Adoption Panel Chair - Adoption West

About the Role

Adoption West is a regional adoption agency covering six local authorities in the South West. We are looking to appoint an Independent Chair to its Adoption Panel due to the retirement of one of our three Chairs at the end of March 2026. The role requires a sound understanding and experience of the adoption process, strong chairing skills, and the ability to contribute to the overall performance of the Adoption Service.

• Chair approximately 20 adoption panels a year, preparing for and chairing meetings.
• Quality‑check minutes of the panel meetings.
• Take part in panel members' annual appraisals and contribute to six‑monthly performance reports.
• Attend online meetings with Adoption Advisers and Agency Decision Makers (four times a year and twice a year respectively).
• Support panel members through face‑to‑face training days (held twice a year) and other training events.
• Attend South West Adoption Consortium (SWAC) meetings and participate in related activities.

The Chair receives a fee of £571 per adoption panel, which covers preparation, chairing, and post‑meeting duties. Additional fees are paid for contribution to panel training events and attendance at SWAC meetings.

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of the adoption process.
• Proven skills in chairing multidisciplinary panels.
• Ability to work independently and contribute to service improvement.
• Will require an Enhanced DBS check before appointment can be confirmed.

Employees are expected to maintain the required level of confidentiality at all times in relation to their work.

Please complete an application on our website. For an informal discussion about this role, contact Alison Hall, Service Manager, by emailing at