24.—(1) Regulation 24 of the Fostering Regulations is amended as follows:
(2) In paragraph (3)(b)(i) after 'that individual' insert “or an employee of the agency who is concerned in the management of the agency or, where that is not reasonably practicable, another person (who need not be an employee of the agency) who has experience in the provision of a fostering service”.
(3) For paragraph (6) substitute —
“(6) Subject to paragraphs (6A) and (6B) a fostering panel member —
(a)may hold office for a term not exceeding three years; and
(b)may not hold office as a member of the fostering panel of the same fostering service provider for more than three terms without an intervening period”.
(4) After paragraph (6) insert —
“(6A) Where —
(a)a member of the fostering panel holds office as a member of that fostering panel pursuant to paragraph 3(b)(i) and is in a second consecutive term of office as a member of that fostering panel; and
(b)that term of office is due to expire on or after 2 April 2010, that member may continue to hold office as a member of that fostering panel for a further period not exceeding 12 months.”.
(5) After paragraph (6A) insert —
“(6B) Where the term of office of a panel member has been extended by a further period under paragraph (6A) and the panel member is appointed for a third term of office without an intervening period, that term of office may not exceed a period of three years less a period equal to the further period by which the second term was extended.
(6C) For the purposes of paragraphs (6) and (6B), an “intervening period” means an unbroken period of at least three years during all of which time the individual in question was not a member of the fostering panel.”.