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Form of workWhy Work for us: Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)
In this role you will work closely with SEND case officers and practice managers to reduce the volume of tribunals lodged to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST), working with parents to find resolution in complex cases.
You will gather evidence and provide robust responses in line with court issued deadlines to ensure effective management of cases being disputed through the tribunal system.
You will work directly with parents, schools, parental appointed legal representatives, and other professional bodies within the statutory and legal framework to find resolution and agreement. When required you will represent Southampton City Council in court to defend the appropriateness of the proposed provision.
Development of effective relationships with headteachers and SENCO’s as well as Health and social care colleagues will be essential in supporting the LA’s position in ensure effective advice is gathered to inform decision making in relation to disputes and resolutions. In this role you will be key to coordinating this advice to take appropriate steps in relation to tribunals and advising decision makers in regards to this.
You will be required to develop and maintain knowledge in relation to statutory requirements in relation to Education, Health and Care plans as well as effective research in case law to support complex decision making.
Contact details for informal discussion:
For further information and details regarding the position please contact Rachel Simpson, Practice Manager at rachel.simpson@southampton.gov.uk.
Recruitment contact details:
Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk
Tel: 023 8083 4033
Additional information:
- This is a permanent position.
- Please note that appointments are usually made at the bottom of the salary scale.
- This post requires a DBS check.
- For any posts that require a DBS check, if you have lived outside the UK within the last 5 years, you will be required to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct or a police certificate from the country/countries you have resided in. Kindly note that this is at the expense of the candidate, as well as any costs involved for translating into English.
Please note: Staff must seek permission from their Service Director /Head of Service BEFORE applying for any secondment opportunity. Please refer to the Secondment Policy for more information.
How to apply:
To apply for the position please select the 'Apply for this job' button at the bottom of the page.
The supporting statement section of the application form must be completed, unless there are specific criteria questions for you to evidence against. Applications are shortlisted against the essential and desirable criteria found within the job description for the post. Please refer to the job description when completing your application form and evidence how you meet the required criteria/questions. A CV on its own will not be considered.
Unfortunately we are not able to accept applications that are made through a third party agency. We cannot guarantee that any correspondence sent from third party agencies will be responded to. To ensure your application is received please apply directly through our website.
We are proud to be #DisabilityConfident and support fair recruitment practices. Find out how you can get involved at gov.uk/disability-confident. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.
Southampton City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. It is committed to delivering services to ensure they are happy, safe and have opportunities to reach their goals as responsible members of our community. We believe it is always unacceptable for a child, young person or adult to experience abuse of any kind, and recognise our responsibility to safeguard and promote their welfare. We are committed to following safe practices to ensure this and expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. This commitment is reflected in all our recruitment and selection practices.
As a Corporate Parent we are actively aiming to support all our children in care (looked after children) and care leavers. Any applicants who are children in care or care leavers, who meet the essential criteria for the post applied for, will be guaranteed an interview.
