Tribunals and Mediation Officer

One of my local government clients are currently recruiting an experienced Tribunals and Mediation Officer on a temporary basis. This is a 3-month minimum contract with the possibility of the role being extended further to work Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. Hybrid working role were, however, you will be required to attend the office 2/3 times a week. Overview: * To represent the Council at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal and defend appropriateness of the proposed service provision for an individual child/young person. * To provide key leadership in case management of SEN appeal related cases to ensure that the Council discharges its responsibilities effectively in relation to statutory appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) * To develop practice across the SEND team that limits the Council’s exposure to risk of appeals to Tribunals and litigation and judicial review/complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman, monitoring and evaluating practice and making recommendations for change. Requirements: * Support colleagues to 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, senior SEND team managers and EPs, and represent the Local Authority in a legal environment. Prepare evidence for Local Government Ombudsman * Ensure that all requests for assessment are distributed to caseworkers and discussed at SEN Panel in a timely way – ensuring compliance with the Code of Practice and report on these to the wider service * To respond to relevant FOI requests and Subject Access Requests in compliance with council policy * 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 If you are interested in this vacancy, please send your CV to Jahker Miah from Coyle Personnel Ltd