Fostering Panel Advisor

PURPOSE OF POST:

To advise and support the Agency Decision Maker (ADM) and Children’s services staff and other stakeholders on adoption and fostering matters, initial and on-going assessment and selection of carers to whom the council can safely entrust its cohort of CIC to enable better outcomes for children, young people and their families as a result of a thorough high quality selection process.

To lead the Council’s Fostering and Permanence Panel to ensure that the fostering work is coordinated effectively within legal requirements and policies.

MAIN DUTIES:

• Provide technical and statutory interpretation of policy and guidance relating to foster  carer credibility to assist the ADM with the appointment, termination and review both approved carers and of members of the adjudicating panels
• Assist the agency in the appointment, induction, training, annual appraisal, review and termination of panel members/chairs for inclusion on the “central list”.  Organise and monitor effectively the work of the Fostering and Permanence Panels to meet the needs of children, adopters and foster carers across the Council areas, including taking responsibility for managing the agendas and prioritising cases.  Where necessary withdraw items from agenda when papers do not meet the required
• Maintain an overview of the quality of the agency’s reports to the panel and liaise with team managers to quality assure the child’s permanence/fostering reports, the prospective adopters’/foster carer report and the foster placement report. Where there are concerns about standard or legal requirements of reports, the agency adviser and the panel Chair should consider whether it is adequate for submission or withdrawal of the papers to the panel.
• Liaise with ADM, Panel Chair, fostering and team members to co-ordinate training events for panel members; commission and/or provide training for panel members, in order to ensure up date knowledge of regulations, guidance and research. Develop a system to co-ordinate and monitor the performance of panel members and administration of the panels to ensure that prospective carers are assessed as efficiently as possible.
• Ensure the provision of professional advice to social workers, managers and other teams/ professionals involved with a child on the fostering processes so that they can deliver services of high quality and achieve optimum potential for service users in the fields of fostering, S.G.O.’s and connected persons
• Manage projects in specialised and complex areas in line with departmental objectives and service development needs; update the panel on the general progress of ongoing considered cases and ensure the safe keeping of minutes and appropriate records.
• Provide detailed reports on the work the Fostering Service to the Senior Management Team and to maintain and creatively develop services in response to identified needs.

CONTEXT:

The Fostering service has developed a strong team ethos and along with the manager provides mutual support/supervision to a large team group ensuring they comply with legislative, regulatory requirements, national minimum standards, government initiatives and local targets.

The job will involve working strictly to policy and procedures of the Borough Council, involvement in extremely high risk decision making and the exercise of a high level of judgement and personal responsibility for the safety of children. The post holder will be required to represent the borough council in court proceedings.  The post holder will be aware of and act within the legal framework for children and will ensure that case recording and monitoring are maintained at a high level.

 This position is based within the Children & Learning Department.

The post holder sits within the team and is available for, advice and decision making by Team members and consultation by other colleagues.

 The post holder will need to attend and chair frequent meetings in a variety of locations. Be committed to the achievement of the highest possible standards of professional practice through co-working, coaching/mentoring and the provision of advice, guidance and assistance.

The post holder will support those working with vulnerable service users in the Borough and will be expected to work in partnership with a wide range of professionals from other Agencies and Organisations to ensure a seamless, quality service. The role involves the discharge of statutory duties concerning the protection and care of children which will involve very challenging contacts with parents/carers.

The post holder will be expected to act as corporate advisor on matters relating to regulations, minimum standards and good practice issues. Ensuring that the agency is compliant with all fostering guidance, regulation and national minimum standards

Contribute to the development of overall quality assurance systems, including work with the Child Care and Review Teams on the audit processes in order to report on service performance.

Contribute to the management of budgets, monitoring expenditure and income, contracts and service level agreements and advising upon their use in order to achieve maximum benefits, whilst remaining within the agreed limits.

Respond to changes in standards and legislation and to take a leading role in the revision of policies, operational instructions/procedures and practice guidance, including liaison with Sector bodies such as the Fostering Network, BAAF and PACT.

The post holder will also be responsible for:

• Co-ordinating agreeing the agenda
• Ensuring that paperwork for panel members is sent out in good time
• Providing updates on matters presented
• Take feedback from the panel to the fostering services about practice issues
• Recruitment and appointment of central list and panel members
• Induction and training of panel members
• conducting annual reviews of centrally listed panel members

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. Therefore, it is essential in making your application you disclose whether you have any pending charges, convictions, bind-overs or cautions and, if so, for which offences. This post will be exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 (Exemptions) (Amendments) Order 1986. Therefore, applicants are not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provision of the Act, and, in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such convictions will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority. The fact that a bind-over or caution has been recorded against you will not necessarily debar you from consideration for this appointment.