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From Survival to Sustainability
Opening Statement by Gordon Jeyes, Chief Executive,
Child and Family Agency to the Health and Children Committee
17th July 2015
1.
Organisational Structure
1.1
The Child and Family Agency has now been in existence for eighteen months. A
new legal entity has been successfully created from existing resources at a time of
austerity. Establishment did not distract from service provision. Indeed, there is
clear evidence of improvement. Delivery in 2014 included 20,000 children and
15,000 families who received Family Support Services, 3,700 children and
families supported in matters of school attendance. There was an increase in the
number of children in care with an allocated social worker and those in care with
a written plan. There was also a 15% increase in the number of young people
receiving Aftercare Services.
Tusla was subject to a number of evaluations during its first year including:

Internally by Tusla Quality Assurance

Through HIQA inspections, individually reported on and contained in
HIQA Annual Performance Statement 2014

1.2
By the Controller and Auditor General
Accountability has been strengthened with clear line management responsibility.
Internal quality assurance and integrated performance reports are now being
produced to inform service improvement initiatives. From its inception Tusla has
made considerable efforts to be open and transparent in all communication about
its responsibilities and activities.
1.3
Budget allocation has traditionally been influenced by historic operation and
practice. Not least as a consequence of this, practice still varies in some parts of
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the country. It is now intended that as the Agency moves from establishment to
sustainability the allocation of a budget based on needs analysis will be a priority.
1.4
From a policy perspective there has been progress with the introduction of the
Child Protection and Welfare Handbook and the production of Alternative Care
Guidance. A School Attendance Strategy has been developed and will be available
to all schools in September.
1.5
Tusla services continue to be restructured in line with the Service Delivery Model.
The success of this model has been evidenced during HIQA inspections where
Areas where service delivery most closely mirrors the model have been found to
have stronger evidence of improvement. Further progress is required to ensure a
consistent, efficient and quality service throughout the country.
1.6
In summary, against a challenging background, Tusla has survived and services
improved. The establishment of Ireland’s first Agency dedicated to the needs of
children and their families has been possible because of the political will to do so
and because of the extraordinary efforts that individuals and teams have made to
ensure that it happened. There has been much learning in the first year of the
Agency about what organisational structure will best enable it to move from
establishment to sustainability. As we move forwards, a key priority for the next
stage of Tusla will be to ensure consistency of quality services, based on assessed
needs and supported by an organisational structure which can deliver on the
ambitious goals of Tusla’s Corporate plan.
1.7
During extensive staff and stakeholder consultation regarding the organisational
structure there was a strong welcome for the new Agency but an
acknowledgement that further change is necessary if Tusla is to move from a
surviving organisation to a sustainable organisation. In particular there is a need
to focus on:

The importance of Tusla having a responsive and inclusive identity and
culture

The need for enhanced and modernised information and communication
support

Arrangements to ensure best practice is consistently delivered
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
Clarity regarding roles and responsibility within governance and
management structures
1.8

Effective resources allocation

Capacity to learn from leading international best practice.
Certain guiding principles have been agreed and key discussion points (see
appendix 1) explored. A report on this consultation will be considered at the
Board meeting on 31st July. At the same time the Board will consider proposals
for revision to the operating structure to strengthen governance and ensure a
sustainable fit for purpose organisation
2.
Business Plan 2015
2.1
Introduction
In accordance with the terms of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has
approved a Corporate Plan for the period 2015-2017. In addition the Business
Plan 2015 is the first detailed annual statement of what is to be achieved to meet
overall core outputs and strategic objectives. Progress will be highlighted across
the five immediate priorities as outlined in the corporate plan. (see appendix 2)
2.2
Corporate Objectives (Short Term 1-3 Years): Key Achievements
2.2.1 Tusla’s Child Protection Processes and Systems are responding to Children at Risk
in a timely manner:
a) Implementing Children First
b) Rapid Improvement Plans
c) Integrated Performance Reporting
d) Dealing with Complaints
2.2.2 All Processes and Systems underpinning Children & Family Policy and Service are
evidence informed
a) National Policy Catalogue
b) Empowering Practitioners and Practice Initiative (CES)
c) Ongoing development of Partnership Prevention & Family Support
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2.2.3 Tusla providing a targeted range of Family & Parenting Supports
a) Parenting Strategy
b) Development & Implement a Commissioning Strategy
c) Develop a Revised Alternative Care Strategy
2.2.4 Attendance, Participation and Retention in Fulltime Education is embedded in
Service Delivery for all children
a) Educational Metrics and MTP
b) Alignment of Educational Welfare Services
2.2.5 Fit for Purpose Organisation to deliver on our Strategic Intent
a) Development of a Review and Reporting Mechanism
b) Framework for Major Emergency Management
c) Research Strategy
d) Communications
2.3
Corporate Objectives (Years 1-3): Key Challenges & Work in Progress
2.3.1 Tusla’s Child Protection Processes and Systems are responding to Children at Risk
in a timely Manner
a) National Out of Hours
b) CPNS
c) NCCIS
2.3.2 Tusla will provide a Targeted Range of Family & Parenting Supports
a) Psychology Services
2.4
The vast majority of Business Plan targets are being met, despite the fact that
corporate support capacity is well below comparator organisations. Whether
through HSE shared services or through other alternative routes the Child and
Family Agency cannot be sustained unless key functions such as IT and Estates,
which are but 2 examples can be resourced.
The former NEWB boasted 2
hardworking members of staff for ICT. They now form the entire complement for
Tusla, an organisation of 4,000 staff members with a critical need for data
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recording and management. A team of 120 in HSE managed Estates. The Tusla
complement is 2 to ensure the maintenance and upgrading of premises fit for staff
and suitable for the children and families who daily attend in crisis situations.
3.
Quality Assurance
3.1
Performance reporting
Tusla have taken a number of steps in 2014 and 2015 to improve performance
reporting and monitoring to further enhance governance and transparency and to
support continuous improvement. In May 2015 the first quarterly integrated
performance report was submitted to the Board and Department of Children and
Youth Affairs.
This report contains integrated performance and activity
information on services provided by Tusla including financial, human resources,
quality assurance and legal information with a view to to supporting deeper
analysis of service performance. While the Quarter One report demonstrates
improvements and good performance in many areas there are still issues in
relation to variability and consistency nationally.
Tusla has moved to a national monthly performance and activity dashboard
system where key performance data is presented to the Senior Management Team
and Board. It is planned that this system will be rolled out to all service areas in
the Agency. A copy of the April dashboard is provided in Appendix 3.
3.2
Quality Assurance and Risk Management
The Agency’s quality assurance strategy is on target for roll out in Quarter One
2016. The strategy describes what a high quality service looks like and how
services can be measured against it for the purpose of service improvement and
risk assessment.
Risk Management systems and structures in Tusla are supporting the
identification and management of risk in the Agency.
The Corporate Risk
Register identifies a number of high risk areas. These include the capacity to
manage the number of cases awaiting allocation, ICT resources and capacity and
management necessary to support the requirements of good governance.
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3.3
Proportionate intervention
Tusla has introduced a Proportionate Intervention Framework to ensure a timely,
proportionate and coordinated response where the quality of a service is
considered to be in need of improvement. The main purpose of the intervention is
to significantly improve the quality of a particular service within a clear
timeframe. The triggers for such intervention are significant underperformance
following internal quality assurance measures or external reviews from regulatory
bodies such as HIQA.
4.
Summary
The integration of three distinct organisations into a cohesive agency has been
challenging but much progress has been made in developing a single entity for the
provision of services to children and families. Tusla is a significant step forward
from past practice. There is clarity of information regarding services currently
being delivered, there is clarity regarding the reforms required and it is clear too
that improvement cannot be achieved without investment. At a time of austerity,
commitment and dedication have delivered an extraordinary range of
improvements. Going forward, the capacity to build on these improvements, to
provide a consistent service the length and breadth of the country will require
continued dedication but also sufficient resources.
Investment in Ireland’s
children is vital and sufficient investment is required if Tusla is to move from
survival to sustainability, putting Children First.
Gordon Jeyes
Chief Executive
17th July 2015
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