Torbay Council
Independent Panel Member (Fostering)
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Application Deadline: 16 July 2026
Department: Childrens Services
Location: Torbay Council
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 professional 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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
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.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
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.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location