Resolution and Tribunal Officer in Ipswich

Suffolk County Council

Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX - Hybrid

Salary: £40,777 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available

Contract: Permanent

As a modern, flexible and effective organisation, we’re driven to make a positive difference to the environment, the communities we serve and the careers of our people. That’s why, when you join us as a Resolution and Tribunals Officer, you’ll be encouraged to share your fresh thinking and empowered to explore new ideas that will shape and improve our services as well as your career.

Your role and responsibilities

This is a specialist role within Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Services, requiring a high level of professional judgement, expertise and collaboration. You will:

• work with children, young people and their families to find a solution which will provide the most appropriate outcome for the child or young person
• represent the Local Authority at mediation meetings with families to resolve as far as possible disputes and disagreements specifically regarding SEND
• take responsibility for all actions and processes relating to SEND Tribunal appeals allocated to you, up to and including attending hearings to represent the local authority where required
• follow up on all Tribunal Orders to ensure full compliance with the Children and Families Act 2014 and The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008
• liaise with colleagues and professionals in Health, Social Care and Education teams to ensure effective joint working
• challenge and support professionals, settings and services to ensure compliance with statutory guidance and the SEND Code of Practice.

You will need:

• a passion for making a positive difference in Suffolk
• a strong commitment to fairness, equality and diversity
• to bring creativity to your work through innovation and openness to change
• to be committed to listening to children and their families and to working collaboratively with them
• to have the ability to clarify risks and concerns and focus on solutions
• to create a climate in which change can happen.
• to have an in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and guidance as appropriate to role
• experience of working in a complex statutory, safeguarding or SEND-related environment would be desirable.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile. If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Services team works closely with families, schools, and other professionals to assess children's needs and develop Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The service manages a wide variety of work, such as reviews of EHCPs, arranging commissioned provision, consultations for mainstream and specialist placements. The service now operates within several focused teams with strong cross team working and a commitment to ensuring all contribute to service wide priorities. The Resolution and Tribunal Team oversee all work relating to SEND mediations and appeals to the First Tier Tribunal (SEN and Disability). They aim to seek resolutions as soon as possible, working closely with parents, carers and other professionals involved. They inform ongoing service developments, checking that lessons learnt through their work are shared and appropriately acted upon. We work alongside; Special Education Services, SEND Funding and Provider Services and Educational Psychology and Therapeutic Services, Social Care and Health and we are all dedicated to helping children and young people achieve their individual outcomes.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Gillian Tate, Resolution and Tribunals Team Manager for a casual conversation. You can reach them by emailing Gillian.Tate@Suffolk.gov.uk

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word)
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).

• Tell us about a time when you supported or led a mediation, resolution meeting or complex discussion with parents or carers where views strongly differed. How did you manage the situation and reach an outcome?
• Describe your experience of applying legislation, statutory guidance or regulatory frameworks in your work (for example, SEND, Children and Families Act, safeguarding or tribunal-related processes). How do you ensure your practice is compliant?
• This role involves managing multiple pieces of work with tight deadlines. Please describe how you organise your workload and ensure tasks are completed accurately and on time.

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page. Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 19 May 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.