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 required

Closing Date

13/05/2025

Job Reference

15417
and Person Specification



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



We are looking to recruit independent Fostering Panel members with a variety of personal and professional experiences to join our central list of panel members and ensure we have sufficient members to enable Panel to carry out its regulatory functions.

About the Role:

Our aim is for our Fostering Panel to be fully representative of the children, carers and families that we work with in Southampton. We are interested in recruiting people from a range of diverse backgrounds and experiences but particularly in candidates who are care-experienced, those with experience of being a foster carer or kinship carer and those from related professions such as Police, Education and Health.



The role of the Fostering Panel is to support the provision of high quality and safe foster homes for our children through sound and competent recommendations regarding applicants' suitability to foster, in line with the Fostering Service Regulations 2011 [England].

About you:

As a Fostering Panel Member you will sit in an independent capacity, supporting Southampton Fostering Service to make the best decisions for children. You will carefully consider the paperwork provided to Panel prior to the meeting, as well as the Panel discussions. You will need to be comfortable forming and articulating a view in a formal meeting setting and able to read, process and analyse large amounts of complex information.



Panels take place every fortnight on a Thursday, face to face at our office in Southampton. Panels start at 9.30am and usually finish by 4.30pm. You would need to be able to attend the whole panel. Preparation for the panel includes reading all paperwork and formulating questions.



Ideally you will have some professional or lived experience of children being placed outside of their birth family; or a related field such as education, child protection or health.



Listening and communication are vital for the role, as is the ability to discuss the reports presented in a professional manner within Panel Meetings; ensuring that decisions made are balanced, evidence based and informed.



We are particularly keen to hear from applicants from minority backgrounds, to ensure that our panel reflects the diverse nature of our Foster Carers and the young people placed with them. Therefore, we welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities and those without professional qualifications, but who have appropriate lived experiences for the role.

Salary

Fees are paid at 100 per session (morning or afternoon). There is also a 25 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 Independent Panel Member role please contact Vicky Wingrove, Fostering Team Manager and Panel Advisor on Vicky.Wingrove@southampton.gov.uk or Carly Arnold, Fostering Service Manager on 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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