Independent Panel Member (Fostering)

Application Deadline: 10 July 2026

Department: Childrens Services

Employment Type: Zero Hours

Location: Torbay Council

Reporting To: Team Manager

Compensation: £90 - £180 / day

Description

Job Description & Person Specification >

We currently have vacancies for Independent Panel Members on the Torbay Fostering Panel who have personal experience of foster care. This includes foster carers, other adults who have been members of a fostering household, adults who were themselves fostered or birth parents of a child who was previously fostered. We also welcome applications from people who have professionals experience of working with children in care. Please note that because of the requirement for independence, carers currently approved by Torbay and members of their household cannot be considered.

The panel currently meets once a month on a Monday and the meetings are set a year in advance. Panel members are drawn from a “central list” and are not expected to attend every Panel meeting, but reasonable flexibility is essential. It is important to be able to set aside a whole day for this, although some panels may be only a half-day. In addition to the panel meeting itself there is approximately one day’s worth of reading for each panel.

Panel members are expected to attend Panel regularly and to participate in Panel training days each year and annual appraisals. Payments and travelling expenses can be claimed for each of these duties

This post attracts a fee of £90 per half day and £180 per full day for panel attendance plus travel costs.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and references will be taken up. We welcome applications from men as they are currently under-represented on the Fostering Panel.

This post will be carrying out Regulated Activity. As such the post will require an Enhanced Criminal Record Check plus an additional Barred List Check. The check will reveal any spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions (which have not been filtered), any local Police information and a check of either the Adult, Child or Adult and Child Barred Lists.

If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser:
https://www.torbay.gov.uk/jobs/job-descriptions/independent-panel-member-fostering/

For an informal chat please contact Luminita Burtic 07824 301132 or luminita.burtic@torbay.gov.uk.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 20th July 2026.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there's a published deadline - so if you're keen, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills

Essential:

Good listening and communication skills.
Ability to read, analyse and understand large amounts of complex and sometimes distressing information.
The ability to make an assessment and to form a view based on the written and verbal information presented to panel, and the confidence to articulate this at panel.

This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Knowledge

Essential:

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.
Some understanding of the purpose and function of the panel and of the agency which the panel is serving, or a willingness to learn.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

Personal experience of fostering or other experience relevant to the role of independent member.

Skills

Knowledge

Experience & Qualifications

About Torbay Council