What is panel?

Turns out no one knows what panel is!! I guess it is an England thing! Panel is what happens after we have had our home study and our PAR (prospective adopters report) is written. It is like an interview. DH, myself + SW are put in front of a panel of approx 10 people made up of medical advisor, members of adoption agent, adoptive parents, other SW's etc. they have read our PAR and ask us questions about us, anything they want clarified and ask us about how we will be as adoptive parents. They then send us out the room, have a chat about us, call us back in the room and let us know if they will recommend us to be approved as adopters. Once they say yes we can start the search for our child!