SEND Tribunal, Complaints and Resolution Officer

• SEND Tribunal, Disagreement Resolution, Complaints and Workforce Development Officer
• Camden
• £360 per day
• Hybrid working - 3 days on site per week

About the role. You will:

1. Provide leadership for tribunal and formal disagreements, which will include preparing cases for tribunal, liaising with Legal Services, SEND services and multi-agency practitioners, represent the Local Authority in a legal environment, presenting Local Authority cases at SENDT and defending the appropriateness of the proposed service provision. This will include the preparation of evidence for the Local Government Ombudsman.
2. Ensure mediation and problem resolution is an active feature at an early stage in caseworkers' engagement with families to reduce tribunal numbers.
3. Provide advice on and attend resolution meetings with parents and other practitioners in an attempt to settle disputed issues without the need for formal legal redress wherever possible. This will include responsibility for negotiating changes to EHC plans.
4. Engage with schools and other agencies to develop an awareness and understanding of best practice in relation to assessment, planning and person-centred approaches.
5. Lead on the workforce development strategy by working with team managers to identify, manage and resolve any practice concerns.
6. Be required to respond to all concerns raised via the SENDT process, and through formal, and informal, mediation and disagreement resolution meetings. Develop the capacity and confidence with regards to these matters in the SEND Team and across the local area partnership.
7. Act as a main point of contact for parents, carers or young people who lodge an appeal with SEND Tribunal or make a request for mediation/disagreement resolution as part of that process, as well as wider stakeholders such as schools, witnesses and legal representatives.
8. Be a highly organised individual who can coordinate these matters, keep clear records, and keep all parties up to date at every stage. You will provide quantitative and qualitative reports and briefings to inform good working practice and improvements to the service.
9. Use management information and data to contribute to policies to help improve efficiency and effectiveness of the service and to ensure consistency of decision making through EHC assessments, plans and annual reviews. You will play a role in supporting effective record keeping in the SEND Team to ensure data integrity.