SEND - Tribunal Officer
Location: North West
Pay rate: £ 300 per day
We are looking for experienced and passionate Tribunal Officer. This role exists to deliver complex casework for cases that are currently in the SEND tribunal following appeals relating to the identification, Tribunal, Disagreement Resolution, Complaints & Workforce Development Officer and assessment of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and the production, review and maintenance of Education, Health and Care plans. They will provide oversight, coordinate and lead complex casework for children and young people (0-25) where an appeal is open.
You’ll be committed to ensure positive and sustainable results of your interventions. Using best practice, you’ll strive to provide the best outcomes for children and young people. Most importantly however, you’ll have a passion for supporting children and their families to ensure that they thrive and flourish. Our priority is to protect the most vulnerable and to be as efficient as possible to achieve the best outcomes in each case.
We understand the demands and emotional challenges of the job. That's why we provide our team with a positive, safe and supportive working environment with a caped caseload and supportive manager.
Perfect candidate will be:
1. Experience of working on SEND appeals including representing the local authority at hearings.
2. 2-3 years’ experience of working in or aligned to SEND with an awareness of the services provided.
3. Previous experience of working within complex systems and processes within a SEND Service.
4. Significant knowledge of law and procedures in relation to the Children and Families Act 2014, SEN Code of Practice 2014 and the Equalities Act2010.
5. DBS (they will accept confirmation one is in process, but it must be on at least
6. Creative, flexible and forward thinking in approach.
7. Knowledgeable of Child Protection legislation and understanding of child protection issues.
8. Constantly striving for continuous improvement to provide the best outcomes for children.
9. Able to use excellent mediation and negotiation skills on behalf of service users.
10. Highly skilled at building meaningful relationships with children and families to engage them in assessments and plans
11. Committed to providing our service users with a high-quality service
12. Experienced in working in a multi-disciplinary, interagency basis
13. 4 Years plus Qualified
In this role you will:
14. 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.
15. Ensure mediation and problem resolution is an active feature at an early stage in caseworkers’ engagement with families to reduce tribunal numbers.
16. 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.
17. Engage with schools and other agencies to develop an awareness and understanding of best practice in relation to assessment, planning and person-centred approaches.
18. Lead on the workforce development strategy by working with team managers to identify, manage and resolve any practice concerns.
19. 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.
20. 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.
This is an agency post and Pertemps can offer you:-
21. A Dedicated consultant who has access to all roles across the UK and is available for you to speak to
22. An easy registration process (all done online)
23. Referral schemes and incentives
24. Ongoing compliance managed for you
25. Prompt and reliable payroll and lots more.
This role is ideally located for those travelling from Harrogate, Doncaster, Hull, Tadcaster, Haxby, Bishop Wilton, Leeds, Wetherby, York, Tadcaster, Heslington, Leeds, York, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Manchester, Rochdale, Normanton, Pontefract, Keighley, Shipley, Batley, Bingley, Otley, Halifax, Burnley, Sheffield, Oldham, Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, Preston, Stockport, Halifax, Rotherham and Doncaster
We offer a generous £250 referral bonus if you make a referral to us!
We recruit across all areas of Qualified Social Work. If you are a Social Worker and this is not the role for you, contact us about other roles including IRO (Independence Reviewing Officer), BIA (Best Interest Assessor), Occupational Therapist, MASH, Children in Need, Children with Disabilities, Duty and Assessment, Child Protection, Children Looked After, Children’s Social Work, Residential Care Practitioner, Children in Need, Adult Social Work, REaCH, Registered Manager, Children’s Residential Homes, Service Manager, Head of Service, Team Manager and Assistant Team Manager.