Practice Administrative Support Officer Grade V

Job Summary

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 of circa €1.2billion and delivers its services through over 5,500 people in 259 locations across the Country.

The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Parenting, Family Support and Early Help Services
• Alternative Care
• Birth Information & Tracing and Adoption
• Tusla Education Support Services (TESS)
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie

Job Objectives

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Support Social Work Administration:

• Transcription of case notes and other Signs of Safety documentation for the Social Work team
• Completion of the standard business process records, handling of attachments, report building and execution to National Integrated Information System Management and processing of the Referral Portal and Post referrals received, including the issuing of Acknowledgement letters
• Preparation of documentation and forms for various Social Work meetings including Garda and RED (review, evaluate, direct)
• Recording of Visits, Family/Network and other Social Work meetings
• Ensure TCM data and reports meet national standards and criteria; identify issues; implement solutions to improve quality; review impact of solutions periodically
• Ensure that archives and records are accurate and readily available. Help improve filing and archiving practice in the Area through supporting and advising local Social Worker teams in best practice. 
• Participate in conference calls, workshops, events and meetings as required with Social Worker and other relevant external and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain a high standard of documentation, including service user files in accordance with local guidelines, the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and Tusla Records Management Policies
• Facilitating accurate, clear, concise and purposeful reports.
• Ensure the maintenance of service user and data confidentiality.
• Assist in ensuring that the social work service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in IT.
• To deliver a cohort and cohesive administrative and clerical support to the Social Worker/Team
• Effectively co-ordinate responses to enquiries received, the processing of initial receipt of referral calls including standard questions, transferring calls between Area’s as necessary and/or relevant
• Collation and Maintenance of required data and metrics
• Management of the relevant diary, meeting requests, associated briefing material, issue of correspondence / circulars from the Social Worker, Social Work Team Lead and/or the Principal Social Worker.        
• Maintain own knowledge of relevant procedures, practices and legislation to perform the role effectively and to ensure standards are met
• Ensure consistent adherence to procedures within area of responsibility
• Ensure that service-users are treated with dignity and respect
• Deliver social work administrative service in collaboration with other disciplines / agencies as required, in appropriate settings reflecting the needs of the service user.
• Provide practical help with and attend case conferences, meetings, court, tribunals and other relevant fora as required.
• Work within current legislation, relevant policies and procedures, guidelines and protocols as laid down by the employer.
• Promote a culture that values diversity and respect in the workplace.
• Carry out any other tasks as directed by the Social Worker, Social Work Team Leader or the Principal Social Worker

Human Resources:

• To supervise, allocate and oversee the work of assigned staff
• Encourage and support staff through change processes
• Pay close and accurate detail to own personal work
• Support the preparation and issuing of office documentation (correspondence, reports etc.) to the highest possible standard
• Co-operate and work in harmony with other teams and disciplines
• Ensure line management and Social Worker/ Team are kept informed of all issues

Education and Training:

• To maintain continuous personal development and participate in team based development, education, training and learning
• To complete all mandatory training
• Where appropriate, arrange for the induction and training for assigned staff, as required to maximise skill resources, (to include workplace experience placements where applicable)
• Where appropriate, provide supervision and assist in the development of knowledge, skills of relevant staff under your supervision
• To participate in performance evaluation / review, identifying areas for improvement and appropriate plans / measures to achieve them
• To ensure policies and procedures exist for all areas
• To maintain continuous personal development and participate in team based development, education, training and learning.

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.

Skills Requirement

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• Be currently in employment within the Dublin North City area – with Tusla Child and Family Agency.

and

• Have at least 2 years’ experience in a designated office within the Services as outlined above.

and

• Have proven ability of working with IT systems, which may include TCM and M/S Windows applications.  Experience of working with MS Word and spreadsheets, such as MS Excel to be able to manipulate, sort, filter, format and interrogate data

and

• Possess sufficient administrative capacity to discharge the functions of the Grade

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

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