Panels, also referred to as Review Panels, are set up to be independent of your agency or fostering service provider. They will consider adoption and fostering suitability cases and adoption disclosure cases.
When the panel is being convened we will ensure the independence of the review panel by not including any review panel member who:

• is a member of the adoption panel or fostering panel of the organisation which made the qualifying determination
• is currently or has been employed in the past year (prior to the qualifying determination) by the local authority that made the qualifying determination, within their children and family social services or a member of that authority.
• is currently or has been employed in the past year (prior to the qualifying determination) by an organisation (that isn't a local authority) that made the qualifying determination, an employee or trustee of that organisation.
• is related to any of the above
• knows the applicant in a personal or professional capacity,
• has had a child placed with him/her for fostering or adoption by the organisation which made the qualifying determination
• has had his/her own fostering or adoption arranged by the organisation which made the qualifying determination

You must tell us when you receive a list of attendees if you believe a particular review panel member should not, in fact, be appointed to consider your case.

Locations of the Review Panel meeting

Panel meetings will be arranged to be held at whichever location is the most convenient bearing in mind all those attending.

Members on the Review Panel

Members of the review panels will be drawn from a list of people on a central list‚ kept by the Welsh Ministers, who are considered by the Welsh Ministers to be suitable by virtue of their skills, qualifications or experience.

Review of an adoption suitability determination

The panels considering at these cases will have a minimum membership of 5 people. All panel members will have professional or personal experience of adoption or fostering.
Each panel will have at least:

• Two Social workers with the required level of experience in adoption and family placement work
• A registered medical practitioner
• Two other persons from the central list including where reasonably practicable at least one person with personal experience of adoption

Review of a fostering determination

The panels considering these cases will have a minimum membership of 5 people. All
panel members will have professional or personal experience of fostering or adoption.

Each panel will include at least:

• Two Social Workers with the required level of experience in child care social work including direct experience of fostering work
• Three other persons from the central list including where reasonably practicable, at least one who is or within the previous two years has been a local authority foster parent

Adoption Disclosure Cases

These panels will have at least 5 members who will be drawn from a central list of review panel members and will include:

• Two social workers with the required post qualifying experience in adoption and family placement work.
• Three other people from the central list
• Chairperson
  
  A chair with the relevant skills and experience will be appointed to each review panel.

Professional Advice to Panels on all Cases

This will be provided by a Professional Adviser who will be an experienced social worker with appropriate skills, experience. and knowledge of both adoption and fostering legislation and practice.

The panel may, where it considers it appropriate be advised by any of the following advisers who must be members of the central list:

1. a legal adviser with knowledge and expertise in adoption and fostering legislation
2. a registered medical practitioner with relevant expertise in adoption or fostering work, whichever is appropriate to the qualifying determination being considered
3. any other person whom panel considers has relevant expertise in relation to the determination being considered

A Panel Secretary will be present to make a record of the meeting.