Independent Fostering Panel - Vice Chair

About the Role:

Wirral Council’s Fostering Panel plays a vital role in ensuring the highest standards of care for children and young people. Our panel considers both mainstream and connected foster care applications, making it a dynamic and rewarding environment.

Panels are held on a Thursday approximately 3 times per month and can last up to 5 hours depending on the agenda, and are held at Wallasey Town Hall.

As Vice Chair, you would be expected to chair at least 1 panel per month and cover when the chair is on leave or cover sickness (dates agreed in advance). There is also the opportunity to sit as an independent panel member if desired.

Key Responsibilities:

Step into Chair panels when required due to annual leave or sickness.
Contribute to decision-making on foster carer approvals, changes of approval, and long-term matches
Work collaboratively with the Panel Advisor and fostering service to uphold best practice and child-centred values.

About the Candidate:

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate individual who can bring insight, leadership, and integrity to our fostering panel. The ideal candidate will have: 2-3 years’ experience as a fostering panel member.

You will have a strong understanding of the needs of diverse foster carers and the importance of inclusive home environments, with an awareness of the impact of separation and loss on children and young people. You will have some knowledge of fostering regulations, standards, and the role of the panel within the wider agency. Confidence and competence to Chair meetings, ensuring all voices are heard and decisions are well-informed are essential as well as excellent interpersonal, listening, and communication skills - both verbal and written.

You will have the ability to manage differing views and facilitate constructive discussion, commitment to reviewing panel member performance and contributing to continuous improvement.

Additional Information:

You will be required to attend an interview. Training and support will be provided to ensure you are confident in your role. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families across Wirral.

If you would like to discuss this role, please contact:

This post requires a DBS check. The Safer Recruitment & Employment Policy and the Disclosures for Recruitment Procedure can be found at : https://www.wirral.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/job-vacancies/safer-recruitment-and-employment

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Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.