Torbay Fostering Panel

Every fostering service provider in England must have an independent fostering panel.  

Fostering panels play a vital role. They ensure that approved foster carers have the skills and knowledge to do this to a high standard. This includes quality assuring assessment and review reports of the applicants. These consider their:  

• fitness 
• skills 
• experience 
• capacity to develop 

This approval is then reviewed by the panel at different stages through the course of the carer’s career. 

Fostering panel meetings consider an applicant’s: 

• request to become a foster carer or, 
• continued approval after their first year of fostering, or  
• practice issues or, 
• de-registration if there are concerns about their practice. 

Fostering panels follow fostering legislation and guidance. The panel’s primary legal function is to make a recommendation about how suitable a person is to be a foster carer. 

The panel also has a crucial quality assurance role to play. They check foster carers’ practice to make sure children’s needs are being met. Foster carers are invited back to the panel to talk about their first year of fostering. The panel members’ really look forward to seeing foster carers again. They love to hear about their fostering experience.