fostering panel; learn about attending panel as a foster carer or applicant

If you're interested in becoming a foster care you may or may not have heard about the part of the process that involves your application being reviewed by a panel of independent professionals. It can sound intimidating but it's not something to feel concerned about. This blog post aims to inform you and reassure you that going to panel can actually be a positive part of the application process, and is essential for ensuring carers are appointed who will be able to provide quality care to children who stay with them.

the application process

From a fostering enquiry there are steps to take before you can become approved. The first step is to have a home visit and to confirm that asphaleia the right agency for you to work with. At asphaleia, we want you to feel comfortable and able to work with us. Supporting you through the whole process will be our top priority.

When we are in agreement that we’re taking the application further we will then allocate a social worker to begin your journey of becoming a foster carer.

This process involves having one to one meetings with the social worker who will collect information and compile a form f. At the end you will read the form f assessment, with the exception of your references.

the panel stage

We will then work with you and our panel, which consists of a panel chair, panel advisor, and panel members who have backgrounds in education, health, social work, or there may be care experienced adults, and these are independent of asphaleia. Panel dates are always made in advance and it will be a date we’re all working towards in doing your application. Any applicants would need to attend panel in person.

Panel will be sent your assessment in advance of the prearranged panel meeting. They will then come to the meeting with different questions to ask that are relevant to their area of expertise. These panel members are not setting up questions that you don’t know the answers to as they will be questions about your life, they are trying to cover any gaps so they can make a fully informed recommendation.

what happens at a panel meeting?

At a panel, there will be be an agenda and you will have an allocated time slot that you will be presented to panel. You will be supported by your social worker at panel when you enter the room. They will introduce themselves and explain to you their role and the panel chair will explain that you will be asked questions and written notes will be taken of the questions and your responses. This will be recorded and you will get a copy of the minutes.

You will then be asked to leave the room and panel will finish asking you questions and this allows panel to have a discussion amongst themselves, an outcome will be confirmed and the panel chair will then come and invite you back into the room with your SW to give you their recommendation. You will be given the opportunity to give feedback. Our aim at asphaleia is to make this process as comfortable as we can for anyone who attends our panels.

what happens after panel?

After the panel meeting, where they made a recommendation that you will have been informed of on the day. If it's approval, you won’t be approved immediately following the meeting. Panel make a recommendation, which goes to the Agency Decision Maker (ADM). The ADM will read all the application documents as well as the panel meeting minutes and then they will make the final decision of approval. This must be done within seven days of receiving the panel minutes. The ADM will confirm their decision in writing and then your journey begins as a foster carer!

what decision could panel make?

Panel will either approve, not approve, or if they feel they need additional information they may defer the approval whilst they ask for additional information to be obtained. If panel have any concerns, they wouldn’t approve because they need to be sure that you can support a child.

However, as an agency we have chosen to engage a panel advisor who quality assures the reports and documents, and so we only present people to panel when we feel they're ready. The panel advisor also ensures that panel have a person there who is able to answer questions relating to fostering regulations.

do we go back to panel again after approval?

After completing panel you will have a year of being an approved foster carer and then your first annual review will always be presented again to panel, where you will be able to update them on all the positives and challenges you experienced throughout the year. You will need to be re-approved at panel following the same process as your first panel. You are only ever approved as a foster carer on a yearly basis—every year you have an annual review to approve you for the following year.