413 - Independent Fostering Panel Vice Chair

Wigan Council are looking to recruit an Independent Fostering Vice Chair.

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