Fostering and Support Lodgings Panel Chair

Posted on 08 January 2026
Applications close on 01 February 2026

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All Locations:

Dorchester

Salary Details:

£500 per day, £300 half day

Vacancy Type:

Casual

Function:

Health and Social Care - Children's

Employer:

Dorset Council

Job Working Pattern:

Variable

Closing time of advert

23:59

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Fostering and Support Lodgings Panel Chair

About the role

Our Fostering Panel plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, stability, and success of fostering arrangements across Dorset.

The panel brings together experienced professionals and independent voices to review assessments and make well-informed, child-centred recommendations.

Dorset’s Fostering Service is determined to provide an outstanding service to all children in foster care and a standard of care that meets or exceeds their needs. Dorset recognises the importance of foster care as a vehicle for transforming the lives of children in care.

Foster carers are regarded as making a hugely valuable contribution and should, therefore, be provided with first rate preparation, training and support to carry out their role to maximum effect.  As a responsible Corporate Parent, Dorset is committed to listening to the voice of each child and young person, assessing their needs and comprehensively planning to meet them.

The Fostering Service will work in effective partnership with their families, foster carers, colleagues within the Council, and other agencies with the objective of delivering the best possible care and support to the Children and young people we support and care for. 

We're looking for someone who brings a strong blend of professional experience and values-led leadership. To succeed in this role, you'll need to have:

Substantial experience in fostering, adoption, or wider children's services.
You will be a qualified and Social Work England registered social worker and
You will be a competent and accomplished chairperson with experience at a senior level in a local authority or voluntary childcare setting.

With a proven ability to ensure Panels function within a clear anti-discriminatory framework the postholder will be able to demonstrate working in a strengths based approach, with expertise in childcare planning and child development; a detailed and up to date knowledge of the legislative framework for Fostering and a comprehensive understanding of the national standards, relevant performance indicators and current good practice initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

Chair Panel meetings, ensuring that all items of business are covered and that the Panel operates in accordance with regulations and the policies and procedures of the agency.
In accordance with Regulations the requirement is that the Chair attends at least 80% of Panels and will also attend panel training events and relevant meetings.
Read all the relevant paperwork prior to the Panel meeting and inform the Panel Adviser as necessary if the reports are adequate for submission to panel.
Ensure that all members and those attending Panel are able to contribute appropriately to Panel processes.
Ensure that Panel business will be conducted in a timely, respectful, sensitive and non-discriminatory manner.
Provide quality assurance feedback to the Fostering Service provider on the quality of reports being presented to panel.
Ensure that the written minutes of the Panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by Panel members and record the reasons for its recommendation.
Advise the relevant social workers of the recommendations of the Panel.
Ensure Panel minutes are agreed, signed and shared with Agency Decision Makers at the earliest appropriate juncture (within a week after the panel).
Ensure that the number, skills, knowledge and experience of persons on the central list are sufficient to enable the fostering service to constitute Panels that are equipped to make competent recommendations to the Fostering Service provider, taking into account the nature of the children and carers that the service caters for.
Take part in an annual appraisal and also undertake the annual appraisal of Panel Members with the Fostering Panel Adviser.
Meet on at least a six-monthly basis with the Vice Chairs and Fostering Adviser to ensure that Panel function is appropriately reviewed and training issues for members identified.
Hold an overview of Dorset’s Fostering Service provision, providing feedback on the quality of reports submitted and areas for development, which will be discussed either at appraisal meetings or at meetings with the Fostering Adviser and Fostering Service Manager.
Contribute to the production of the annual Fostering Agency reports that are presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel.
Attend meetings with relevant managers as required to discuss issues relating to policy, strategy and performance.
Ensure managers are aware of any issues of concern and liaise with the Agency Decision Maker.

About you:

you will be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England for more than three years
you will require a clear enhanced DBS check
you will be able to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends
you will have experience of working with foster carers in a statutory social care environment
you will be able to create an environment where Fostering panel practice can flourish and lead from a strengths based approach
You will have excellent communication skills

Further Information

Panels take place on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays at a rate of approximately 3 per month across the year. Each Panel generally operates from 9.15 a.m. to 16.30 p.m.  The rate for this post includes preparation reading for Panel, approval of minutes and travel costs.  The Chair will be expected to be available for at least 80% of Panel meetings.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities.

Susan Mbofana and Natasha Emberley will manage and hold interviews for the panel chair position.

For more information on how to apply and for an informal discussion please contact Service Manager Lisa Wilms at [email protected] or by phone 01305228292.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

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At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
work in partnership to make a real difference
value every role and the impact it has on our communities
support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
have access to a range of benefits and support
receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.

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