Purpose of the Role

The Clinical Lead will provide senior clinical leadership to Childhood Matters’ Children’s Intervention and Prevention Pathways Service (CHIPPS). This includes responsibility for clinical governance, case allocation, and progression, while also carrying a defined clinical caseload. The role is central to ensuring timely access to evidence-based interventions for children in care, and in response to a significant waiting list and complex presenting needs.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Service Delivery

• Lead CHIPPS’ multidisciplinary team in delivering trauma-informed, attachment-based interventions for children in care.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for CHIPPS in alignment with Childhood Matters’ clinical and organisational frameworks. Manage case allocation, progression, and service flow to ensure timely and equitable access.
• Maintain oversight of clinical risk management and safeguarding in line with best practice and regulatory standards.

Direct Clinical Work

• Hold and manage a defined caseload (minimum 40–50% of role), delivering high- quality assessment and therapeutic intervention to children, young people, and
• Provide specialist consultation, joint work, and co-therapy with social care colleagues and allied professionals.
• Actively contribute to reducing the CHIPPS waiting list through innovative models (e.g. consultation, group work, joint assessments).

Supervision, Training & Team Development

• Provide clinical supervision and reflective practice to staff, trainees, and allied health/social care professionals.
• Contribute to the induction, training, and continuous professional development of the CHIPPS team.
• Foster a supportive, collaborative, and learning

Research, Evaluation & Service Development

• Lead service evaluation, outcome monitoring, and research projects to

strengthen CHIPPS’ evidence base.

• Use data and evaluation to innovate service responses and manage waiting list
• Contribute to local and national policy forums to promote trauma-informed care for children in care.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Act as the primary clinical point of contact for Tusla, HSE, Courts, and other partner agencies in relation to CHIPPS.
• Represent Childhood Matters at inter-agency meetings, forums, and national policy discussions.
• Promote the CHIPPS model externally through training, conferences, and

Person Specification

Essential

• Post-graduate qualification in Clinical Psychology (PSI recognised, or equivalent), or other relevant professional qualifications such as Occupational Therapy, Systemic Family Therapy.
• Eligible for appointment at Senior Grade under HSE consolidated
• Significant post-qualification experience working with children and families affected by trauma, attachment difficulties, and care experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including case management, clinical supervision, and service development.
• Proven ability to deliver assessments and interventions with complex
• Strong understanding of child protection, safeguarding, and inter-agency
• Excellent communication, report writing, and influencing

Desirable

• Experience of service evaluation, research, and
• Expertise in systemic/relational approaches and multidisciplinary
• Demonstrated to commitment and further training in area of developmental trauma
• Knowledge of Tusla/HSE care pathways and relevant Irish policy

 

 

Additional Information

This is a permanent post subject to funding.

The role requires flexibility, including some out-of-hours and travel across Cork city and county.

The successful candidate will be required to obtain Garda vetting as a condition of their initial and continued employment.

To apply please send your CV and a cover letter to hr@childhood-matters.ie. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 02nd September 2025.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, disability, age, gender expression or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, marital or civil partnership status or culture. Childhood Matters is committed, where possible, to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.

All documentation received by Childhood Matters will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR; 2018). The information will only be used by Childhood Matters in the processing of job applications and for ongoing administrative purposes with job candidates.