Best intrests panel

[Mrbojangles1]

Could any one tell me what I should expect.

I have a fc going hopefully up for adoption and I have to attend this panel and just wanted to know what I should expect

[threeandcounting]

Hello

Have not heard of this (maybe different area and I have only been fostering for nearly a year) but my lo is going to the permenancy planning which can recommend adoption. Foster carers are not invited :-(

I will watch this thread with interest!

Sorry I couldn't have been any help though......

[Cazzmags]

Hi

We're are in the same position as you threeand counting. Our lo goes to the permanency panel very soon and we're not invited either.

A best interests panel sounds like a wonderful idea, I'd be really interested to hear how it goes and to know many LA's have Best interest meetings that include Foster carers.

Please let us know how it goes mrbojangles.

[bonnieslilsister]

It must be different in different places cos I have been twice to the permanence panel. I went to my lo's last week. me and another foster carer (for siblings) had to sit in the corridor, about a mile away [slight exaggeration] and wait to be called in and we left before the end too, but this did not happen 2 years ago when I went.

Btw MrB do I know you under a different name? If so I have been wondering where you were!!

[NanaNina]

I have never heard of a best interests panel either especially where foster carers are invited! Yes I'm sure LAs have different policies about these matters and since I only worked for one LA I only knew their policies of course and I have been retired for 7 years.

A best interest panel could be an adoption panel but I have certainly never heard of a fc being invited to this panel.

One thing that does seem to be this business of not treating foster carers of one of the team and most important too, as you are doing the hardest job of all. I fought for more fc involvement and some changes were made. In my experience foster carers are just "dropped off the end" somehow and not kept "in the loop" - there is this notion that professionals are the only people need in these meetings and panels which is simply not the case. Many fcs are far more experienced in understanding a child's needs that young inexperienced workers and those without children themselves, though there are exceptions to this.

The other thing is I often wonder why fcs don't simply raise the queries that they have with the sw. Sorry I'm not saying that there shouldn't be a forum like this, but asking a simple question like "what is this panel and what am I to expect?" seems reasonable enough. The trouble is sws talk about these meetings reviews/core groups/permanency/adoption panels as though the fc understands or more likely they think that this is the busines of the "professionals" not you "mere foster carers"

Rise up fcs and challenge this long held attitude to foster carers!!

[Cazzmags]

You're quite right NanaNina, but sadly as you know from our chats via private message that even if we as fcs rise up and shout very loudly we still often aren't heard :(

Let's hope this changes and soon.

[NanaNina]

Hi Cazz - I know what you mean - this attitude towards fcs is deeply entrenched by some social workers. There are some who realise the importance of the job that fcs do but I suspect they are few and far between.

In the LA I worked for the carers formed a group themselves, and it was well organised, with chair, secretary, treasurer etc. The group had coffee mornings, organised trips out etc but they also let us know if things were not going right and we listened and took action. They became very influencial and got the Director of SS involved in some of their meetings. We used to put on a cheese and wine evening every summer and christmas parties for fc and fc's children (as many sws don't seem to realise they exist!) and they certainly changed policies in some areas of fostering. Does such a group in your area - if not, why not start one. United you stand, divided you fall!

Think the outlook for you and the LO seem reasonably positive.