The Role

St Christopher’s Fostering Service strives to achieve excellence in its support for foster carers and in gaining Outstanding Outcomes for Children and Young People. The independent Panel Vice Chair is crucial to St Christopher’s ability to achieve these aims – bringing experience of child care practice from outside the organisation, and the knowledge and skills to influence practice in the fostering service. As a priority we value diversity and in recruiting panel members we seek to ensure that we are representative of the communities we serve.

Job Purpose

1. To assist panel chair in meetings, ensuring that all items of business are covered and that the panel operates in accordance with regulations and the policies and procedures of St Christopher’s Fostering. 

2. To contribute to the development of the Panel agenda. 

3. To identify any matters that have the potential to cause a conflict of interest, and to identify these at the earliest opportunity to the Panel Advisor, and where necessary to absent oneself from Panel for that/those item(s). 

4. To prepare in advance of panel meetings, reading and evaluating papers carefully, identifying key issues and alerting the panel advisor if necessary to ensure, as far as possible, that a particular case is adequate for submission to Panel.
   
   
5. To facilitate the active participation of all panel members in contributing to the panel’s consideration of cases and to the making of a clear and well-evidenced recommendation to the ADM, with the reasons for this. 

6. To ensure that all those attending the meeting are treated with courtesy and respect. 

7. To address diversity issues and to promote anti-discriminatory practice at all times. 

8. To liaise with the Panel Advisor and Panel Manager as appropriate. 

9. To ensure that clear and accurate minutes are written, which record any serious reservations which panel members may have. To be involved in checking and agreeing draft minutes with the Panel Advisor and Panel Deputy Chairs for circulation and agreement to all panel members, and ultimately for submission to the Agency Decision Maker. 

10. To ensure through the Panel Advisor and Panel Manager, that managers in St Christopher’s are made aware of any issues of concern – in relation to individual cases and practice in general. To ensure that Panel recommendations on Quality matters are acted upon and their outcome recorded. 

11. To annually review with the Panel Advisor the performance of all members of the central list. Between annual reviews, to take responsibility for acting upon any concerns as regards an individual panel member as and when the need arises. 

12. To assist in the development and monitoring of policies and procedures, and in the course of their work, and where Panel recognises that new policies are required, to ensure that St Christopher’s management is aware of this. 

13. To assist in the identification of training needs and the planning of training for panel members, and to attend such training. 

14. To Safeguard the Confidentiality of all materials/discussions provided to the Panel Chair.  

Person Specification

1. Experience professionally, personally, or both of the placement of children in foster families and of children being cared for away from their birth families. 

2. Experience of Chairing complex meetings, and the ability to Chair such meetings, ensuring that all participants are able to contribute. 

3. Evidence of attendance at the BAAF Panel Chairs Training event, or a willingness to undertake this before appointment to the role. 

4. An understanding and appreciation of the effects of separation and loss on children. 

5. An awareness of the richness and diversity of families and their potential to meet the needs of vulnerable children. 

6. Knowledge of legislation relating to fostering which includes an understanding of the purpose and function of the Panel – and of St Christopher’s Fostering Service. 

7. Excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills.

You will need to commit to attendance at Panel as agreed with St Christopher’s and to contribute to the development of panel including review of panel members and panel member training. 

Please note that paperwork is shared with Panel members electronically, so applicants should have secure access to a laptop or similar. All applicants will be required to undertake a DBS check as part of the interview process. 

What we offer 

As part of their role Panel Members receive: 

• Induction and practice development training
• Membership to FN and CoramBAAF
• Annual appraisal
• Payment for preparation and attendance
• Travel expenses

To apply please send your CV and covering letter to

Kuljit Pal, Panel Manager, St Christopher's Fostering

kuljitpal@stchris.org.uk