CoAction West Cork provides quality services to support children with an intellectual disability, and children with autism. This is achieved by helping each service user reach their full potential, working in partnership with their families and carers, within the community.

Children's Services Manager,

Dunmanway

Permanent Contract - 35 hours per week

Closing date: Friday, 23rd May 2025

The following description is intended to give a broad outline of the post only. It is neither exhaustive nor definitive. Duties may be altered or amended by the organisation to suit the changing needs of the people we support. As much notice as possible will be given regarding any such changes. It is our policy to review job descriptions on an on-going basis.

Responsible to: Director of Services

Base: Dunmanway

Overall Purpose of Position:

To manage and co-ordinate the delivery of a range of services (existing and planned) to children and families within CoAction’s services, in line with identified needs and aligned to CoAction's Strategic Plan. Services include Home, respite and community-based respite and Summer Camps and Saturday Clubs. The Children’s services manager will act as the Person In Charge for Children’s respite services, and have overall responsibility for the operation and provision of supports and services to children in their responsibility, services include Home support and community-based respite and Summer Camps and Saturday Clubs. In line with the ethos and policies of CoAction, relevant legislation and national policies including New Directions and HIQA Regulations, the Children Services Manager will lead and motivate the staff team to deliver the best possible service to the people we support. In particular, the Children’s service Manager will be responsible for ensuring staff work in partnership with each child’s family, circle of support and CDNT team to identify their needs and wishes and the elements each partner in the circle, in particular the person’s family and CoAction, will be responsible for delivering and supporting.

Reporting to the Director of Services, the Children’s Services Manager will work with relevant colleagues in reviewing and reconfiguring services and developing new services in response to identified needs, best practice and national policy and in line with available funding and resources.

The Children's Services Manager will be required to prepare and submit reports / updates at regular intervals.

The Children Services Manager will participate in the On-Call system

Main Responsibilities:

Supports & Service Provision
- To effectively lead and manage all aspects of service delivery within the Children Services, inclusive of all line management duties as assigned within the service.
- Manage and ensure the services in the area of responsibility, including but not limited to supports during the day, evenings and weekends, as identified in each persons’ individual plan, are operating in line with relevant CoAction policies.
- To act as the Person In Charge of the Children’s respite house.
- Ensure compliance with all HIQA monitored regulations and standards in designated respite and residential centres
- To ensure that all services operate family centred practices and to continue to develop the model of service in line with national policies.
- Ensure that the individual needs of each child enrolled in CoAction are regularly reviewed and assessed by an agreed person-centred planning tool and in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) as appropriate.
- Ensure compliance with best practice and regulations by working collaboratively with managers and coordinators of other CoAction services, such as the Children’s Disability Team and HomeShare, to ensure each child’s supports and goals are being provided in a seamless fashion.
- To co-ordinate and participate in ongoing monitoring, audit and evaluation of services, develop and promote research opportunities and promote and develop models of good practice working within an appropriate quality framework.
- Guide staff in ensuring compliance with legal and accreditation requirements and promote a culture of best practice.
- Attend case review meetings, case conferences and Referral & Enrolment meetings as required.
- Maintain appropriate records and documentation in line with organisational policies, Salesforce, ESS, NASS, and any other such systems that may be introduced from time to time.
- Ensure that all safeguarding concerns, incidents and allegations of abuse are reported and responded to in line with organisational policy and procedures, HSE, Tusla and HIQA requirements.
- Promote a culture of active listening and engagement with families / significant others of the people we support so as to ensure any issues of concern, or formal complaints, are responded to appropriately and in a timely manner.
- In conjunction with colleagues and your team, liaise with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure all referrals are managed and prioritised appropriately.
- To identify, develop, co-ordinate, roll out and be responsible for delivery of service targets and initiatives and timely reporting as agreed with the Director of Services.
- To ensure the Health, Safety and welfare of all Service Users and staff accessing the service and that all services comply with Health & Safety policies and legislation.
- To identify, initiate and manage change effectively in consultation with staff.
- Co-ordinate and support the management of risk across the children’s service.
- Work with the Director of Services and the Business Manager on the information required for the service arrangement relating to children’s services.
- To promote and develop Children Services in line with the CoAction’s strategic plan, and National policies and standards and, in particular, HIQA standards and Family Centred Practice.
- To support a smooth transition process for children moving within our services.
- To participate in local, regional and national forums (internal and external) as required.
- To build credibility and portray the service in a positive light by being professional and well informed and demonstrating determination and initiative to achieve results and improve the service.
- To develop business cases and/or other proposals for improvements and modernisation of services.
- To seek the view of users/advocates as part of the planning process, and the effective delivery of services for individuals.
- To ensure compliance with all relevant legislation including the Health Act, Child Care Act, Children First Act, Disability Act (with a particular focus on Assessment of Need), GDPR, Health and Safety, and Employment legislation
- To participate in and contribute to service development and management initiatives across the region as agreed with the Director of Services and participate in structures, taking the lead as appropriate on various pieces of work assigned.
- To participate in the on-call rota and relevant key holding lists for services.
- Be flexible in relation to working hours which will include occasional availability at evenings and weekends.
HR Responsibilities
- Carry out line management duties including regular communication and engagement with front line managers and ‘leads’, formal supervision, appraisals, development performance reviews, team building and retention/motivation initiatives.
- To develop, co-ordinate and manage the staff providing the allocated services in the catchment area and to ensure the provision of adequate support and supervision to Staff in line with CoAction’s Policies
- Ensure effective planning of staff rosters in the service are of responsibility with particular regard to ensuring the staffing levels and skill mix are appropriate to the support needs and the number of the people being supported.
- Work with the Director and HR in the recruitment, selection, induction, training and ongoing professional development of staff.
- Maintain and monitor appropriate staff records and documentation, including annual leave records, OWT’s, rosters, timesheets via ESS and any other systems that may be introduced from time to time.
- Support and encourage clear, regular and effective communication amongst staff and in particular staff who are supporting people across a number of settings.
Health, Safety & Risk Management Responsibilities
- Be the responsible person for the Health & Safety for the service area of responsibility as set out in the Safety Statement.
- Ensure the Health, Safety and Risk management requirements, as per relevant organisational policies and procedures and legislation are in place, managed and regularly reviewed within the area (s) of assignment.
- Ensure compliance with GDPR standards.
Financial Management Responsibilities
- Manage the overall budgets for the area of responsibility as a whole and approve purchase orders and invoices as per the organisations policies and Standard Operating Procedures as they are developed and implemented.
- To co-ordinate and plan the resource allocated to the services and manage the allocated budget in line with annual services development plans.
- With the support and guidance of the Director of Services and Finance Manager ensure there are appropriate financial management systems in place to manage the income and expenditure of the area of responsibility.
- Ensure that resources for the delivery of services are planned, sourced, deployed and managed with value for money in mind in agreement with the Director of Services and in line with organisational policy.
- Manage and approve expenditure in line with CoAction’s Procurement Policy, including purchase orders, invoices, expensive claims, petty cash etc.
- Manage and approve staff timesheets, Working Time forms etc. in conjunction with the policy, current systems or systems that may be introduced in the future
Strategic Planning, Community Networking, Training & Professional Development
- As part of a team, participate in the review, reconfiguration and development of services based upon identified needs in individual plans and as necessitated based on available funding and resources..
- Continuously stay abreast of national and international developments and best practice in the provision of services and supports to children with an intellectual disability, with or without autism, actively contributing to and engaging with the development of CoAction’s annual service plans and strategic plans.
- Represent CoAction at local level, developing relationships and strong links with families and community based organisations / groups in the area of assignment.
- Attend training and development courses that support the postholder in their role, as identified and agreed with the Director of Services.
- Undertake any other duties commensurate with this position. Duties may be altered or amended by the organisation to suit the changing needs of the children and young people we support and of CoAction.