Job Description

Salary: 12,000 to 18,000 + Travel Allowance
Location: Camden Town Hall, Judd Street WC1H 9JE
Hours per week: Sessional - 12 to 14 panels a year plus 5 to 6 business meetings
Contract Type: Permanent/Part Time
Closing Date: Tuesday 8^th July 2025 at 23:59
Interview: TBC
About Camden
Camden is changing on the inside to make life better for everyone. Our residents and communities are at the heart of everything we do. We're home to the most important conversations happening today and we're making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here's where you can help decide a better future for us all.
What You'll Be Doing / How You'll Be Involved
A rare opportunity has arisen to join London Borough of Camden's Fostering and Permanence Panel as an Independent Panel Chair. The post holder would become part of an experienced, professional, and friendly panel central list who are child-focused and passionate about their role in the safe placement of children and young people, who are looked after by London Borough of Camden. The role is fully independent and as such no current London Borough of Camden Employee can apply.
As an Independent Fostering and Permanence Panel Chair, you will have a detailed knowledge of the legal framework of fostering, including kinship fostering and childcare law, as well as an in-depth knowledge of current fostering practice. You will be an excellent communicator, with an ability to chair and guide complex meetings.
The panel meets monthly and the post holder will be expected to participate in regular panel training and work closely with the agencies advisors to conduct annual appraisals of panel members and to support good communication between the agency and panel.
The post is subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and two references will be taken up prior to the interview.
We take pride in getting it right first time and you will receive the training and support you deserve to help you deliver for this already first-rate service from day one. If you have the commitment, drive, and ability to deliver high service standards across the borough, then you are the person we are looking for.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require an Enhanced DBS. Please note Camden also offers the DBS update service.
To view the Job Profile, please click HERE or copy and paste the below URL into your Microsoft Edge browser (please note the attached will not open in other browsers):
http://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/Record/10996841/file/document?inline
All About You
To find out more about what it is like to work at Camden, meet some of our People by visiting 'www.camdenjobs.co.uk/our-stories'.
For this role, you will need to hold either a relevant Social Work qualification with two years post qualification experience of working in a Children and Families Division including experience in a fostering service or have relevant personal or voluntary related experience.
You will bring to the role your sound knowledge of the legislative framework of social services departments relating to children and fostering, particularly the Children Act 1989, Care Standards Act 2000 and Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011. You will be able to respond calmly to unexpected and emotive problems, seeking solutions, modifying plans and arranging the provision of additional services and/or resources where appropriate.
With your experience, you will bring to the role the ability to deal with conflict effectively, involving and signposting other people and services where applicable. You will be a creative thinker, self-reliant and resilient, knowing how to respond to situations in a positive and effective way to gain successful outcomes in difficult situations.
What We Offer
At Camden, you'll receive a host of benefits including:

• 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 31 days after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible working opportunities
• Interest free loans
• Access to our incredible staff networks
• Career development and training
• Wellbeing support and activities

Visit 'www.camdenjobs.co.uk/staff-benefits' for more details.
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Camden Council to be a great place to work and to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
To discover more about Camden and our commitment towards diversity, equality and safeguarding, please visit https://www.camdenjobs.co.uk/inclusion-and-diversity
Asking for Adjustments
Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at resourcing@camden.gov.uk or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.
Anonymised Application - in keeping with Camden's commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.