Panel Advisor (part time permanent)

Slough Children First (SCF) is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Panel Advisor to lead and develop our fostering panels, with some involvement in adoption panel work. This is a key leadership role that supports excellent decision-making, strong governance, and high-quality outcomes for children who need stable, loving placements.

As our Panel Advisor, you will act as the Agency Advisor for fostering and adoption, ensuring panels operate effectively, lawfully and to the highest standards. You will work closely with panel chairs, agency decision makers, senior managers and practitioners to provide strong oversight, drive continuous improvement, achieve positive inspection outcomes and promote best practice across the service.

You will manage and oversee SCF’s fostering panels, with some work supporting the adoption panel, supporting the Chair and agency decision maker through effective professional advice, support and appropriate challenge.  You will ensure safeguarding and the voice of the child remain central to all aspects of practice, actively using feedback from children, carers and service users to inform learning and drive service development.  Where possible, you will also contribute to identifying and generating leads for potential foster carers and “home from home” carers.

As our Panel Advisor, you will support effective decision-making by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of legislation, regulations, National Minimum Standards for Fostering and Social Work England standards, and by disseminating relevant research and best practice. You will also ensure panel members are appropriately appraised, facilitating and delivering regular training, and providing appropriate professional challenge to scrutinise practice and identify capability gaps.

For this role, you will be a qualified and Social Work England registered social work manager with substantial experience in fostering and/or adoption services.  You will be highly knowledgeable about fostering legislation, statutory guidance and National Minimum Standards.  You will be confident in providing professional advice and challenge at senior level and experienced in quality assurance, audit and inspection preparedness.

This role is ideal for a qualified social work manager with strong fostering and adoption expertise, excellent knowledge of legislation and a passion for improving outcomes for children.

We work on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of 3 days per week based in the office.

If you’re looking for a new challenge and want to be part of an exciting journey to turn children’s services around in Slough then come and join us. In return, we can offer you:

• Training and development opportunities
• Agile working supported by technology
• Flexible working policies
• Friendly working environment and great colleagues.

Slough is one of the most diverse places in the country outside of London and a great place to live or work. In fact it's the best place to live or work according to a survey by Glassdoor. Pleasant environments, above average salaries and a lower cost of living, mean an increased quality of life for employees. We're also one of the most accessible places to be, nestled on the corner of the M25, M4 and M40, and less than 20 minutes by train to Central London.