Tusla Child and Family Agency is the dedicated state agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. It encompasses child protection, early intervention and family support services.
The Agency operates under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, a progressive piece of legislation with children at its heart and families viewed as the foundation of a strong healthy community where children can flourish. Partnership and co-operation in the delivery of seamless services to children and families are also central to the Act.
There are over 5,000 staff working in the Agency.
Under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla supports and promotes the development, welfare and protection of children, and the effective functioning of families. It does this by:
Offering care and protection for children in circumstances where their parents have not been able to, or are unlikely to, provide the care that a child needs. The Agency does this by maintaining and developing services and supports for children and families;
Ensuring that every child in the State attends school or otherwise receives an education, and by providing educational welfare services to support and monitor children’s attendance, participation and retention in education;
Ensuring that the best interests of the child guide all of our decisions ;
Consulting children and families so that they help to shape the Agency’s policies and services;
Strengthening interagency co-operation to ensure seamless services that are responsive to needs;
Undertaking research relating to our functions and providing information and advice to the Minister.
Our services
Tusla Child and Family Agency’s services include a range of universal and targeted services:
Fiona O'Sullivan, Child Protection and Welfare Social Worker
Fiona O'Sullivan is a Child Protection and Welfare Social Worker.
Hi, Ask me a question...
What were the main 'career decision' milestones in your life so far?
Making the decision to complete a Masters in Social Work is the most significant ‘career decisions’ in my life so far, although it was a big undertaking I thoroughly enjoyed it and it remains the best decision I have ever made! It was the quickest 2 years of my life!
Who are the people who most influenced your career direction?
Close family members and friends.
How did you go about getting your current job?
It was a simple process, I applied through the graduate campaign, attended online information sessions, completed the interview process and received an offer soon after, it was very straight forward.
Describe a typical day?
As a Child Protection and Welfare Social Worker no day is really the same, all the families that I work with present with various complexities. I will attempt to explain a typical Monday morning, I usually have my morning coffee while at home while I read my emails and listen to any voicemails received over the weekend. I try to keep Monday’s diary free as it is usually a day where I will be completing various unannounced visits and follow up with any referrals or concerns highlighted over the weekend. My day can change really quickly depending on what comes up, I try my best to meet with the children and parents that I work with as often as possible to build a meaningful relationship to ensure that they can talk to me about any worries and concerns that they may have.
What are the main tasks and responsibilities?
Managing a case load whereby there is ongoing child protection concerns.
Monitoring safety plans.
Monitoring cases in line with CPNS procedures.
What are the main challenges?
Waiting lists for services and supports for example, play therapy, mental health services etc.
What do you like most?
Building relationships with the families that I work with, sometimes once I am first allocated to the case, it can be difficult for the family to open up and trust the service. It is important that we meet the families where they are at and be very mindful of any power dynamics in the relationship.
Is there anything that isn't great?
It can be stressful at times, in particular I struggle with the thresholds, sometimes it feels like we know that the children are not living in the best environment, but we have to wait until the incident happens before we have enough evidence to apply for a Care Order.
What particular skills do you bring to your workplace?
I feel that I have great communicate skills and can communicate with anyone in a non-judgemental manner which is really important to the families in which we work with.
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
I don’t really feel that any of my subjects in school influenced my career path as I had no idea of what exactly I wanted to do once I finished school.
What is your education to date?
Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Social Care.
Masters in Social Work.
What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?
Completing my Master’s gave me the skills and knowledge to be able to confidentially do my job today.
What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?
I LOVE when I see a family who have completely turned their lives around. When we start working with families we often meet them at their lowest, to put all the support services in place and see consecutive changes to their lives can be really rewarding.
What personal qualities do you have that helps you in your career?
Kind, resilient, honest, patient.
What is your dream job?
I love my current job, so I haven’t really thought about any other future posts.
Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?
Yes, my job fits in with my life perfectly. Although, we are very busy, the role is flexible to allow for appointments. After working in residential centres for many years, a Monday-Friday working week is very much enjoyable!
What advice would you give to someone considering this job?
Before I applied for this job, I was worried about the staffing levels and the poor reviews that I had been told. I am really happy I did not allow these factors to influence my decision, this has not been my experience at all, my team and team leader are amazing, and I feel really supported in my role! My advice would be if you are interested just apply and go from there!
Have you undertaken, or do you plan to undertake any further training as part of your job?
Continuous professional development is something that I feel passionate about, society is always changing, and new evidence-based approaches are being published.
What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?