Tribunal Officer

About the Role

We are seeking a well-qualified and experienced individual with excellent communication skills to manage local authority appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDT).

As our SEND Tribunals Officer, you will be responsible for drafting responses to complaints and appeals on behalf of the local authority and ensuring all judicial deadlines are met.

You will also support early resolution of complaints and appeals where possible through proactive case management and attending mediation.

Key responsibilities include arranging and attending pre-hearing meetings, maintaining positive working relationships with schools, social workers, and voluntary organisations, and ensuring all required evidence is efficiently collected, error-free, and presented robustly.

About You

You will need a degree in Law, or CILEx Level 6 qualification, along with GCSEs grade A-C (Level 4-9) or equivalent in English Language and Mathematics.

With practical experience from a relevant field, such as working with parents/carers or schools, you will bring ready-formed customer or service-user facing skills, a current understanding of SEN legislation, and knowledge of data protection, GDPR, and confidentiality guidelines.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to independently plan your workload to meet specified timescales are essential.

You will also be energised by working under pressure, able to switch between competing priorities, and comfortable using your initiative.

Finally, you will have the skills to analyse and interpret information from a wide range of sources, and excellent written and verbal communication skills which mean you can summarise that information concisely.

About Bath & North East Somerset Council

Working at Bath & North East Somerset Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents.

Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve.

We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

Why Bath & North East Somerset Council?

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that you are paid fairly for your work, have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance, and have the support you need.

At Bath & North East Somerset Council, we have one overriding purpose to improve people's lives.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us.

We are a Disability Confident Employer.

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable groups and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.