Dispute Resolutions Officer And Tribunals

This role is hybrid, with an expectation that the successful candidate come into the office at the Civic Centre in Southampton at least two days per week and be flexible according to the needs of the service and relevant face to face meeting requirements.

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Team are looking for a Dispute Resolutions Lead Officer. This officer will be responsible for managing and attending all the SEN Tribunal appeals and Mediation requests. This person will be responsible for facilitating the resolution of disputes between parents and local authorities regarding special educational needs and disabilities.

Responsibilities include:

• Excellent communication and time management skills will be essential.
• Manage and organise appeal cases, ensuring all necessary documents and evidence are collected and properly prepared meeting court deadlines.
• Act as a liaison between the parties involved, ensuring that the legal processes are followed and helping to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities
• They will ensure that the Local Authority has a position statement to offer the parent and tribunal, based upon SEN Law/ legislation and the evidence gathered from professionals. The Local Authorities aim is to resolve tribunals prior to hearing where possible.
• Responsible for collaborative work with health, social care, and school/college providers to collate evidence for the court, witness statements and prepare witnesses for the hearing and provide advice on appeal and complex cases.
• Representing the Local Authority in SEN Tribunal Hearings in court (currently held virtually).
• Managing the communication and relationship with SENDIASS (an impartial support charity for parents).
• Conduct thorough reviews of the evidence submitted by both parties, assessing its relevance and strength and consider if the Local Authority needs to action anything further to help defend its position.
• Facilitate discussions and encourage dispute resolution through mediation or negotiation, including representing the Local Authority at Judicial alternative dispute resolution hearings and Case Management hearings.
• Address any concerns or queries raised by parents or local authorities promptly and professionally.
• Support the Practice Manager on the resolution of complaints that come into the service and work on learning from those complaints to improve the service we deliver.
• Ensure that the tribunal process runs smoothly and fairly, maintaining professionalism.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of all communications, actions, and decisions related to each case and record these on our database.

Key skills required include:

• A thorough understanding of the Education, Health and Care (EHC) legislation and the SEND Code of Practice.
• Familiarity with legal principles and procedures related to special educational needs and disabilities and SEN Law.
• The ability to analyse and evaluate evidence, identify key arguments, and assess the strength of a case.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey information, support parents, and liaise with stakeholders.
• The ability to empathise with parents and children and demonstrate sensitivity towards their unique situations.
• Strong organisational skills to manage and prioritise multiple cases, maintain accurate records, and meet deadlines.
• The ability to build rapport, establish trust, and effectively collaborate with parents, local authorities, and other stakeholders.
• The capacity to handle emotionally challenging situations while remaining focused and objective.
• A commitment to ongoing professional development to stay updated on changes in SEND legislation, best practices, and new developments in the field.

Contact details for informal discussion:

For further information and details regarding the position please contact Rachel Simpson at rachel.simpson@southampton.gov.uk.

Recruitment contact details:

Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk
Tel: 023 8083 4033

Additional information:

• The working hours for this role are 37 hours per week
• 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.

How to apply:

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.

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.

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