What happens after fostering panel?

The purpose of a fostering panel is for panel members to give a recommendation to the fostering provider as to whether members recommend the applicants to be approved as foster carers.

After panel there are a few steps which need to occur before carers can be formally ‘approved’ as foster carers.

Panel chair signs panel minutes

The fostering provider will either ask admin to attend panel to record minutes, or the providers may record the panel meeting and type up the minutes soon after. When the minutes are prepared, the panel chair must review the minutes and confirm that the contents are accurate. There is no regulatory time limit for the chair to sign off the minutes.

At Sparks Fostering the panel minutes are prepared in advance and so few updates are required during the formal meeting. The chair reviews and signs the panel minutes immediately after panel is concluded.

Agency decision maker reviews the minutes and makes the decision

The panel minutes (signed by the panel chair) and the other paperwork reviewed by panel members are shared with the agency decision maker. The agency decision maker is a senior manager of the fostering provider. The agency decision maker reviews all of the paperwork, including panel recommendations, and make the decision as to whether to approve the foster carers. The agency decision maker isn’t required to agree with the panel recommendation. It’s a regulatory requirement that the agency decision maker must make their decision within 7 days of receiving the panel minutes.

Notification to foster carers

The fostering applicants must be notified orally of the decision within 2 working days of the decision being made, and notified in writing within 5 working days of the decision being made.

Appealing the decision made

If the decision required an adjustment to the terms of approval, or if approval was refused, the fostering provider is required to share details of the process for the ‘independent reviewing mechanism’ with foster carers. Applicants may also appeal directly to the agency decision maker by providing further information for consideration.

Matching

Once a decision has been made to approve foster carers, the fostering provider reviews referrals of children to find an appropriate match for the fostering family. The fostering family is expected to contribute to the decision-making process so that a good match can be found.