Tusla People Strategy 2022 to 2024
www.tusla.ie
Our People
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
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www.tusla.ie
“Each one of us must come to care about everyone else’s children. We must come to recognise that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people’s children. After all, when one of our children needs life saving surgery, someone else’s child will perform it. If one of our children is threatened or harmed by violence, someone else’s children will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people’s children.”
Lilian Katz
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
Table of Contents Foreword
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Introduction
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Background to Our People Strategy
8-11
Our People Strategy
12-13
Building a Great Place to Work Together
14-15
Planning for the Future
16-17
Recruiting our People
18-19
Retaining our People
20-21
Developing our Skills and Capabilities
22-23
Leading our Teams
24-25
Supporting our Wellbeing
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Being a “Change Able” Organisation
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Summary Strategic Outcomes
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Implementation
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Tusla People Strategy
This Strategy is endorsed and owned collectively by the EMT Tusla 6
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
Foreword from our CEO In Tusla we are a people organisation, through our people we serve the public with a specific responsibility to children and families. Protection, Care, Support in a range of specialised services is why we are here. We seek to continuously improve Quality, Staff and Public Confidence through a dedicated focus on Practice, Culture and Structure. It is of vital importance then that we focus clearly on our single biggest asset, our People. The workforce of Tusla today and those who will join in the future need to be part of a plan that is mindful of them from the time they contemplate coming to work here right through to the learning we can gain from them after they have concluded their time in the Agency. As a public service organisation with a highly sensitive brief we have to consider always the next step to improvement. Over 5 million people rely on us to carry out our work in a professional caring manner. Performance Excellence will mean many things but among them are continuously improved outcomes for those we serve with a high measure of transparency and appropriate accountability. We can only achieve that through our People.
what we desire for the public if we focus on our People. Their journey as professionals requires care and attention in how we recruit, induct, mentor, support, train and lead them. They in turn can be those leaders of the future ensuring a continuous cycle of that Performance Excellence which manifests itself in the outcomes of those we are privileged to serve. Leaders, staff of all grades, Unions, training colleges and professional associations all have a part to play in the implementation of this ambitious but very achievable approach. I am grateful to the Minister, the Department and the Board of the Agency for their support for our People.
Bernard Gloster CEO
This People Strategy is a ‘living’ statement of intent and action firmly anchored in the understanding that we can only achieve
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Introduction Since 2014, Tusla has been the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children in the State. Employing almost 5,000 dedicated professionals, we operate 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. Our ambition is to focus on safe provision of services with a focus on outcomes. We pride ourselves on being able to think differently, where appropriate to behave differently and to work together to deliver a wide range of services for the benefit of children and families in our communities. Our Remit Tusla is charged with: Supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children, and the effective functioning of families: • Ensuring that the best interests of the child guide all decisions affecting individual children. • 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. In order to discharge these responsibilities, the Agency is required to maintain and develop the services needed in order to deliver these supports to children and families, and provide certain services for the psychological welfare of children and their families. 8
• Responsibility for ensuring that every child in the state attends school or otherwise receives an education, and for providing educational welfare services to support and monitor children’s attendance, participation and retention in education, ensuring implementation of Department of Education Policy. • Consulting children and families so that they help to shape the agency’s policies and services. • Strengthening interagency co-operation to ensure seamless services responsive to needs. • Undertaking research relating to its functions and providing information and advice to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Minister for Education regarding those functions. • Commissioning services relating to the provision of child and family services.
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
The future for our People
At the core of our People Strategy is improving the working experience of all our colleagues Whatever your role, and wherever you work – who continue to achieve positive outcomes every single one of our 5,000 people, plays a for our service users. Our strategy is about critical role in delivering high quality services that building together on past achievements and improve experiences for children and families in creating a purposeful work experience that our communities. we can all be proud of; a place that future colleagues will want to join and where they Our People Strategy has been written at a time when we have all been through a global pandemic will want to build their careers; and a working where we have had to think again about the nature environment that supports the mission of Tusla to develop and deliver great child focussed of work and the critical importance of the health, wellbeing, and safety of all our colleagues and the services. As an Agency Tusla faces a unique set of challenges where people often have to make service users that they support. The Agency has faced unprecedented challenges responding to the difficult decisions about the most integral of relationships, not having 20/20 vision of some of pandemic and supporting all our colleagues who the issues and facing ongoing intense scrutiny. have been juggling work and family life. The pandemic has had an impact on the children and families that we support in our day-to-day work, and we are only beginning to understand this and to glimpse the future needs that children will have as we learn to live with Covid 19. This three-year strategy sets out Tusla’s commitment to all our people – to be a great place to work, to provide purposeful work around our passion for the care and protection of children, to be the very best we can be in caring and protecting children in the State, and to support each other to face whatever challenges that lie ahead. Our People Strategy has been developed by listening to our people, in particular over the last three months and I want to thank all staff who took part in the recent engagement sessions. There has also been engagement with senior leaders in the Agency on the operational issues that they face, our parent Department DCEDIY, the Department of Education, and trade union partners, as well as an analysis of the wider challenges that the Agency will need to respond to.
© Copyright - IPSOS
Describing our strategic ambitions is one thing; we need to ensure that we deliver on them. So, this strategy identifies eight core themes for action, which we will focus on for the next three years to continue to recruit, retain and engage with colleagues right across Tusla. We are still living in an uncertain and ever changing environment, with evolving trends emerging on organisational models and structures, digital and technological transformation, changing demographics and diversifying employment relationships. Listening carefully to the views of staff and recognising their contribution in a meaningful way will result in better employee experiences and better outcomes for all.
Rosarii Mannion National Director People & Change
Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2018: 5) The new CIPD Profession Map - what impact will you make?
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The background to our people strategy Our People Strategy builds on the work that has been completed in recent times to set a strategic focus on Practice, Culture, and Structure and to develop clear goals for the Agency that inform and drive everything we do for children and their families. It will help us become a ‘change able’ organisation, ready to adapt and respond to the changing social care environment. Our Mission and Vision
MISSI
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E MISS
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Dedicated and committed staff working in partnership to ensure safer better child and family services.
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Dedicated and committed to working in partnership with children, families & communities to ensure that children in need or at risk of harm are supported, protected and connected to people who can safeguard and promote their wellbeing throughout their lives.
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PE
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Families & communities are empowered and strengthened to keep children safe and nurtured, recognising a child’s right to protection, stability and the support of a family and community network.
Enabling and valuing all staff to perform and deliver to the best of their ability.
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R VISIO N
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As part of the Tusla 2021-2023 corporate plan, three high level strategic areas have been identified: Practice, Culture, and Structure. Tusla’s goals and objectives have been established under these three interconnected areas, which are focused on addressing Tusla’s challenges and ensuring a process of continuous improvement. We are all working towards the achievement of the following strategic goals: E VIS PL I O
C U LT U R E | P R A C T I C E | S T R U C T U R E
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Pr ac t
Our Goals
Culture
cture
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u Str
Ensure children, young people, families and communities receive a consistent, quality and integrated response from all our services.
Delivering an independent regulatory service focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people through continuous improvement and partnership with stakeholders.
Ensure that our staff and leaders are supported and empowered to continuously learn and improve so that children, families and communities benefit from our service.
Ensure our local teams and services are facilitated and supported by National systems and resources that promote integration and accountability.
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
In working towards these goals, working with each other in our service development and delivery work, and in working with the many children and families who use our services, we aspire to exhibit and live out the following values in our daily work:
Our Values & Behaviours Trust
Respect
Kindness
Empowerment
We will be honest, truthful and responsible when providing our services
We will treat people with dignity and fairness
We will show care and compassion with those who need our help
We will work hard to go the extra mile to help someone achieve their best
We will help where we see others that require assistance
We will ensure we continuously learn and develop our knowledge and skills
We will be compassionate in explaining decisions even when the decision is difficult
We will work collectively with our stakeholders to achieve our collective goals
We will respect privacy We will seek your feedback and use it to inform how we improve We will follow through on our commitments
We will collaborate and work in partnership with others We will be informed and influenced by the opinions and experiences of others We will communicate in a way that helps others to understand and we will listen to ensure we understand
Our Challenges The 2016 Census (CSO, 2016) report shows that there are over one million (1,251,796) children under 18 years in Ireland. Children aged 0-15 years old accounted for 23% of the total population, one of the highest in Europe at that time. Although there is a continuing decrease in the birth rate in Ireland, Tusla has seen increased demand for its service driven by other socioeconomic factors including: • Insufficient social and other housing stock in the state. • Fast rising cost of living eroding the value of wage and benefits increases in the economy in recent years. • Interruptions to schooling in the last two years. • 40% increase in protection and interim barring orders relating to domestic abuse in 2021 compared with 2019. • More than 5,800 children in state care in Ireland. • Other emerging physical and mental health impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic. The Agency, in common with many healthcare agencies in Europe, is facing a recruitment and retention challenge. We have started to address this, and it requires urgent further action to stabilise and then significantly improve the position. Tusla’s staff complement as of January 2022 was just over 4,800 wte’s. There are 285 new
We will work hard with others to find solutions that work
posts created for 2022 with a projected staffing requirement in 2025 of 5,500. Staff turnover currently sits at 7% compared with total health sector staff turnover of 6.1% (HSE 2020). Staff in Tusla face a unique set of challenges particularly in the areas of child protection and associated work, engaging with involuntary clients, and children needing interventions because families and communities cannot care for them safely. Tusla needs adult and child mental health, addiction and disability services to be able to deliver our obligations. The pressure on staff from the increased demand for our services is further exacerbated by staff absence rates with the Agency. The total absence rate is currently running at 7.45%, with Child Residential Services seeing absence rates of almost 13%. This compares with the national health and social care absence rate of 6.8%. Whilst Covid 19 has driven increased absence rates in the Agency and in many organisations, the psychological and physical wellbeing of our people is a key challenge to be addressed. Our turnover and staffing capacity are also affected by the staff retirement rate at the Agency. Based on previous trends and our current staff profile, we are projecting an average of 90 to 100 staff to retire in 2022 and the same number again in 2023. This significantly adds to our recruitment challenge to ensure that all our teams are fully staffed and able to grow to meet future demand.
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Given the increased use of technology, the workplace is becoming more agile and flexible, with candidates and employees expecting to see an increase in flexibility, including the use of remote working technologies. Increasingly people select potential employers on the basis of a number of personal factors and no longer expect to remain with one employer for life – they will look for new opportunities if their individual needs are no longer being met and there are opportunities in the market for our people to look elsewhere if they wish.
• An induction process that incorporates both a corporate induction and a team specific induction.
The Agency is also developing a number of new national strategies in respect of future service delivery such as our Strategic Plan for Residential Care Services for Children and Young People 2022-2025.
The implementation of our People Strategy will enable us to deliver our vision of service delivery and improved life experiences for the children and families with whom we work. It supports the achievement of the Agency’s strategic objectives to have the practices, culture and structure that will make us ready for future changes and challenges. It is in the context of increasing demand for our services and public demand for improved standards of care that our People Strategy for 2022-2025 has been written. It outlines how we will create a best in class employee experience from the day colleagues start with us, through their professional careers, and into retirement. We will focus on recruiting, retaining and engaging our people to unlock their potential and achieve Tusla’s Corporate Plan objectives. It outlines how we will build and maintain a culture, capacity and capability required to meet the challenges we face in the years ahead.
These strategies set out the Agency’s approach to improved and increased service delivery for children and young people in our care. We know from our recent staff engagement sessions that we do many things well and we also need to improve and build on what we do in a number of areas. These include: • A sense of equality in the allocation of resources to the different in the Agency. • The development of clear and professionally rewarding career paths to give all our people the sense of how they can build their careers at Tusla. 12
• Further integration of our services to evelop highly functioning teams • Better management of internal news and communications. • An increased focus on the quality of service delivery by our frontline staff to support regulatory compliance.
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
The Tusla Employee Experience The key concept that underpins our people strategy is that the experience of every employee from the time they apply to join us, until the day that they leave, is of critical importance if we are going to continue to build a rewarding and attractive workplace, and deliver for children and families in Ireland. Together, we will develop an integrated focus on the entire employee experience that addresses all aspects of work, the workplace, our careers, and our psychological and physical wellbeing, by prioritising key periods of transition for staff during their career journey with the Agency. At Tusla, we will focus our action on the factors that contribute to a positive employee experience: • • •
purposeful work at every stage of our careers. accountable management. a productive and inclusive working environment for us all.
Trust Tusla Employee Experience
“Trust in each other’s values.”
“Trust that each will be appropriately tough on the other, when it is needed - knowing that an honest friend is the most trustworthy friend of all.”
“Trust in each other’s goodwill - we want to suceed.”
“Trust in each other’s willingness to learn from the other.”
• opportunities for growth and development • trust in leadership. • our psychological and physical health and wellbeing.
Key Moments - an analysis of what our people say is important to them “The fabulous life-long relationships and friendships that I have developed.”
“When you get the right mix of people around the table, all committed to improving outcomes for children and families” “Working with inspiring, committed and very hard-working people.”
“Trust that each will do what they say they will do.”
“Opportunities to attend courses and the support to complete further academic studies.”
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Our People Strategy The People Strategy will improve our ability to strategically attract, develop and retain the best staff, and create an environment in which they flourish and succeed through the delivery of impactful services for children and their families. Alignment to our Mission and Goals
Strategic Aim
This aim brings together the goals of Building a Great Practice, Culture and Structure to deliver Place to Work for the children with whom we work. It Together relies on our values of Trust and Respect.
Our Ambition • People are proud to work here and stay with us to build their career. • They feel supported and empowered to deliver great services for the children that we work with. • They feel able to contribute to building a caring and compassionate culture that inspires innovation, creativity and service excellence throughout the Agency.
This aim focusses on a structured approach to our future people and relies on the value of Empowerment.
Planning for the Future
• Our workforce plans are forward-focused, agile and linked to service delivery plans. All our services are appropriately and equitably staffed. • Workforce planning activity delivers a sustainable and capable workforce to deliver current and future high quality and integrated services. Appropriate skill mix and multidisciplinary working are encouraged to meet service needs.
This aim reflects the need to create the right people structures in our teams to enable delivery and reflects our value of Empowerment.
Recruiting our People
This aim focusses on creating the right Retaining our structures and culture to make our People people want to stay with us and relies on our values of Trust and Respect.
• Our Recruitment Service is highly skilled, responsive and tailored to meet the needs of Tusla Service Managers and stakeholders, including the promotion of Tusla as an employer of choice by nurturing and engaging with our yearly graduate cohort and the wider pool of candidates. We proactively work to attract people into training posts. • We develop innovative and collaborative ways of working that allow us to make the best use of our talented people and encourage them to stay and build their career in the Agency. • We work collectively towards a common purpose, inspiring innovation, creativity and excellence throughout the Agency. • We value and proactively invest in our people and teams.
This aim focusses on productivity and Developing our the need to build capability in the Skills and Agency and to offer exciting career Capabilities opportunities. A place where growing our skills and capability means being able to deliver more for Ireland’s children. It relies on our value of Empowerment.
• Personal and professional development for all our staff to build on their potential. Staff are equipped to confidently deliver, problem solve and innovate safer, and better child protection and welfare services. • We have a strong performance and accountability culture, to enable the achievement of our strategic aims. Our people are recognised nationally for their expertise and contribution to child social care.
This aim focusses on the development of Leading our Teams • Our leaders are highly visible, capable, compassionate, a compassionate and delivery focussed confident, and enthusiastic leaders, who exemplify Tusla leadership team now and for the future. values. It relies on our values of Trust, Respect, • Our leaders work collectively and collaboratively towards Kindness, and Empowerment. a common purpose, creating a caring and compassionate culture and inspiring innovation, creativity, and excellence throughout the Agency. • They recognise and support what team members are doing and celebrate positive outcomes.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
Alignment to our Mission and Goals
Strategic Aim
Our Ambition
We are creating a work environment that supports the wellbeing of all our staff in their day-to-day challenges. It’s about our values of Kindness and Empowerment.
Supporting our Wellbeing
• Our people are safe, healthy, and well both physically and psychologically.
We are creating a productive and inclusive work environment that improves our capacity to be a ‘change able’ organisation. We will be more change ready at individual, team and organisational levels through the implementation of a Tusla organisational policy on change and other complementary approaches. It relies on our values of Respect and Empowerment.
Being a ‘Change Able’ Organisation
• We have a health and wellness culture that informs all our key HR processes and procedures and a systematic appreciation for the whole person and not just the employee.
Tusla focuses on improving the lived experience of children in Ireland. Our People Strategy focuses on the nature and quality of the lived experience of all our employees. By reviewing, planning and improving the nature of the working environment we offer to our teams, the Agency’s ability to attract and retain talented people will be significantly increased. This will enable the Agency to deliver high quality services now and in the future to the children and families that seek our help. Our People and Change Team will work with leaders and managers across the Agency to deliver this strategy. We will do everything we can to ensure you are enabled to do your job effectively. Our People Strategy will be enabled by: •
A revised devolved HR delivery model to support service and business needs and provide professional HR services that are technically competent and strive for excellence.
• A revised HR staffing model to provide technical capability in the areas of workforce planning and best in class recruitment services.
• We create the conditions for people and culture change and a workplace environment that promotes growth, innovation and knowledge sharing enabling leaders to transform services and sustain improvements. • We develop leaders’ capacity to lead change in a complex system with a tolerance for ambiguity, building resilience and inspiring people to deliver our core purpose. Leaders will engage with service users and staff, will develop internal and external networks and connect with local communities.
• In line with Ministerial approval the revision where required of HR Policies, Procedures, Protocols and Guidelines (PPPGs), to ensure that they reflect best practice in line with legislative/ regulatory requirements, professional standards, compliance with staff/national agreements, DCEDIY and DPER circulars and European Directives, and monitor consistent implementation. • A focus with the senior HR partners and operational managers to specifically address the responsiveness of the recruitment process, to add pace to the timeline between approval and appointment. • The development of e-HRM capability at Tusla to harness ICT and technology to improve and professionalise transactions and process performance in the context of the People Strategy. • The development of e-HRM to maximise the contribution of automation in the management of Recruitment, personnel records, training and development of analytical data analysis skills, to support digitisation in the workplace
• Communication of the central People & Change role to meet organisational goals, and front-line service requirements aligned to performance accountability arrangements. • A focus on investment in people and change initiatives, leadership and culture, and the need to maximise return on that investment.
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Strategic Aim 1 Building a Great Place to Work Together Our Ambition: People are proud to work here and stay with us to build their career. They feel supported and support each other and are empowered to deliver great services for the children that we work with. They feel able to contribute to building a caring and compassionate culture that inspires innovation, creativity and service excellence throughout the Agency. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 1.1 Develop a Welcome Programme that delivers an engaging and comprehensive corporate induction and a departmental onboarding process. 1.2 Continue to listen to our teams and their concerns including an annual staff survey and work with senior managers to take actions based on findings. 1.3 Develop more engaging and branded two-way communication with all our people, that enables them to easily access work and career related information and advice on the key work issues that matter to them. 1.4 Allocate work and caseload to our people in ways that enable them to have meaningful roles, appropriate level work, recognition for a job well done and career development opportunities. 1.5 Promote Diversity, Inclusion and Equality across the Agency valuing different perspectives, depth of experience and the strengths and potential of individuals and teams. 1.6 Develop and support staff engagement forums, communities of practice and other appropriate communication and engagement methods, to ensure greater connectivity, partnership working and alignment with service improvements across the system. 1.7 Prioritise coaching as a key leadership and line management support in facilitating improved performance, enabling change, and supporting service developments at individual and team levels.
Year 2 Build
1.8 Revise and implement the Employer Brand and Employee Value Proposition for the Agency that tells powerful stories about Tusla. Its people, and its work and that positively connects to current staff and candidates for our current and future vacancies. 1.9 Review and further develop new and innovative ways of working that meet the needs of individuals, teams, and support the development of strong multidisciplinary teams focussed on service delivery and positive outcomes for children and families.. 1.10 Support collaborative practice through investment in team working, team leadership and shared learning to deliver stronger multidisciplinary teams and integrated quality care. 1.11 Introduce an approach to leadership and culture supported by coaching and mentoring programmes that supports high performance, professional and career development. 1.12 Identify opportunities for employees to become champions of new ways of working in their teams, and to support their colleagues with the transition. 1.13 In line with best practice and governance arrangements, establish a Human Resources National Investigations Unit to provide timely, robust and efficient investigations and use the learning to improve performance accountability. 1.14 Take a strategic and proactive approach to reduce reliance on an ‘adversarial approach’ to workplace tension, and prioritise and strengthen the development of the Mediation Service as a preferred choice to resolve issues. 1.15 Fully implement performance accountability/achievement across the Agency.
Year 3 Consolidate
1.16 All our people will have a ‘what matters to me’ conversation every year. 1.17 Create and sustain relationships and partnerships with other organisations to help us benchmark our performance, develop our metrics, identify new practices and trends, exchange information and deliver keyprojects. 1.18 Design and implementation of annual staff awards that recognise service excellence and innovation. 1.19 All our colleagues will have a strong voice about their work and workplace through feedback forums. 1.20 Leadership led engagement sessions in place to engage our people in how they continue to find meaning and purpose in their work. 1.21 Embark on process of external accreditation and Great Place to Work annual awards.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: •
staff satisfaction surveys report engagement and work satisfaction increasing for all teams
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staff proactively recommend working at Tusla to friends and family
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inclusive policies and working practices produce a workforce that is representative and understanding of the communities that we serve
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our, social media presence tells powerful stories about Tusla, its people and its work and we have a bank of candidates actively looking to join the Agency
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our people proactively nominate their colleagues for peer awards
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we are nationally recognised as a Great Place to Work
We will measure success through: • •
our turnover in all teams tracking below 10% by end 2024 staff satisfaction surveys report work satisfaction to be increasing with participation above 60% by 2024
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time to on board reduced to 8 weeks for all roles by end 2023
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over 70% of offered candidates accepting the role at the Agency
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average length of service rising above 10 years
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staff sickness absence levels are below 5% by end 2024
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we have an “early warning system” in place allowing us to identify and respond to teams facing high levels of demand
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Strategic Aim 2 Planning for the Future Our Ambition: Our workforce plans are forward-focused, agile and linked to service delivery plans. All our services are appropriately and equitably staffed. Workforce planning activity delivers a sustainable and capable workforce to deliver current and future high-quality and integrated services. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 2.1 Each directorate develops a workforce plan focussed on current and future staffing needs to support the development of Tusla services leading to the introduction of an integrated evidence-based workforce planning framework for the Agency. 2.2 Strengthen collaboration with higher education institutions in taking a strategic approach to graduate supply, education, and practice placements through active participation in DECDIY education groups and/or other fora. 2.3 Engage with the education system at secondary level to promote careers in Tusla through Transition Year programmes/ Young Social Innovators, Junior Achievement Ireland etc. 2.4 Develop and improve the use of technology and digital platforms to support workforce planning and data analytics for the provision of an integrated approach to the use of workforce data and the impact of this data for the Agency. 2.5 Develop a programme of secondment opportunities and attract staff from other professional areas through bursary schemes. 2.6 Provision of support to Tusla’s Structural Reform process - Organisational Design for a Quality-Based Local and Accountable Service.
Year 2 Build
2.7 Focus on succession planning for mission critical areas of our teams. 2.8 Build on collaboration with higher education institutions to improve graduate supply into the Agency, and development partnerships to influence future supply of Social Work Grades. 2.9 Undertake organisational design activities to plan for our future needs and meet changes in our workforce, so that we have a strategic succession in place. 2.10 Develop exciting and challenging career pathways for Social Workers and other staff grades in short supply or where turnover is high, including rotational placements. 2.11 Create a capability framework that provides clearer definition on skills, knowledge, and behaviours required for high demand grades of staff to enable the identification of current and future workforce deficits. 2.12 Monitor demographic changes in relation to workforce, ensure appropriate and supportive retirement planning is in place. 2.13 Proactively attract staff from a range of ethnic groups/nationalities etc.
Year 3 Consolidate
2.14 Develop and implement exciting and challenging career pathways for all other staff grades. 2.15 Improve cross-sectoral engagement to support a national approach to strategic workforce planning for the sustainability of the social care system. 2.16 Implement processes for the identification, nurturing, development, and training of leaders for future requirements to continue the trend of dependable leadership in the Agency. 2.17 Creation of career trials programme for young people (rotational posts across a number of services to ‘try before you decide’). 2.18 Explore new and alternative sources of workforce supply.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: •
we have a detailed workforce plan in place that sets out concrete measures to ensure that the Agency can be fully and appropriately staffed in future years, including scenario planning to enable the Agency to respond flexibly to changing labour market conditions
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we have an improved ability to track and meet societal needs in relation to children and families
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we have a plan in place for sourcing candidates for newly created roles or roles that will require new skills and capabilities in the future
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we have appropriate succession plans in place for mission critical roles across the Agency
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we are able to track and influence diversity measures and distribution in the Agency
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we are able to track and measure the internal mobility of our people created by planned interventions such as promotions, department transfers, shadowing, and mentorship
We will measure success through: •
average time for onboarding new hires reduced from 24 weeks to below 8 weeks by end 2024
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open funded vacancy rate in all teams reduced to below 5% of headcount by end 2024
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an internal mobility rate (demonstrating successful promotions, secondments, departmental transfer and mentorship) rising to 15% by end 2024
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10% of internal staff trained as internal coaches promoting a coaching culture
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10% of staff trained as mentors and engaged in mentoring relationships with other colleagues
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5% of peer-nominated staff actively involved in visible values programme supporting culture change
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Strategic Aim 3 Recruiting Our People Our Ambition: Our Recruitment Service is highly skilled, responsive and tailored to meet the needs of Tusla Service Managers and stakeholders, including the promotion of Tusla as an employer of choice by nurturing and engaging with our yearly graduate cohort and the wider pool of candidates. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 3.1 Review and implement recruitment processes that communicate the Tusla Employee Value Proposition and are able to respond to a developing online and fast-paced recruitment market. 3.2 Strengthen and use our recognition level amongst potential candidates to create an inspiring and motivating employer brand, harnessing the latest technology and social media platforms to attract new talent to join the Agency. 3.3 Commence Tusla’s Social Care Worker Graduate Programme, engaging with all Social Care students to promote Tusla’s Residential and Special Care Services, including Open Days in Special Care Units and streamlined application process. 3.4 Prioritise staff resourcing and talent planning across the entire career pathway to ensure the delivery system has the right people, capability and talent to deliver now and in the future. 3.5 Begin the process of devolving recruitment to six Chief Officers with appropriate guidelines and delegations in place.
Year 2 Build
3.6 Partnering with stakeholders to assist in coordinated start dates for new entrants into enhanced induction programmes. 3.7 Establish an annual programme of events to attract our workforce of the future and promotion of Tusla as a great place to work. 3.8 Partnering with CORU to enable a more timely and streamlined registration and recognition process. 3.9 Commence overseas initiative to attract and secure Social Workers from qualification-comparable territories overseas. Working with CORU, Department of Business & Enterprise to streamline this initiative under the critical skills visa procedure.
Year 3 Consolidate
3.10 Structured programme of engagement with the Department of Education & Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to increase number of courses for Social Work and Social Care. 3.11 Build on Tusla’s Social Work Graduate Programme, engaging with all students and providing them with the tools for ease of application and interview with Tusla. 3.12 Fully devolved recruitment to each Chief Officer with a clear governance and quality framework.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: we have a bank of ‘good fit’ candidates proactively looking to join the Agency
fees are minimised our revised devolved recruitment model is fully operationalised and deliv
We will measure success through: increasing the rate of qualified applicants per vacancy the average time to onboard new hires reduced to below 8 weeks by end 2024 the funded vacancy rate in all teams reduced to below 5% of headcount by end 2024 new hire turnover rate (tracking the number of new hires who leave in the first two years of employment at Tusla) showing a reduction by end 2024 cost per hire is available to the hiring manager and reducing
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Strategic Aim 4 Retaining Our People Our Ambition: We develop innovative and collaborative ways of working that allow us to make the best use of our talented people and encourage them to stay and build their career in the Agency. We work collectively towards a common purpose, inspiring innovation, creativity and excellence throughout the Agency. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 4.1 Create department/region specific retention plans that take into account workload and role grade and focus on highest rates of turnover and vacancies. 4.2 Design and implement a structured corporate induction process that engages proactively with new starters and allows them to settle quickly into their new roles. 4.3 Design and implement New Starter Buddy Programme to provide additional support for new starters and help them build their network in and understanding of the Agency.
Year 2 Build
4.4 Design and implement department onboarding programmes that are tailored to the needs and environment of each Tusla department. 4.5 Review and further develop flexible and blended working options for staff across the Agency that meet their needs. 4.6 Develop an accountability framework for Tusla, through consolidation and integration of existing arrangements, so that each staff member and team is clear regarding role, responsibilities and decision-making authority within the organisation, in line with policy, regulation and legislation. 4.7 Implement change through a visible coaching culture with all requisite supports in place.
Year 3 Consolidate
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4.8 Provide a workplace that enables staff to work in flexible and agile ways. 4.9 Create and implement career paths that provide exciting opportunities and job variety for the majority of our people.
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: •
staff satisfaction surveys report engagement and work satisfaction to be rated “good” or “outstanding” scores for all teams
•
active career pathways are in place for all grades of staff
•
career opportunities are being actively taken up by current staff
•
we actively monitor and action measures to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion within the Agency, staff know that promoting diversity and inclusion is the way we work
•
Opportunities for cross-departmental shadowing and secondments are available to staff
We will measure success through: •
total staff turnover in all teams across the Agency is below 6% by end 2024
•
our turnover of identified high potential employees against our succession plan is below 3% by end 2024
• there is an increase in average length of service across the Agency by 2024, trending above 10 years •
an internal mobility rate (demonstrating successful promotions, secondments, departmental transfer and mentorship) rising by end 2024
•
increased promotion rate by end 2024 with all developmental supports in place
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Strategic Aim 5 Developing our Skills and Capabilities Our Ambition: Personal and professional development for all our staff to build on their potential. Staff are equipped to confidently deliver, problem solve and innovate safer, and better child protection and welfare services. We have a strong performance and accountability culture, to enable achievement of our strategic aims. Our people are recognised nationally and internationally for their expertise and contribution to child social care. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 5.1 Implement and roll-out a revised, redesigned performance management support programme that will be developmentally based and empower both staff and management in the area of performance. 5.2 Ensure personal development planning and staff supervision are core management practices focusing on the competencies, knowledge and behaviours of staff. 5.3 Develop processes for learning needs analysis and learning transfer to support current and anticipated future service delivery standards. 5.4 Assess and develop the capability and capacity of all current staff roles against future service requirements, anticipated challenges and agreed competencies. 5.5 Establish a clear and agreed process for prioritisation of all Learning and Development L&D responses, taking account of the Agency’s mandatory and statutory training obligations, and develop or commission new training provision related to prioritised need. 5.6 Demonstrate good governance through behaviour where public service leaders engage with the wider public, service users and staff to promote greater trust and transparency using performance data to inform decision-making and make accountability real. 5.7 Continue to develop personal and professional accountability arrangements so that each staff member and team can perform effectively with clear roles that set out decision-making authority
Year 2 Build
5.8 Create an environment that celebrates success, recognises good performance and the provision of regular feedback to staff on their work contributions. 5.9 Support to follow our people’s chosen career paths, that match their ambitions and circumstances. 5.10 Engage with staff and managers across the Agency to develop a strategic Learning and Development (L&D) Plan with an agreed funding stream that builds individual and organisation capacity to meet current and strategic requirements. 5.11 Quantify the L&D spend, evaluate, and measure learning and development outcomes to ensure organisational relevance and return on investment. 5.12 Prioritise ‘on the job’ experiential learning through job rotation and shadowing and consider augmenting existing capability through partnerships, secondments and interchanges.
Year 3 Consolidate
5.13 Increase the focus on multi-disciplinary development to enhance the public experience, support team working/collaborative practice and bring about evidence based service improvements. 5.14 Work with professional bodies and staff representative associations to develop Continuous Professional Development responses that support improved performance accountability. 5.15 Engage with third-level and further education providers to leverage opportunities for staff development in line with Tusla service needs, across all grades of staff.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: •
all new starters complete an induction process specific to their role
•
there is an active people development plan in place for all teams that is properly funded, with broad training and development annual spend running at 5% of annual salary costs, supported by our Leadership Academy governance framework that encompasses outcomes measurement, consistency and value for money
•
our planned training and development is specifically linked to the future skills and capability requirements identified by the Agency
•
all our staff have an annual professional development plan
•
all our people will have an annual career development conversation, which will inform our learning and development offering
•
we have metrics on the number of days/hours in place where staff are engaged in education and training
•
approach to statutory training clarified and communicated
•
time to being fully productive in a role is established and reduced
•
training for court attendance is available to staff, dedicated general training and preparation for individual cases
•
training is available for staff in working with involuntary clients and in dealing with violence and aggression at work
We will measure success through: •
our performance review completion rate over 90% by end 2024
•
the % of new starters successfully completing induction
•
net promoter scores for all external and qualification linked training interventions to be above +30 by end 2025
•
all staff completing mandatory training requirements
•
an increase of internal promotion rates and structured internal mobility
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Strategic Aim 6 Leading our Teams Our Ambition: Our leaders are highly visible, capable, compassionate, confident, and enthusiastic people who exemplify Tusla values. Our leaders work collaboratively towards a common purpose, creating a caring and compassionate culture and inspiring innovation, creativity and excellence throughout the Agency. They recognise and support what team members are doing and celebrate positive outcomes. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 6.1 Develop and implement models of compassionate and distributed leadership that nurtures a strong culture of engagement and teamwork, inspiring staff at all levels to deliver high quality, safe services. 6.2 Assess and develop the capability and capacity of current leaders against future service requirements, anticipated challenges and agreed leadership competencies. 6.3 Refresh and validate leadership competency framework to recruit, develop and retain staff of the highest calibre across all staff groupings. 6.4 Increase visibility and connection between leaders and staff listening to feedback, focusing on child-centred quality improvements, and delivering timely solution-focused responses. 6.5 Increase visibility and roll-out of the Visible Values Project.
Year 2 Build
6.6 Leadership career pathways developed and mapped against Tusla Leadership Team and high-potential Managers are included in the Agency’s succession plan. 6.7 Establish and roll out our Leadership Academy comprising the best thought and practice-based leaders from across the system to lead, influence and develop leadership standards, practice leadership, and succession management. 6.8 Develop processes of identifying, nurturing, developing, and training leaders for future requirements or replacement of the existing leaders to continue the trend of dependable leadership in the Agency. 6.9 Develop a collaborative coaching culture will be supported by modelling good people management practices to the effective management of underperformance. 6.10 Through development of Tusla’s Leadership and Learning Academy ensure all L&D interventions delivered internally or contracted through academic or other partners are aligned to organisational priorities and the requirements of Tusla Corporate Plan.
Year 3 Consolidate
6.11 Strengthen leadership capacity to lead and manage transformational change and reform with a particular focus on a coaching facilitative style of leadership. 6.12 Develop coaching and mentoring as a key leadership and line management support in facilitating improved performance and service developments. 6.13 Nurture and develop the leaders of tomorrow so that we are capable of meeting future challenges.
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Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
We will know that we have it right when: •
over 80% of our people express high levels of satisfaction with management in the annual satisfaction surveys
•
visible values are explicitly named in all developments, programmes, training and resources across the Agency
•
we have improved team working with improved outcomes for children and families engaging with the Agency
We will measure success through: •
we reduce the overall turnover of our staff to below 6% by end 2024
•
absence levels reduce to below 5% by end 2024
•
visible values making an impact on our culture through reduction in internal conflict and more positive engagements with the public
•
evidence of person-centred cultures in place for service users and staff
•
measures in relation to culture improving through reporting in our annual staff survey or through the Tusla Staff Engagement App
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Strategic Aim 7 Supporting our Wellbeing Our Ambition: Our people are safe, healthy, and well both physically and psychologically. We have a health and wellness culture that informs all our key HR processes and procedures and a systematic appreciation for the whole person and not just the Employee. Stage Year 1 Strengthen
Key Steps 7.1 Ensure our people policies and procedures are designed to enable staff to maximise their work contributions and work life balance. 7.2 Establish and roll out an annual programme of events and interventions that support the wellbeing of all staff across the agency. 7.3 Develop line managers to work in a complex environment with multiple layers of employment arrangements/virtual teams etc. 7.4 Strengthen Occupational Health and EAP support and advice across the system to support managers in developing working environments that are conducive to the delivery of better services.
Year 2 Build
7.5 Design and implement our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion programme across the Agency building on the lived experiences of our staff. 7.6 Create a safe working environment where staff feel able to discuss and ask for support to ensure both their physical and mental wellbeing, so that they can reach their full potential and be an effective member of the team. 7.7 Develop a deep understanding of the future of work in the social care sector. Reimagine the working environment and facilities for staff at work to ensure that mental and physical wellbeing is built into our work structures and environment.
Year 3 Consolidate
7.8 Establishment of an improved workplace and culture built with caring teams, colleagues, and management that act as enablers for us to do the best for the children with whom we work.
We will know that we have it right when: •
there are high levels of engagement in our annual wellbeing programme
• •
we have blended working arrangements supporting our work productivity and working lives
•
all staff have a yearly risk assessment
•
all our people have an annual wellbeing conversation
•
we balance stakeholders needs and expectation, staff expectations, ethical considerations with what is appropriate
We will measure success through:
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•
staff survey results on health and wellbeing theme are at 70%+ satisfaction
•
absence levels are reduced to below 5% by end 2024
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
Strategic Aim 8 Being a ‘Change Able’ Organisation Our Ambition: Our focus is on children’s needs that drive operational change in the Agency. Our leaders create the conditions for people and culture change and a workplace environment that promotes growth, innovation and knowledge sharing. We enable leaders and their teams to transform services and sustain improvements. Stage
Key Steps
Year 1 Strengthen
8.1 Improve our capacity to be a ‘change able’ Organisation and increase change readiness at individual, team and organisational levels through the implementation of a Tusla organisation policy on change and other complementary approaches. 8.2 Identify and reclarify our shared purpose as an Agency. 8.3 Support the review of current services and work with senior management to provide organisational structures that can deliver better outcomes for children and their families.
Year 2 Build
8.4 Develop leaders’ capacity to lead change in a complex system with a tolerance for ambiguity, building resilience and inspiring people to deliver our core purpose, engaging with service users and staff, developing networks and connecting with local communities. 8.5 Re-energise our commitment to early, sustained engagement by enabling staff to have a direct influence and ‘invest’ in change by taking responsibility and advocating for improvements, becoming change activists as individuals and as team members. 8.6 Support staff to place ‘children’s and families’ needs at the centre of change, connect with service user experiences and engage as equal partners in the co-design, development and evaluation of services. 8.7 Support the co-design and resourcing of new operational models for the Agency. 8.8 Lead the communication of change-related action plans across the Agency.
Year 3 Consolidate
8.9 Improve leadership capability for change by integrating the organisational approach to change into all learning and development programmes supported by the talent development framework. 8.10 Continue to develop locally based Change and Improvement Networks to align all development resources at local level to meet people’s needs and deliver improved outcomes aligned to national policy and informed by local priorities. 8.11 Support the implementation of change initiatives and facilitate the celebration of success across the Agency.
We will know that we have it right when: • •
• •
the organisation is change ready and continually initiates and responds to change that creates advantage, minimises risk and sustains performance we have a detailed workforce plan in place that sets out concrete measures to ensure that the Agency can be fully and appropriately staffed in future years, including scenario planning to enable the Agency to respond flexibly to changing labour market conditions change is treated as a constant event the continued and integrated approach to change is owned by all staff and embedded into the fabric of the Agency
We will measure success through: • • • •
the use of staff surveys to track the extent to which we have a clearly understood purpose and direction for the Agency the extent to which we build connections with our staff and service users the design and implementation of a flexible organisational structure sharing and learning networks across the Agency sharing examples of successful change initiatives 29
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Summary Strategic Outcomes Trust Tusla Employee Experience
We will develop an integrated focus on the entire employee experience that addresses all aspects of the provision of meaningful work, the workplace and staff health, safety and wellbeing. We will prioritise key periods of transition for staff during their career journey to reduce staff turnover and provide higher levels of capability in service delivery for the Agency. We will support the delivery of children-focussed service by the Agency through prioritising the factors that contribute to a purposeful employee experience – meaningful work, hands-on and accountable management, a purposeful work environment, growth opportunities, trust in leadership, health and wellbeing. Strategic Aim
Our Ambition
Building a Great Place to Work Together
• People are proud to work here and stay with us to build their career.
Planning for the Future
• Our workforce plans are forward-focused, agile and linked to service delivery plans. All our services are appropriately and equitably staffed.
• They feel supported and empowered to deliver great services for the children that we work with. • They feel able to contribute to building a caring and compassionate culture that inspires innovation, creativity and service excellence throughout the Agency.
• Workforce planning activity delivers a sustainable and capable workforce to deliver current and future high quality and integrated services. Recruiting our • Our recruitment service is highly skilled, responsive and tailored to meet the needs of Tusla Service People Managers and stakeholders. • We promote Tusla as an employer of choice by nurturing and engaging with our yearly graduate cohort and the wider pool of candidates. Retaining our People
• We develop innovative and collaborative ways of working that allow us to make the best use of our talented people and encourage them to stay and build their career in the Agency. • We work collectively towards a common purpose, inspiring innovation, creativity and excellence throughout the Agency.
Developing our Skills and Capabilities
• Personal and professional development for all our staff to build on their potential. Staff are equipped to confidently deliver, problem solve and innovate safer, and better child protection and welfare services.
Leading our Teams
• Our leaders are highly visible, capable, compassionate, confident, and enthusiastic leaders, who exemplify Tusla values.
• We have a strong performance and accountability culture, to enable the achievement of our strategic aims. Our people are recognised nationally for their expertise and contribution to child social care.
• Our leaders work collaboratively towards a common purpose, creating a caring and compassionate culture and inspiring innovation, creativity, and excellence throughout the Agency. • They recognise and support what team members are doing and celebrate positive outcomes. • Our people are safe, healthy, and well both physically and psychologically. Supporting our Wellbeing • We have a health and wellness culture that informs all our key HR processes and procedures and a systematic appreciation for the whole person and not just the employee. Supporting our Being a ‘Change Able’ Organisation
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• We create the conditions for people and culture change and a workplace environment that promotes growth, innovation and knowledge sharing enabling leaders to transform services and sustain improvements. • We develop leaders’ capacity to lead change in a complex system with a tolerance for ambiguity, building resilience and inspiring people to deliver our core purpose, engaging with service users and staff, developing networks and connecting with local communities.
Tusla People Strategy 2022-2024
Implementation This document outlines the People Strategy framework, priorities, intended outcomes and high level actions. The strategy is supported by a three-year action plan that sets out the details, key lead responsible for the plan, key performance indicators and timeframes needed to implement the People Strategy. The immediate areas of focus for 2022 are set out below:
Accountability
Learning Organisation
Given the level of interdependency between the actions in this People Strategy, implementing it will require leaders across Tusla to be responsible both individually and as team members to deliver on the actions. It is critical that the needs of service managers and frontline staff are prioritised. Engaging with staff and their representative bodies will be central to the implementation process. This will enable our people services to meet the complex and future requirements for children and family services across the country.
The plan for 2022, 2024 is detailed with the key actions under all eight strategic aims set out across the year. After 18 months, there will be a review of progress against the plan and an opportunity to update the plan in line with organisational changes that may take place. Year 3 is therefore set out with the headline actions anticipated but will also be driven by the plan review 18 months into the programme.
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The Project Management Office will input expertise, track and support implementation. Published by People and Change Directorate Tusla For further information please contact; Rosarii Mannion, National Director People and Change email: peopleandchange@tusla.ie
URL: www.tusla.ie