Hi Tulips - I have chaired numerous fostering panels (was a sw and tm mgr for 23 years with a LA) now retired. You have had good advice, and panel members know that some applicants are nervous (far better than being too cocky I can tell you) As has already been said, no one is trying to trip you up. If the assessment has been properly done there shouldn't be any problems. If there was anything I thought was missing from a Form F I would get hold of the sw first and ask him/her for more info/clarification, so that applicants were not asked about this at panel.
It should really be a discussion but it does seem like a Q and A session. As you will know the panel is multi disciplinary so before the aplicants come in, it is decided who wil take up a particular issue with you e.g. re health/education etc. The worst thing is going into a room with so may strangers and I was always trying to reduce the numbers, but it wasn't possible as the govt laid down laws about panels to ensure that they were multi disciplinary. We had a HV who used to fall asleep in panels and I had to kindly suggest that maybe we should replace her - she was quite stroppy about it and denied falling asleep, but the gently snoring and dropping of her head on her chest suggested otherwise!
If there is something you don't understand (we used to have a sw on the panel who had a peculiar voice and was not easy to understand) and carers used to get embarrassed cus they didn't know what he was on about. I used to say something like "I think X means...................."
Finally don't forget that foster carers are like gold dust to LAs struggling with very scarce supply of carers and high demands for children needing placement.
I am sure you will be fine!
PS some panel members are a bit timid and say "Oh can someone else ask that".............but I felt if they were on the panel they must be prepared to raise relevant issues. The first Q is usually about the training course and how you found it - were there any surprises - things that you haven't thought of - things that worried you. Don't be worried about saying there were issues you hadn't thought of before or things that worried you (like allegations against carers) to be honest I was always a bit concerned about the ones who said "Oh no it was fine - nothing bothered us" ...........hmmm!
Let us know how it goes, oh and of course your link worker will be there to "protect" you - oh yes, take a flask as panels are almost always running late (30 mins on average but could be longer)