Panel Chair

Barnardo’s is committed to ensuring a Stronger Families approach to both our adoption and fostering services to provide high quality services. We are investing to increase the recruitment of adopters and foster carers to meet the needs of more vulnerable children with complex needs, those needing therapeutic support, siblings, parent and child fostering placements and unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

The panel meets on average a monthly basis, on occasions there has been a need for additional panels.  The panels have been held virtually since 2020 but we are moving towards a more face to face or hybrid model held at Barnardo’s House in Barkingside.  This is a fantastic opportunity to join us as we recruit additional panel members to expand and bring together a multi disciplined diverse panel. 

The role of the panel chair is crucial in helping us achieve our goals and we are looking for a chair to combine their experience and knowledge of both adoption and fostering to demonstrate expertise and understanding of legislative frameworks, national standards and regulations.  You will need excellent interpersonal, oral and written skills, good communication and experience of managing complex dynamics in meetings.  

In addition to chairing the panel the role will also include panel appraisals, panel reporting and organising at least one training day per year.  There will be an expectation that you can attend at least 80% of panel meetings.

Job descriptions and person specifications for panel Chair

Job description

1 To chair panel meetings, ensuring that all items of business are covered and that the panel operates in accordance with regulations and the policies and procedures of the agency.
2 To prepare for panel meetings, reading panel papers carefully, identifying key issues and alerting the agency adviser if necessary to ensure, as far as possible, that the case is adequate for submission to panel.
3 To facilitate the active participation of all panel members in contributing to the panel’s consideration of cases and to the making of clear and well-evidenced recommendations with the reasons for these.
4 To ensure that all those attending panel are treated with respect and courtesy.
5 To address diversity issues and to promote anti-discriminatory practice at all times.
6 To ensure that clear and accurate minutes are written, which record any serious reservations which panel members may have, and to be involved in checking and agreeing draft minutes with other panel members before they are sent to the decision-maker.
7 To liaise with the decision-maker and with other senior managers as required.
8 To ensure, along with the agency adviser, that senior managers are aware of issues of concern, in relation both to individual cases and to more general matters.
9 To be involved in the recruitment and appointment of central list panel members and in any consideration about terminating the appointment of a member.
10 To review, possibly with the agency adviser, the performance of central list panel members as the need arises, and at least annually.
11 To assist in developing, promoting and monitoring policies and procedures and high standards of work in fostering services in the agency.
12 To assist in planning training for members and to participate in this at least one day per year.
13 To safeguard the confidentiality of all panel papers and panel discussions.
14 To be involved in:
• deciding whether a case is adequate for submission to panel;
• deciding on the attendance of observers at panel;
• deciding on the participation of a panel member who declares an interest in a case;
• deciding when an extra panel may be necessary;
• the preparation of an annual report on the panel’s work.

Person specification

Experience and qualifications
• Experience, either professionally or personally or both, of the placement of children in foster families and of children being cared for away from their birth family.
• Experience of chairing complex meetings.

Knowledge
• An appreciation of the effect of separation and loss on children.
• An awareness of the richness of different kinds of families and their potential for meeting children’s needs.
• An understanding of the purpose and function of the panel and of the agency which the panel is serving.
• An understanding of the fostering process and practice and of the legislative framework for the work of the panel, or the capacity to develop this knowledge quickly.

Abilities
• The authority and competence to chair a panel, ensuring that the business is covered and that the panel operates in accordance with regulations and the policies and procedures of the agency.
• Excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• The ability to communicate well and clearly both verbally and in writing.
• The ability to identify key issues and possible solutions and to communicate these clearly.
• The ability to facilitate the active participation of all panel members in contributing to the panel’s consideration of cases and recommendations.
• The ability to manage the expression of strongly held but possibly conflicting views by panel members and to help the panel to reach a recommendation which takes account of all these views.
• The ability to take up issues as required with the agency, liaising with the decision-maker and other senior managers.
• The ability, working with the agency adviser, to review each panel member’s performance when required, and at least annually, ensuring that this is a helpful and constructive process for both the panel member and the panel as a whole.

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 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 foster care.
• 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 role as panel Chair.

If you wish to apply then please send in your CV and include how you will meet the criteria and why you are interested in this position to both:

carol.norcott@barnardos.org.uk – Registered Manager Fostering
judy.allen@barnardos.org.uk – Registered Manager Adoption