Tribunal Officer

A Southwest Local Authority is seeking an experienced SEND Appeals & Resolution Officer to join the team on an interim basis. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled SEND professional with direct Local Authority experience managing SEND Appeals and Resolutions to make an immediate impact.

This role requires someone with extensive knowledge of SEND legislation, tribunal procedures and mediation processes, who can confidently manage complex appeal cases from initial instruction through to Tribunal.

• Lead the preparation and presentation of the Local Authority's case for First-tier Tribunal hearings, ensuring all submissions are accurate, compliant and submitted within statutory timescales.
• Take ownership of a complex caseload of SEND appeals, coordinating evidence, drafting responses and managing statutory deadlines.
• Prepare for and manage formal mediation processes requested by parents and carers.
• Proactively resolve complex and contentious cases at the earliest opportunity, reducing escalation to mediation or Tribunal wherever possible.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders and legal representatives to ensure decisions are legally robust, defensible and aligned with Council policy.
• Investigate complaints and produce high-quality formal responses in accordance with corporate procedures.
• Interpret SEND legislation, case law and statutory guidance, providing expert advice to colleagues and partners.
• Provide professional challenge to internal services and partner agencies to support consistent, lawful decision-making.
• Maintain accurate records and monitoring systems for appeals, identifying trends and contributing to service reporting.
• Support continuous service improvement by identifying learning from appeals and complaints, helping to develop best practice across the service.

• Direct experience working within a Local Authority SEND Appeals and Resolutions function.
• Significant experience managing SEND Tribunal appeals from initial case preparation through to hearing.
• Strong working knowledge of SEND legislation, Tribunal procedures, statutory guidance and mediation processes.
• Experience working within a legal, tribunal or equivalent statutory environment.
• The ability to exercise sound professional judgement on complex SEND cases on behalf of a Local Authority.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex legal documentation and communicate findings clearly.
• Experience managing highly sensitive and contentious cases involving multiple stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and strict statutory deadlines.
• The confidence to challenge decisions appropriately and influence positive outcomes across multi-agency partners.
• High levels of resilience, professionalism and the ability to remain calm under pressure.