The Panel is required to make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker (the Assistant Director of Education and Children’s Services) about each assessment and review.

To do this effectively they receive detailed written reports from the social worker in advance of each meeting.

On the day of the Panel, the members will discuss your case and speak first to the social worker, when they will raise issues that they want to clarify or obtain more information about.

The Chair of the Panel will meet you briefly to welcome you and you will be invited into the meeting. You will be invited to speak in support of your application and may be asked some questions.

These will aim to clarify points mentioned in the report and are not designed to test your knowledge of fostering.

Following this you will be asked to leave the meeting with the social worker, while the Panel make their recommendation.

The Panel can:

• Recommend your approval or
• Defer their recommendation until they have further information or
• Recommend that you are not approved

In most cases your assessing social worker or the Chair will inform you of the recommendation by phone the same day. Although possible it is rare for the Agency Decision Maker to disagree with the Panel’s recommendation.

Following that, your papers will be passed to the Agency Decision Maker who will consider the recommendation made.

This may take up to two weeks. His/her decision will determine whether or not you are fully approved.