366 B - Independent Fostering Panel Chair Person

The fostering service is committed to the aims of meeting the placement needs of current and future children looked after and care leavers.

We are committed to supporting positive outcomes through understanding the assets and needs of our children looked after and care leaver population, including current provision and identifying measures that need to be put in place to ensure that there is an appropriate range of provision to meet future projected need.

In our commitment of permanence and our ambition to find the right placement for children looked after we aim to reduce the number of placements out of the borough and in residential care. We strongly believe that family-based care in the child or young person's community is usually the right option for them, whether that is with a special guardian, foster carers, or connected person/people and ultimately improves outcomes for our children and young people.

We will meet placement sufficiency needs by promoting family-based care wherever possible to meet the needs of the Wigan children looked after profile and our vision for children and young people in the Borough.

The fostering service main responsibilities are:

• Recruitment of Foster Carers • Assessment and Support of Family and Friends Foster Carers • Pre-approval training of Foster Carers • Assessment and approval of Foster Carers • Attracting and retaining Foster Carers • Post Approval Training • Supervision & support of Foster Carers • Delivery of the Mockingbird programme • Consultation and communication with Foster Carers • Referral of children for placements, including emergency and temporary placements • Promoting children's health, emotional development, education and leisure opportunities • Approving, reviewing and terminating approvals of foster carers through the function of a fostering panel

Wigan Council are the lead commissioners of this provision.

This service will be for an Independent Fostering Panel Chair.

The initial contract period for this service will be 2 years. The role will commence on: 1st September 2022 - 31st August 2024. The role also has the option to utilise one separate (1 year) contract extension following annual service reviews and funding being agreed.

The recipients of this service will be children and young people in the care system 0-18 years from across all areas of the Wigan Borough and approximately 36 panels each year. The Fostering Panel Chair will be required to be available to chair 18 panels each per year.

There will be no formal base for this provision required.