SEND Senior Assessment Officer

Deen Consult Services is recruiting for an experienced and passionate SEND Senior Tribunals Officer to join a council’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) team.

This is an exciting opportunity to support children and young people with SEND, ensuring fair and effective handling of tribunal appeals while working collaboratively with families, schools, and professionals.

Main Responsibilities

• 1. To deputise for the Team Leader Assessment and Review - Tribunal/Compliance in their absence/at their request.
  2. To have strategic and operational responsibility for managing the Tribunal/Compliance team within the legal and statutory frameworks.
  3. To represent the Local Authority at Tribunal Hearings.
  4. To work directly with senior staff at a designated number of providers, ensuring that the LA meets all legal requirements in regard to the Children and Families Act 2014.
  5. To manage and co-ordinate the needs assessment and review process in compliance with the requirements of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN Code of Practice 2015.
  6. To directly challenge and support providers, professionals and families in relation to the Children and Families Act 2014 in order to prevent/reduce legal challenge against the LA.
  7. To manage a complex caseload and casework to ensure that the LA is able to respond to SEND children and young people’s needs as they change.
  8. To assess individual children and young through lone home visits if required and develop EHC Plans that are aspirational, holistic, outcome focussed and compliant with the Code of Practice 2015.
  9. Oversee complex cases that pose a legal risk and possible reputational damage to the local authority. Providing regular strategic reports to the senior leadership team in order to influence strategic planning and have a direct impact on service delivery, policies and processes

Main Duties:

1. To oversee and work with parents, carers, children and young people to ensure that the needs assessment process is undertaken in a manner that is clear, accessible and collaborative.
2. To oversee and work in partnership with schools, providing advice, direction and challenge in respect of the needs assessment and review process.
3. To write EHC plans in co-production with parents and children/ young people, ensuring the range of relevant reports from professionals is considered and reflected in the plan and that it is fully compliant with the Code of Practice, minimising the risk of legal challenge to the LA.
4. To support parents, children and young people to develop aspirations and aspirational outcomes that informs plan
5. To be responsible for negotiating with provisions regarding the placement of pupils with EHC Plans.
6. To ensure the timely involvement of colleagues and partners when working with complex children and young people who may be looked after or known to YOS
7. To lead work with providers and other professionals involved in the needs assessment process in order to co-ordinate their professional contributions and development of outcomes for plans
8. To represent SEND Assessment with other local authorities regarding the annual reviews of children and young people who are Looked After by Royal Greenwich but living elsewhere to ensure that EHC plans are reviews to Royal Greenwich standard.
9. To assess a range of professional reports and make timely recommendations regarding EHC Plans.
10. To lead on a range of contact with parents and professionals that could be potentially contentious and difficult to manage, ensuring the LAs legal requirements are met at all times.
11. To ensure EHC planning meetings and annual review meetings at schools are held and managed in accordance with the Code of Practice and are person centred and outcome focused.
12. Chair EHC planning meetings or other TACs where appropriate
13. To attend annual reviews where appropriate
14. To prepare case summaries to present at panels
15. To build positive working relationships with key stakeholders and partners in the EHC Planning process
16. To maintain effective record-keeping systems both manual and computer based
17. To provide management support to the assessment and review officer through regular one to one supervision meetings and periodical performance assessment meetings
18. To manage, attend and participate in meetings, e.g. staff meetings, supervision and staff development.
19. To undertake employee investigations and appeals in line with RBG’s policies and procedures.
20. To undertake any other work appropriate to the level and general nature of the post’s duties.