
• Ensure the maintenance of a high standard of appropriate service user records and statistics in accordance with Tusla requirements and local guidelines, Freedom of Information Acts, Data Protection Acts, GDPR and other relevant legislation
• Act as a person mandated under Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015.
• Provide service reports / data as required by the Area Manager or Area Manager
• Maintain accurate up to date records and files and submit activity data as required.
• Write accurate, clear, concise and purposeful reports.
• Contribute to service developments by monitoring and evaluating emerging needs and trends in consultation with team members, the Area Manager or Area Manager
• Collaborate with the Area Manager and Area Manager in developing the role of the Senior Grade Psychologist and the service e.g. through planning, audit, production of standards, continuing education, quality improvement initiatives and research.
• Be responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of service in designated area(s).
• Ensure good working practice and adherence to standards of best practice.
• Promote quality by reviewing and evaluating the Psychology service, identifying changing needs and opportunities to improve services.
• Represent the department / profession / team at meetings and conferences as appropriate.
• Participate in the control and ordering of clinical equipment.
• Engage in technological developments as they apply to the service user and service administration.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols, audit systems, referral pathways and integrated care arrangements
• Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, business / service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with Area Manager and Area Manager and relevant others
• Keep abreast of developments in national policies and strategies and international best practice.
• Maintain an awareness of HR policies and procedures / engage in recruitment processes and other HR functions as required
• Assist in ensuring that the psychological service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in IT
• Maintain professional standards with regard to service user and data confidentiality
• Keep up to date with organisational developments within Tusla

Administrative

• Maintain appropriate records, databases and statistics in accordance with Tusla requirements and local guidelines, Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Acts GDPR and other relevant legislation.
• Maintain professional standards with regard to records of children, young people and their families and maintain data confidentiality
• Actively participate in development and continuing improvement initiatives of psychological services in liaison with the Principal Psychologist and relevant others including your MDT colleagues, Area Manager and Social Work Management.
• Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, business proposals, service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with t Principal Psychologist and Area Manager and the Area Manager.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols, audit systems, referral pathways and integrated care arrangements.
• Assist in ensuring that the psychology service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in Information and Communications Technology
• Keep up to date with organisational developments within the Tusla and the wider public sector.
• Staff will work within the values and principles as outlined in the national framework of Signs of Safety.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National
• Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections,Hygiene Standards, regulations regarding foster care and residential care etc and comply with associated Tusla protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
  
• As a mandated person under the Children First Act 2015 you will have a legal obligation to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to TUSLA Child Protection teams.

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:

• A recognised University QQI Level 8 degree (or equivalent) obtained with first or second class honours in which psychology was taken as a major subject and honours obtained in that subject.

And

• A recognised postgraduate professional psychological qualification in Clinical, Counselling or Educational Psychology, as appropriate to the area of professional psychology in which the position is designated, and accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland.

Or

• Qualification(s) from another jurisdiction confirmed by the Department of Health to be equivalent to the above.

And

• Have at least five years satisfactory post graduate clinical experience, inclusive of any time spent in pursuing a course leading to the postgraduate qualification and including at least two years full-time satisfactory experience as a staff grade psychologist (or at a more senior grade with a psychologist title) in the area of professional psychology in which the position is designated.

And

• Possess the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management 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.