Vice Chair of Fostering Panel

Full job description
Vice Chair of Fostering Panel

Location Trafford Town Hall


Vice-Chair panel rates: Half day rate £ 142.80

¾ day rate £214

Full day rate £ 285.60

Fostering panels are held weekly, every Monday. Once a month, there is a planned full day panel. (approx. times 9am 4pm)

Contract type Casual (paid per panel attended)

Application deadline 17th August 2025

Interview type Microsoft Teams


About the Role

Family Placement Panel meetings are held three times a month at Trafford Town Hall. You will have relevant experience of fostering panels, have been a panel member, vice or Chair of fostering panels or bring relevant lived experience of fostering.

The appointable candidate will be required to manage the demand for approval of Trafford council recruited foster carers and kinship carers including undertaking reviews following allegations.

Your role will extend to supporting the development of our fostering service through strong links to the panel advisor, fostering management team and the agency decision maker.

The expectation is that you will provide leadership to the panel by being well prepared; reading panel papers carefully, identifying key issues and alerting the Panel Advisor if necessary to any concerns and to ensure the case is adequate for submission to panel.

You will facilitate the active participation of all Panel members in contributing to the Panel's consideration of cases and to the making of clear and well-evidenced recommendations with the reasons for these;

The vice chair will ensure that all those attending Panel are treated with respect and courtesy

Effective time management, and the ability to identify and summarise key information will be skills needed to ensure an effective Panel which provides robust recommendations.

The Vice Chair will be expected to be available for at least 80% of panel meetings.

The foster panel vice chair will collaborate and alert the foster panel advisor to ensure the case is adequate for submission to the panel.

You will be responsible for ensuring our fostering panel is an inclusive, anti-discriminatory forum which promotes sound and responsible decision making with children at its heart.

You will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the legislative framework and National Standards for Fostering, current good practice initiatives.

You will have excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, experience of managing complex dynamics within meetings and be able to put prospective and approved foster carers at ease.

You will prepare for Panel meetings, reading Panel papers carefully, identifying key issues and alerting the Panel adviser if necessary to ensure, as far as possible, that the case is adequate for submission to Panel

You will ensure that clear and accurate minutes are written, which record any serious reservations which Panel members may have, and to be involved in checking draft minutes before they are sent to the Agency Decision Maker and to the next Panel meeting

To be involved in the recruitment and appointment of new Panel members and in any consideration about terminating the appointment of a Panel member

To review the annual performance of Panel members or as the need arises

To assist in developing, promoting and monitoring policies and procedures and high standards of work in fostering services in the agency

To safeguard the confidentiality of all Panel papers and Panel discussions;

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience and qualifications

Experience, either professionally or personally or both, of the placement of children in foster families and of children being cared for away from their birth family
Experience of chairing complex meetings
Suitable qualifications to undertake the role of Chair (NB it is not a requirement to be a qualified social worker) Knowledge
An appreciation of the effect of separation and loss on children
An awareness of the richness of different kinds of families and their potential for meeting children's needs
An understanding of the purpose and function of the Panel and of the agency which the Panel is serving
An understanding of the fostering process and practice and of the legislative framework for the work of the Panel, or the capacity to develop this knowledge quickly
Abilities

The authority and competence to chair a Panel, ensuring that the business is covered and that the Panel operates in accordance with regulations and the policies and procedures of the agency
Excellent interpersonal and listening skills
The ability to communicate well and clearly both verbally and in writing
The ability to process and analyse large amounts of complex and sometimes distressing information
The ability to identify key issues and possible solutions and to communicate these clearly
The ability to facilitate the active participation of all Panel members in contributing to the Panel's consideration of cases and recommendations
The ability to ensure that those attending Panel are communicated with respectfully while also ensuring that Panel members are able to explore any concerns that they may have openly and honestly
The ability to manage the expression of strongly held but possibly conflicting views by Panel members and to help the Panel to reach a recommendation which takes account of all these views
The ability to take up issues as required with the agency, liaising with the decision maker and other senior managers
When this is an agency requirement, the ability, working with the Panel adviser, to review each Panel member's performance when required, and at least annually, ensuring that this is a helpful and constructive process for both the Panel member and the Panel as a whole Family
Attitudes

A commitment to keeping children within their own family or community where this is possible and to maintaining contact between children living in foster families and their birth families where this appears to be in the child's best interest;
A commitment to fostering as a way of meeting a child's needs, where this appears to be in the child's best interest
A commitment to safeguarding and promoting children's welfare in foster care
A valuing of diversity in relation to issues of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability and sexuality
An understanding of, and a commitment to, the need for confidentiality
A willingness to increase knowledge and understanding of issues through reading, discussion and training
A willingness to contribute constructively to the annual review of their role as Panel chair

Please view the person specification when applying for this role and specify on your application which role you wish to apply for.


About us

Trafford Council and its partners in the public, private and third sectors have a Vision which sees us working together to close inequality gaps and maximise Trafford’s huge potential.

Our vision: Trafford where all our residents, businesses and communities thrive.

Trafford is a lively, prosperous place to put down roots and build a career. The council and Trafford schools employ around 8,000 people, who are central to making the area great. In return for their commitment, the council offers its employees development opportunities, as well as a fair and flexible workplace. The council is a Living Wage Employer.


Additional Information

An enhanced DBS check will be required.


Contact Details

If you require any information or wish to have a discussion about the role then please contact Michelle Leacock, panel advisor, by email michelle.leacock@trafford.gov.uk


About the benefits

You will be welcomed into a friendly environment where your personal and professional development will be encouraged. You will have the opportunity to work and grow in a people-centered and values-based organisation that promotes a positive permission culture. Your opinions matter so you will have the opportunity to shape how we do things here at Trafford.

To learn more about Trafford as a place to work visit and to view more about our awards and benefits please visit: Trafford - Benefits | www.inploi.com (greater.jobs)


OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licensed sponsor.

Privacy Notice - The Council needs to hold and process information about employees, workers and other individuals as appropriate, for various reasons. With the General Data Protection Regulations coming into force we have in place a new privacy notice for staff, contractors, volunteers, trainees, those on work experience and job applicants. To find out more, please click here: Recruitment & Employment Privacy Notice (trafford.gov.uk)