By the time you reach panel, the hard work is done. Your Form F assessment has been written with you over several months, your references and statutory checks are complete and your assessing social worker knows your family well.
Who is on the panel?
An independent panel brings together people with professional and personal experience of fostering, including social workers, health or education professionals and often someone who has been fostered or has fostered themselves. Their job is to give the agency an independent recommendation.
What do they read?
Panel members receive your full assessment in advance. They will already know your story, your motivation, your home and your support network before you walk in, so the meeting is about clarifying and understanding, not starting from scratch.
What will they ask?
Expect open questions about why you want to foster, how your household will adapt and how you would respond to the everyday realities of caring for a child who has experienced loss or trauma. There are no trick questions and your social worker is beside you throughout.
What happens afterwards?
Panel makes a recommendation. The agency decision-maker then considers that recommendation alongside the assessment and confirms the outcome in writing. Once approved, the referrals team begins getting to know your family so that matching can be careful and considered.
Read more about panel and approval or the assessment that comes before it.