Career Opportunities with ELSAC

Our Vision

“That every child knows their value and discovers their magic.”

 

Our Mission

Our mission is to nurture children, empower families, and strengthen communities through high-quality early learning and school age services. As a trusted community-based provider within an approved housing body, we believe that investing in children today helps build resilient families, connected neighbourhoods, and brighter futures for generations to come. Guided by children’s rights, equity, and evidence-based practice, we partner with families and communities to create opportunities for lifelong learning and wellbeing. Our work in fulfilling this mission uses a rights-based approach which is underpinned by Aistear, the National Curriculum Framework for Babies, Toddlers and Children.

Shape Futures.
Build Your Career.

At Respond, we believe in the transformational power of early years education and care. Every day brings moments of joy, curiosity and magic that come from helping children learn, grow and discover the world around them.

For the team at Respond, this is more than a career – it’s a vocation. It’s the privilege of building trusted relationships, celebrating milestones, and knowing that the care and encouragement you provide can shape a child’s future.

Supported by ongoing learning, expert mentorship and clear career pathways, you’ll continue to grow your expertise while making a meaningful difference every day. Join one of Ireland’s leading providers of early learning and school aged care, where you’ll help children flourish, support families and strengthen communities.

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Director of Development

Respond is hiring for the role of Director of Development. This is a senior leadership role responsible for leading the organisation’s housing development programme in support of Respond’s strategic objective of increasing the supply of high-quality social and affordable homes

View Job Booklet

Our Services

We provide high-quality Early Learning and School Age services for children from infancy through to 12 years of age.

Our services are designed to support children’s learning, development, and wellbeing at every stage of childhood, while offering families flexible, accessible, and responsive care that meets the needs of modern family life.

From babies taking their first steps in learning and discovery to school-age children developing confidence, independence, and friendships, we create environments where every child can belong, grow and thrive.

Our Early Learning and Care services provide full-day education and care for babies, toddlers and young children in nurturing, child-centred environments.

Through play, exploration and meaningful relationships, children are supported to develop curiosity, confidence, communication skills, and a strong sense of identity. Our practice is guided by Aistear and informed by children’s interests, strengths, and individual developmental journeys.

Our preschool services support children as they prepare for the transition to primary school.

Children engage in rich learning experiences that encourage creativity, problem-solving, independence, and social development. Through play-based learning and responsive interactions, children build the skills, confidence and resilience that provide strong foundations for lifelong learning.

Our School Age Care services provide welcoming and engaging environments before school, after school and during school holidays.

We recognise that children need opportunities to relax, play, socialise and pursue their interests outside of the school day. Our settings offer a balance of recreation, creativity, wellbeing, physical activity, and opportunities for children to develop independence, confidence and positive relationships with peers and educators.

School Age Care is designed to complement children’s lives, supporting their wellbeing while providing families with trusted, high-quality care.

Our Locations

Respond_Ireland Map_v1 Respond_Ireland Map_v1

Why Choose Respond?

In Respond, our work is grounded in integrity, equity, and a deep commitment to community. Our approach is a nurturing one. We nurture children through relationships that are warm, responsive, and respectful, giving them the confidence to explore, express themselves, and develop a strong sense of identity. We nurture families by listening, building trust, and collaborating with them. We nurture our staff by valuing their knowledge and expertise, supporting their well-being, and creating a culture where they can grow, contribute and thrive.

We understand that meaningful change happens through connection. By working collaboratively with children, families, educators, and the wider community, we aim to create an early childhood experience that is equitable, compassionate, and empowering for all involved, laying the foundations for children to flourish and for communities to become stronger together.

For more than 20 years, Respond has been delivering high-quality Early Learning and School Age services in communities across Ireland.

With 17 services operating across 11 counties, we are one of Ireland’s largest community-based providers of Early Learning and School Age Care. Our services support hundreds of children and families each year, providing safe, inclusive, and nurturing environments where children can learn, develop and flourish.

As part of an Approved Housing Body, we bring a unique understanding of the importance of strong communities and the role that quality early childhood experiences play in creating positive outcomes for children and families. Through robust governance, skilled educators, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement, we strive to deliver services that meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve.

Working in partnership with families, statutory agencies, and community organisations, we continue to create accessible, high-quality services that make a lasting difference in children’s lives.

20+ Years of Experience
17 Services Nationwide
11 Counties Served
One of Ireland’s Largest Community-Based Providers

Respond is committed to expanding access to high-quality Early Learning and School Age services in communities where they are needed most.

As demand for accessible, inclusive, and affordable childcare continues to grow, we are investing in the development of new services that will support more children and families across Ireland. We are excited to be expanding our provision in the Dublin region, with a new full-day care service opening soon.

This expansion reflects our commitment to strengthening communities through early intervention, high-quality education and care, and meaningful family support. As we continue to grow, our focus remains the same: delivering exceptional experiences for children, empowering families, and creating opportunities for communities to thrive.

We work closely with Tusla, the dedicated Child and Family Agency responsible for the regulation and inspection of all early years settings. All of our service are registered with Tusla and participate in unannounced inspections yearly.

Quality at the Heart of Everything We Do

At Respond, quality is built through strong relationships, reflective practice, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Our practice is guided by Síolta, Ireland’s National Quality Framework, and Aistear, Ireland’s Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. These frameworks support our teams to create inclusive, engaging, and responsive learning environments where children can develop confidence, wellbeing, and a lifelong love of learning.

To ensure quality is embedded across all our services, Respond employs two National Quality Mentors who work directly with service leaders and educators throughout the organisation. Through onsite mentoring, coaching, training, and quality improvement support, they help teams reflect on practice, strengthen pedagogical leadership, and drive continuous improvement.

This dedicated quality infrastructure enables us to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience across our services while recognising and responding to the needs of individual children, families, and communities.

Children’s Safety and Wellbeing

At Respond, safeguarding children is our highest priority.

We are committed to providing environments where children are safe, protected, respected, and listened to. All our services operate in accordance with national safeguarding legislation and guidance, ensuring that children’s welfare remains at the centre of everything we do.

Our educators and staff receive regular safeguarding training and are supported to recognise, respond to and report any concerns in line with established child protection procedures.

We promote a culture where children feel secure, families feel confident, and safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Our Safeguarding Commitment Includes:

  • Full compliance with Children First guidance and legislation
  • Designated Liaison Persons (DLPs) in every service
  • Regular safeguarding training for all staff
  • Robust child protection policies and procedures
  • Safe recruitment and governance practices
  • A culture that prioritises children’s rights, voice, and wellbeing

Child safeguarding is not simply a requirement; it is fundamental to who we are and how we care for children every day.

As a learning organisation, we recognise that professional development is a career long process and we are committed to continuously developing our understanding and knowledge of quality service provision.

To support our staff teams we are currently implementing two researched and validated assessment tools across our 15 services.

Highscope’s Program Quality Assessment tool. This tool assess program quality across seven areas of practice such as daily routines, learning environments and adult-child interactions. This tool supports us to stay focused on quality enhancement and best practice.

The second programme we are using is the Cor advantage assessment, developed by Highscope Educational Research Foundation.The assessment tool allows our practitioners to capture and record each child’s learning across nine developmental areas and use the data to create individualised lesson plans. The tool has really enhanced the quality of our practice as it gives our teams the ability to rely on accurate and meaningful data to elevate the learning and development program delivered across our services. The tool also has a family engagement function, which has created even greater opportunities for relationship building with parents as practitioners share real time learning moments from the setting and equally parents can share at home learning and updates.

Our People Are Our Greatest Asset.

At Respond, we recognise that the quality of our services is built on the dedication, expertise, and commitment of our people. We value the key role our educators, leaders and support teams play in shaping positive outcomes for children, families, and communities every day. Their passion, professionalism and commitment to high-quality practice are at the heart of everything we do.

By investing in professional development, mentoring, wellbeing, and career growth, we enable our teams to deliver high-quality experiences for children and families while building rewarding careers of their own.

We believe that when our people thrive, children, families and communities thrive too.

Testimonial

Attention, patience, and genuine care

“The level of attention, patience, and genuine care shown to the children is outstanding. My child has grown so much in confidence, social skills, and learning since starting.”

I felt completely at ease

“I am absolutely delighted with the childcare services provided by ELSAC. From day one, I felt completely at ease knowing my child was in such dedicated, capable, and professional hands. The environment is warm, safe, and welcoming, and it’s clear that a lot of thought and love goes into everything they do.”

It truly feels like this year has been of vital importance to her development

“The encouragement my daughter received from the team in developing her words and communicating her ideas has made a huge difference. It truly feels like this year has been of vital importance to her development. Thank you for the care, patience and energy you bring to the children every day.”

Community feel within Respond ELSAC

“There is a real community feel within Respond ELSAC. We support one another, celebrate successes together, and are always striving to provide the best experiences for children.”

I’ve grown so much since joining Respond ELSAC

“I’ve grown so much since joining Respond ELSAC. I’ve been encouraged to keep learning, develop my skills, and have confidence in my practice every day.”

Who We Are

The key to the delivery of our organisational vision is our people.

Our people are our ambassadors and it is their competence, commitment, and skills that are fundamental to the successful achievement of our goals and most importantly, to create a positive future for communities.

Since Respond’s beginnings in 1982 we had to grow and learn fast. In particular, the last few years have been a busy and dynamic time as well as been a time of significant change.  Because, more than ever, changes in our external environment are presenting new challenges if we are to continue to meet the real and ever-changing needs of our clients.

Today, over 450 people work creatively within our framework of shared values and social goals within a trauma informed environment. Our in-house team works throughout Ireland and includes a diverse range of roles across a number of departments including:

  • Services
  • Housing
  • Development
  • Legal and Compliance
  • Finance and IT
  • People and Culture
  • Strategy and Public Affairs

Build Your Career

Financial

Competitive Salaries (we advertise salary ranges to promote transparency)

Defined Contributory Pension Scheme up to 5% employee and 5% employer

Savings Scheme

Death-in-Service insurance (3 times annual salary)

Computer/mobile phone purchasing schemes

Income protection

Supports

Annual Leave 23 days plus 2 additional company days, options to purchase additional leave

Hybrid & Remote Working* *role dependant

Illness Benefit

Career Break

Employee Assistance Programme Self & Family

Long Service Recognition, up to 5 additional annual leave days

Family Support:

  • Paid Maternity Benefit (100% of salary less social welfare)
  • Paid Adoptive Leave (to qualified or nominated parent)
  • Paid Surrogacy Leave (to qualified or nominated parent)
  • Paid Fertility Support Leave
  • Paid Early Pregnancy Loss Leave
  • Paid Paternity Leave
  • Paid Compassionate Leave

Other

AA Roadside Breakdown Membership

On-site Parking

Professional Membership Support

*some benefits are service dependent

Learning & Development

Our ethos of continual improvement means we’re a great place to learn, develop and grow.  With that in mind we offer all employees plenty of opportunities to further develop with;

Access to an online learning platform in conjunction..

  • 30+ on-demand courses
  • 100’s bitesize courses
  • Wellness Hub
  • Discounts on certified and in-house training sessions
  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion program

Educational Assistance Policy which supports employees wishing to engage in third level education.

Communication with Employees

We embrace hybrid and remote working for non-front line roles and adopt a flexible approach

  • Employee Participation through our Partnership Forum
  • Town Hall Events

Flexible Employer

We pride ourselves on adopting a flexible approach to work, taking the needs of our employees and our service users and tenants into consideration. Where we can adopt a hybrid approach to work we have done so!

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

As part of our Strategic Plan, we have implemented an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy to apply best practice principles and procedures on inclusion throughout the organisation, ensuring that we benefit from a strong and diverse workforce.

  • We have updated our talent acquisition practices to ensure that we attract more diverse candidates.
  • Achieved Irish Centre for Diversity Bronze Award. Our goal is to work towards the Silver Award in 2024.
  • Continue to educate our employees and senior management through innovative ED&I Programmes.
  • We acknowledge that we have more to do on our ED&I journey and education and awareness helps us become more understanding and inclusive

Employee Wellbeing

People are at the heart of our organisation and are truly our greatest asset. Our wellbeing strategy is aligned to our core values of Listening, Empathy, Trust and Integrity and will help us deliver our wellbeing aspirations to our employees.

  • The focus of our wellbeing strategy is to improve lives on an individual and organisational level to enable our employees to flourish to reach their true potential.
  • We have trained 30 Mental Health First Aiders to provide non-judgemental advice and support to colleagues.
  • We continue to roll-out many educational programmes and events to support the wellbeing needs of our employees.
  • Our Employee Assistance Programme is available to all employees and their families.
  • Our Family Friendly Policies support our employees at all life stages.

 

Meet our Colleagues

Group portrait in a brick courtyard 1 (3) (1) Group portrait in a brick courtyard 1 (3) (1)

Life at Respond

We have a culture of care, respect and support, which means working with great people who listen and respond to needs. This undoubtedly contributes to our employee engagement score of 8.1 (out of 10) and our employee net promoter score (eNPS)* of 42.

*eNPS, is a scoring system designed to help employers measure employee satisfaction and loyalty within their organisation. eNPS scores can, theoretically, range from +100 (every employee is a Promoter) to -100 (every employee is a Detractor)  so to get your eNPS = %Promoters – %Detractors = eNPS A good eNPS score is between 10 and 30; above 30 is excellent!

Current Vacancies

If the above appeals to you why not check out our current vacancies or tell someone who you think may be interested!

Apply Now – Make an Impact