Darlington are seeking members of the Fostering Panel. If you have experience either professionally or personally, or both, in the placement of children in foster families, or of children being cared for away from their birth family. Your experience may include work in; education, health, or social care, or as a foster carer, or personal experience as a child or young person of being looked after by the Local Authority. The Fostering Panel provides independent oversight of the recruitment, assessment and review of foster carers and makes reasoned decisions on their suitability to foster.
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Darlington Ofsted commented:
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Most children live in stable placements with foster carers in the local area. Placements meet their needs well and children are making very good progress. When carers require additional support, the fostering service is highly responsive, and this is leading to increased stability and a reduction in placement disruption. Foster carers feel well supported by social workers. They access high-quality support and training, which equips them well to meet the needs of individual children in their careandrdquo;. andldquo;Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are very well supported and cared for. Social workers and foster carers go to great lengths to meet their unique needs and individual interestsandrdquo;.
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You would be expected,
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andbull; To prepare for Panel meetings by reading the circulated reports carefully before the meeting to consider the cases being presented to the Fostering Panel and to attend the meeting prepared to raise key issues and to contribute to the Panel discussion.
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andbull; To take responsibility for participating in the making of a well evidenced recommendation, on each case, drawing on both personal and professional knowledge and experience.
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andbull; To attend meetings of the Panel as specified in your agreement with the agency, this will either be as a full Panel member or a member of the Central list.
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andbull; To be prepared to attend additional Panels if requested.
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andbull; To participate, with other Panel members, in advising on policy and procedural matters as required, to support Together for Children to continue to promote the high standards of work within the Fostering Service.
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andbull; To ensure that all those attending Panel are treated with respect and courtesy.
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andbull; To address diversity issues and promote anti-discriminatory practice at all times.
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andbull; To safeguard the confidentiality of all Panel reports and Panel discussions.
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andbull; To participate in Panel induction and in Panel training, which will be at least one day per year.
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andbull;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; To declare an interest before discussion begins if the panel member has previous knowledge of the case to be presented to panel
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andbull; To participate constructively in the annual review of the Panel, as required by the agency.
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Remuneration: Expenses payment of andpound;50 per Panel attended. Reasonable transport costs are reimbursed by agreement with the Panel Advisor but should not exceed 30 miles each way.
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Frequency: andnbsp;Panel is held twice per month on the second Tuesday of every month and the last Tuesday of every month. Panel members are invited to attend at least once a month, where applicable there is the option to be considered to attend two panels a month. There is an expectation for Panel members to attend a minimum of 75% of the meetings they have been invited to in a year.
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For an informal discussion please contact Phil Austen andndash; Fostering and Supported Lodgings Team Manager on 07384828984 or phil.austen@darlington.gov.uk
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