Lead SEND Complaints & Tribunals Officer

Medway’s Education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Division is committed to support all children and young people to learn and grow and to achieve their potential in education. The Education and SEND Division covers a wide scope of services, including school admissions, place planning, Medway Test, school transport, capital developments, high-needs funding and support for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans, early years funding and sufficiency, school improvement and effectiveness, inclusion and attendance. The Government’s ambitions for the provision of quality education and improvement plans for the SEND and Alternative Provision system are important strategic drivers for our vision for these services.

The Education and SEND Division is seeking highly driven and experienced professionals to join these teams at an exciting time of change within this sector. Successful candidates will join a supportive network of professionals within the Division and across the wider People Directorate and Council. They will have the opportunity to contribute our journey of improvement and shape our service delivery to children, young people and families and Medway. They will gain knowledge and experience from highly skilled team members but will also be given the opportunity to showcase their own skills and knowledge. They will be expected to work in partnership with providers, other agencies and strategic networks.

As Lead SEND Complaints and Tribunals Officer, you will play a key role in representing the LA’s case and decision making in relation to SEND cases, where disputes and disagreements occur, and work with partners and clients to reach appropriate and positive solutions.

You will represent the LA at SEND Tribunals and defend appropriateness of the proposed service provision for an individual child/young person and case-manage SEN appeals.

You will be expected to utilise your skills and knowledge in relation to partnership working, caseload management, understanding of SEND and Education practice, legislation and statutory duties to provide excellent leadership and management support to ensure the LA discharges its responsibilities effectively.
In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers
• The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
  
  
  We're committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency.  Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a 'clean and green environment'. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change. 
  
  Our organisation:
  
  Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.
  
  Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.
  
  We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.
  
  Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.
  
  If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager please e-mail Susan Bright on susan.bright@medway.gov.uk
  
  Important Information-
  
  Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile
  
  Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement
  
  Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, HIV status, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity or irrelevant spent conviction.
  
  For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online.
  
  Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.  All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
  
  Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.
  
  We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.