National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services

1.	Managing the fostering service
2.	Securing welfare
3.	Promoting welfare
4.	Staff
5.	Records kept by the service
6.	Fostering panels
7.	Other types fostering placements

6. Fostering panels
A fostering panel must not have more than 10 members, except where it is a panel for 2 or 3 fostering services, when there can be 11 members.

The panel members should include:

• Social workers 1 from the fostering service and 1 with child care experience
• The register provider, director or an elected member in a local authority
• 4 independent people including 1 person who has been a carer within the last 2 years, but not for the service that is establishing the panel; someone who has been in foster care or their child has; someone with expertise in education or health

The panel can't carry out any business unless at least 5 of its members are present including:

• the chair person or vice chair
• at least one of the social workers employed by the service
• at least two of the independent members

What do panels do?

Things like:

• Look at applications for people to become carers and make recommendation about the approval including terms
• Recommend whether someone should remain as a carer
• Carry out a carers first review