Independent Fostering Panel Member

Salary details: £ - £

The Role

Derbyshire Fostering Panel are seeking passionate and suitably experienced members for our Fostering Panel.

Derbyshire Fostering Panel sits within the Fostering service which is part of Derbyshire Children’s Services.  Derbyshire Fostering Panel provides independent oversight of the recruitment, assessment and review of mainstream and Family & Friends foster carers and makes recommendations on their suitability to foster.

You will need to be kind, energetic, inspirational, and passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and young people. You will have an excellent standard of written and spoken English and be able to effectively & efficiently read reports and draw both questions & conclusions from them.

As an Independent Panel Member, you will be required to read panel papers carefully and identify; strengths that applicants/foster carers bring to the role, key issues and quality assurance considerations. Your fee will cover panel meetings as well as reading and preparation work.

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.

Our panels are held virtually fortnightly on Wednesdays (9.15am-4.00pm) so you will be expected to have good access to the internet and ability to communicate through Teams.  You will be expected to be punctual, attend all the mandatory training & panel events and be available for a minimum of one appraisal per year with the Fostering Panel Adviser and Panel Chairs.

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 that they care for. Therefore, we welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities.

We welcome applications from those without professional qualifications, but who have appropriate lived experiences for the role including; Experienced foster, adoptive or kinship carers; Experienced Care Leaver; Adult birth children whose parents have fostered or adopted; Those with a family law background or health background or policing or education background especially working with and supporting children with additional needs; those who have worked in a residential setting.

If you have these experiences and skills, energy, and enthusiasm for this role then we would love to hear from you.

Benefits

You will be provided with an induction pack, opportunity to observe a panel prior to sitting as a panel member, induction meeting and review, face to face training and annual appraisal to support you in your role.

How to Apply
Application forms are invited to apply for this role.

Please find the Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Please write your submission with consideration for the Person Specification. This should include examples of why you should be considered; the experience, skills and knowledge that you would bring to the post.

Please submit your Application form to Jess Blake; Panel Adviser – jess.blake@derbyshire.gov.uk 

Provisional Interview Date: 11 November 2025

Car User Rate (for attending face to face training/event) - In accordance with HMRC for cars – 45p for first 10,000 miles, 25p over 10,000 miles 

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.