• contents
• keywords & contacts
• quick guide
• values
• contact us
• search

Contents

1. Membership
2. Meetings
3. Purpose and Function

1. Membership

There is no fixed panel membership or maximum number of members or maximum tenure of office.

The membership must be drawn from a Central List of persons with the appropriate qualifications and/or experience, including one or more social workers who have at least three years’ relevant post-qualifying experience.

Where it is considered that someone is unsuitable to be on the Central List, they must be given one months’ notice in writing and reasons for the decision to end their inclusion on the list. The Chair will be appointed by the Designated Manager (Fostering Panel Appointments) and will be an independent person.

The Designated Manager must also appoint up to two Vice Chair’s, whose role is to chair the Panel when the Chair is unavailable. They do not have to be independent of the fostering agency.

In Coventry, the Medical Adviser is appointed as one of the independent members of the Panel.

Reasonable expenses relating to attendance can be met, including travelling expenses and childcare; there is an allowance for attending training sessions plus travel expenses.

All Panel members must have been the subjects of a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks before taking up their appointment. These CRB checks should be kept up to date and recorded, including the date when the checks were made. Personal and work references will also be obtained in writing and must be satisfactory.

Each member must be provided with written information on appointment of their performance objectives, including their participation in induction and other training and safeguarding the confidentiality of records and information submitted to Panel. They will be asked to sign an agreement with the fostering service, in relation to his or her membership, covering the service expectations (including the requirement to report any involvement in criminal proceedings), confidentiality issues and commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.

All Panel members will also be required to attend at least one Panel meeting as an observer before taking up their membership. Panel members should complete induction training within 10 weeks of joining the Central List, have access to appropriate training and skills development and have the opportunity to attend joint training with fostering staff at least annually.

The quorum is 5 provided that the following are present:

1. Either the Chair or one of the Vice Chairs (in the absence of the chair). If the meeting is conducted by the vice chair who is not independent, there must be at least one other member of the panel who is independent;
2. One of the social worker representatives with at least three years post qualifying experience;
3. Three (or in the case of a joint panel, four) other members.

Panel members may request any relevant information or assistance they require, including medical or legal advice, from the fostering agency and, if so requested, this must be provided by the fostering agency.

The Panel may arrange for a legal adviser to attend the Panel if required by the Chair or by the Panel Adviser.

There must be a process for review of the performance of Panel members (including of the Panel chair by the agency decision maker) and for the performance management of members. Where necessary the termination of the appointment must be considered.

Where there are concerns about a Panel member's behaviour either inside or outside the meetings, and this cannot be dealt with by advice, training and/or information, this will raised by the Chair with the Designated Manager (Fostering Panel Appointments). 

The Designated Manager will decide whether someone is unsuitable to be on the Central List and therefore to end the appointment and if so, will advise the member in writing giving one month’s notice and clear reasons for the decision.

Panel members may resign by giving at least one month's notice to the Designated Manager (Fostering Panel Appointments).

2. Meetings

The Fostering Panel meets fortnightly on Tuesday mornings. Additional special or longer meetings will be arranged as necessary by the Panel Administrator with the Chair's authority.

The agenda for each meeting is prepared by the Panel Administrator in consultation with the Panel Adviser. The agenda will be sent out to members 5 working days before the meeting.

Those presenting reports to the Panel must send 11 copies of the reports to the Panel Administrator 10 working days before the date of the Panel meeting.

3. Purpose and Function

The Fostering Panel provides a quality assurance function in relation to the assessment process. The Panel Chair completes a feedback form for the assessing social worker.

The Fostering Panel receives management information about the outcome of foster homes reviews.

The Fostering Panel receives an annual report from the fostering service in order to comply with its monitoring role.

The Fostering Panel has one training day per year and members are invited to attend other training events as appropriate.

The Panel makes recommendations as to the following:

1. Approvals of foster carers including immediate placements under Regulation 38 for family and friends;
2. First Reviews of foster carers and any other Review where significant changes or termination of approval is recommended;
3. The suitability of private foster carers;
4. The matching of children to long term foster placements;
5. Any other special mattes relevant to a foster carer (including written representations from prospective foster carers after a decision to refuse or vary an application has been made) as the Foster Service Provider may refer to it and whether approval should continue or be varied after a Strategy Meeting has been convened after allegations against a foster carer or member of their household.

The Fostering Panel minutes and the reports presented, together with the Panel's recommendations, will be presented to the Agency Decision Maker.

End