Independent Fostering Panel Members

Independent Fostering Panel Members

 

How do we sum up Barnsley Council?

In Barnsley we believe in working collaboratively with our families and are excited about becoming a signs of safety local authority. When you join us, you can come on this exciting journey with us and have access to a full suite of development and training opportunities.

We are an Ofsted rated ‘Good’ Childrens Services and a double award-winning, high-performing council with a growing economy, a thriving town centre and some truly impressive outcomes in our communities. We have been awarded Council of the Year for 2023 by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) and The Municipal Journal (MJ). Our excellent Children's Services has been a key part of our win; we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved not just for the council but for our partners and Barnsley.

We’re impressed. Are you? It’s the perfect time to join our excellent team.

Barnsley 2030

Why Barnsley is booming podcast

This is an Excellent Opportunity to join our team as a an Independent Fostering Panel Member. The Fostering Panel provides an independent oversight of the assessment and review of Foster Carers, making a recommendation on their suitability to foster.

 

 

BMBC is committed to keeping children within their own family or community where this is possible and to maintaining family time between children living in foster families and their birth families where this is in the child’s best interests & it is safe to do so.

 

 

Job Description

 

• To read the circulated papers carefully before the meeting and to attend the meeting prepared to raise issues and to contribute to the panel discussion.

 

• To take responsibility for participating in the making of a recommendation, on each case, drawing on both personal and professional knowledge and experience.

 

• To attend at least 75 per cent of the Panel Meetings.

 

• To be prepared to attend additional Panels, if possible, if requested.

 

• To participate, with other Panel Members, in advising on policy and procedural matters as required.

 

• To address diversity issues and promote anti-oppressive practice.

 

• To safeguard the confidentiality of all Panel papers and Panel discussions.

 

• To participate in Panel induction and in Panel training, which will be at least one day per year.

 

• To participate constructively in the annual review of their Panel membership.

 

Person specification

 

Experience and Qualifications

 

• Experience, either professionally or personally or both, of the placement of children in fostering or adoptive families or of children being cared for away from their birth family.

 

• A Social Work qualification will be necessary for certain Panel Members.

 

 

Knowledge

 

• An appreciation of the effect of separation and loss on children.

 

• Awareness of the richness of different kinds of families and their potential for meeting children’s needs.

 

• Some understanding of the purpose and function of the Panel and of the agency which the Panel is serving, or a willingness to learn.

 

Abilities

 

• Good listening and communication skills.

 

• The ability to read, process and analyse large amounts of complex and sometimes distressing information.

 

• The ability to make an assessment and to form a view, based on the written and verbal information presented to Panel, and the confidence to articulate this at Panel.

 

• The ability to use personal and/or professional knowledge and experience to contribute to discussions and decision-making in a balanced and informed manner.

 

• The ability to work co-operatively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

 

 

Attitudes

 

• A commitment to keeping children within their own family or community where this is possible and to maintaining contact between children living in foster families and their birth families where this appears to be in the child’s best interests.

 

• A commitment to fostering and adoption as a way of meeting a child’s needs where this appears to be in the child’s best interests.

 

• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare in adoption.

 

• A valuing of diversity in relation to issues of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability and sexuality.

 

• An understanding of, and a commitment to, the need for confidentiality.

 

• A willingness to increase knowledge and understanding of issues through reading, discussion and training.

 

• A willingness to contribute constructively to the annual review of their Panel membership & as required, to that of other Panel Members and the Chair.

Supporting Documents : Exposure Profile.doc

For more information or to discuss this opportunity please contact Joanne McIntyre JoanneMcIntyre@barnsley.gov.uk or Anne Marie Banks AnneMarieBanks@barnsley.gov.uk