Job Description

Organisation

Southampton City Council

Service Area

Pathways Through Care & Resources

Job Location

Civic Centre

Contract Length

Casual

Work Hours

Part-Time

Salary

See advert for details

Special Requirements

Enhanced DBS will be required

Closing Date

13/05/2025

Job Reference

15404
and Person Specification



We have an exciting opportunity for an Independent Panel Chair to work alongside Southampton City Council (SCC) in the Fostering Service.



Working with Southampton City Council Fostering Services as an Independent Fostering Panel Chair requires people who are willing to take personal responsibility for delivering excellence, to work with others to achieve the best possible outcomes, to embrace change and new opportunities, to make the most of the resources available to us and to think and act in the best interests of our children, young people and their families.

About the role:

With a keen focus on achieving permanence for children, Southampton Children's Services have an exciting opportunity for a second Chair / Vice Chair for our Independent Fostering Panel.



The fostering panel's primary legal function is to make a recommendation about a person's suitability to be a foster carer.



The panel considers the approval of new carers including connected persons foster carers, extensions to temporarily approved foster carers and first yearly then five yearly annual reviews of foster carers as well as standards of care investigations. To manage this volume, the Panel will meet at least twice a month and we are looking to recruit a second Chair to join us.

About you:

We are seeking a suitably qualified and experienced individual to provide effective leadership to successfully chair the panel. You will play a vital role in the quality assurance of our service, working closely with our Panel Adviser to ensure the smooth running of the panel process.



You will be an experienced senior manager, ideally with recent experience of working in a local authority children's services department. You will also have knowledge and expertise of the local authority fostering sector, ideally you will have previous experience as a Panel Chair/Vice Chair, although this is not essential.



You will be expected to co-prepare an annual report and complete annual appraisals of panel members. You will have excellent communication skills as well as experience and attributes required to chair complex panel meetings.



For further information about this role please view the job description.



If you feel you have the necessary background, experience and skills to undertake this role we would like to hear from you.

Salary

Chair - 400 for a morning panel meeting of up to 4 hours and full afternoon panel meeting will be paid at 350. A fee of 25 per half hour shall be paid for attendance at other meetings and other work undertaken in connection with Panels. Vice Chair - 150 for a morning panel meeting and 150 for an afternoon panel. 37.50 hourly rate for attendance at other meetings and work undertaken in connection with Panels.

Please Note:

The Council reserves the option to interview and appoint prior to the close of recruitment.

The regulatory functions require Panel Members and Chairs to work independently of Southampton City Council (SCC) therefore, successful applicants would not be directly employed by SCC.

Contact details for informal discussion:

For further information and details regarding the position please contact Carly Arnold, Fostering Service Lead on 023 8083 3855 or email carly.arnold@southampton.gov.uk

Recruitment contact details:

Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk

Tel: 023 8083 4033

For more information about SCC please visit

Southampton City Council

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