SEND Tribunals Officer

Working closely with families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is a central feature of this role. On a day to day basis you will be working with families and young people through a range of forums (mediation, resolution meetings, for example) to address their concerns at the earliest opportunity, and to mediate and negotiate positive outcomes.

Whether you come from an education background, or other area, you will have the skills and experience to manage challenging situations, resolve conflict and negotiate resolutions all with the focus of ensuring positive outcomes for Children, Young People and their Families.

While knowledge of SEND and the legal frameworks around it will be an extensive feature of this role, as well as the compliance frameworks that have to be met, what matters more is your holistic and reflective nature, your ability to work with a wide range of individuals and organisations, and passion to ensure that children and young people access the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

You will have extensive experience of working with high levels of compliance/regulatory codes as well as having the skills and experience to successfully manage conflict and disputes and be able to negotiate resolutions, seeing the opportunities in the challenges identified through appeals and complaints to change process and improve customer experience in order to deliver better outcomes for our children and young people.

• Prepare chronologies and any other necessary paperwork, arrange and chair conferences with witnesses and perform other duties in relation to First Tier Tribunals and Appeals.
• Prepare cases for tribunal, liaising with Legal Services, Managers, Officers, and represent the Local Authority in a legal environment. Prepare evidence for Local Government Ombudsman.
• Work in co-production, following the principles set out in the local area co-production charter, to resolve disputes in a timely manner.
• Coordinate and collate information to support the Local Authority where there is dispute about special educational needs support arrangements.
• Ensure all documentation linked to SEN appeals is distributed appropriately and within specified time restraints.
• Present the Local Authority's cases at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal and defend appropriateness of the proposed service provision for an individual child/young person.
• Coordinate allocation and attendance processes linked to mediation and resolution of all disputes relating to the SEND tribunal process.
• Arrange and decide representation from the SEND Team at meetings with parents, schools and other providers as appropriate, including statutory meetings, chairing as required.
• Attend resolution meetings with parents and other professionals in an attempt to settle disputed issues without the need for formal legal redress wherever possible. This will include responsibility for negotiating changes to the EHC plans.
• Make appropriate amendments to EHC plans following mediation/resolution meetings and tribunal direction, following statutory timescales on all occasions.
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including parents, legal services, schools and colleges to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people and to limit the Local Authority's exposure to risk of appeals.
• Ensure mediation and problem resolution is an active feature at an early stage in caseworkers engagement with families to reduce tribunal numbers.
• Investigate complaints as part of the corporate complaints process, including those being investigated by the local government ombudsman.
• Engage with schools and other agencies to develop an awareness and understanding of the issues in relation to assessment and planning and person centred approaches.
• Provide support to the team to resolve complex issues on their caseloads.
• Attend panel meetings as part of the statutory SEND/EHCP processes, presenting cases as required and providing a tribunal insight to decision making.
• Support with the implementation of legislative reform relating to SEND.
• Take responsibility for ensuring that the computerised database information is accurate and up to date at all times and that action is undertaken as required to ensure production of accurate and timely information.
• Support the delivery and implementation at a local area level of the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement plan.
• Comply with all Health & Safety policies and legislation in performance of the duties of the post.
• Work with information technology and associated systems in accordance with the City Council's policies & procedures.