Chair of Fostering Panel

Job Category: Social & Healthcare Qualified.
Location: Luton, Bedfordshire.
Salary: £270.00 per day.

Job description

Chair Panel meetings, ensure all items on agenda are covered and the panel is following regulation, policy and procedure outlined by LBC

Maintain confidentiality and Panel documents and Panel discussions

Read papers before panel, identify key issues and liaise with Panel
Advisor as necessary, to ensure the case has adequate information to be presented at Panel

Facilitate discussion from all Panel members, ensure Panel members are contributing to the discussion with their evidenced
recommendations.( to ensure questions are agreed before Panel with the current Coivd restrictions and all meeting taking place on line)

Take responsibility in participating in each case discussion, making a recommendation based on your own personal and professional knowledge.

Ensure Panel attendees are treated with respect and courtesy

Ensure accurate minutes are recorded with reference to any serious
reservations panel members may have, that they reflect the discussion and advice . The Panel chair has responsibility to check minutes have been drafted accurately before they are sent to Agency Decision Maker.

Liaise and meet with Agency Decision Maker (ADM) and with other Senior Managers as required.

Ensure with Panel advisor, the ADM and senior Managers are aware of issues of concerns with individual cases in addition to general matters by way of a feedback form.

Be involved in recruitment of new Panel members and in consideration of terminating a Panel Members appointment

Participate in annual review of Panel membership or when needed.

Ensure issues of diversity are addresses and promote antidiscriminatory practice

To work with the Fostering team in developing, promoting and monitoring policies and procedures.

To work with the QA team on developing high standards for the Panel and the Fostering teams presentations.

Attend all required training (panel induction and panel training) regularly

Requirements
QSW – Adults
Experience professionally or personally (or both) of Looked After Child who have been placed with foster families and children being care away from their birth family.
Experience chairing complex meetings
Suitable qualifications to take on the Chair’s role.

Abilities
Chair a panel with authority and competence to ensure all agenda items are covered and regulations, policies and procedures are adhered to.

The Chair should have good listening and communications skills, with the competency to make informed and balanced decisions based on information presented to them in oral and written format using personal and professional knowledge

The ability to read process and analyse large amounts of complex and in cases distressing information.

Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team collaboratively

Use personal and professional experience and authority to contribute to discussion

The ability to identify key issues, suggestions of solutions and communicate clearly.

The ability to facilitate all panel members to contribute to discussion on all cases and make recommendations

Ensure Panel attendees are respected whilst ensuring Panel members are given the opportunity to explore concerns, they have openly and honestly

Manage Panel members expression of conflicting view whilst enabling panel to help reach a recommendation which takes into account all views

The ability to raise issues with Fostering Team, Agency Decision Maker and other Senior Managers.

Working with Panel advisor to review Panel members performance annually and on specific occasions to provide additional feedback for Lutons senior managers / Ofsted .