Independent Fostering Panel Member

This is not a North Somerset Council vacancy. The successful applicant will not be employed by North Somerset Council.

This role is either self-employed or employed by the person in receipt of a Direct Payment.

Independent Fostering Panel Member

Location – North Somerset Council – Town Hall – Weston Super Mare

Contract – Freelance/Self employed

Fee – £150 per panel which includes £75 reading fee and £75 attendance fee.

Frequency – Panel meetings are fortnightly, majority on Teams, on a Wednesday, 9-3pm. Occasionally panels are face to face.

Commitment – Panel members are expected to attend at least 75% of meetings annually including panel training and quarterly business meetings.

North Somerset Council is looking to recruit Independent Fostering Panel Members for their foster panel in Weston Super Mare. The fostering panel provides independent oversight of the recruitment, assessment and review of foster carers and connected person/kinship carers; you will draw on your personal and professional knowledge and experience and make reasoned recommendations on applicants/carers suitability to foster. You will be committed to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

Good listening and communication skills are essential along with the ability to make an assessment based on the written and oral information presented to the panel, in order to make a recommendation in a balanced and informed way.

Applicants should have experience either professionally, personally or both of the involvement of children/families utilising children’s services support, the care of children in foster families, or of children being away from their own family. This can include work in; social care, education, health, as a foster carer, kinship carer or having personal experience of being looked after.

A number of groups are under-represented in our workforce, so we particularly welcome applicants from global majority backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, foster carers, care experienced adults, people with disabilities and more, so that our fostering panel better reflects the diversity of the community we serve.

North Somerset Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate checks. Successful applicants will be required to undertake relevant DBS checks.

Due to the requirement for panel to be independent from the Local Authority we regret that we cannot accept applications from current or previous North Somerset Foster Carers.

Please note this is a self employed role, you will be not be an employee of North Somerset Council.

For an informal chat please contact Harriet Johnstone, Panel Advisor – harriet.johnstone@n-somerset.gov.uk

If you wish to apply, please read the Job Description and person specification and send a CV and covering letter stating how you meet the job description and person specification to – harriet.johnstone@n-somerset.gov.uk

Closing date for application is 3rd July 2026, with interviews planned for 14th and 15th July.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Right to work

Please note: We are currently only accepting applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK.