At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose to improve people s lives. About the Role We are looking for a well-qualified and experienced individual with excellent communication skills to join our team. As our Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Legal Officer, you ll be responsible for managing local authority appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDT). Your main responsibilities will include drafting responses to complaints and appeals on behalf of the local authority and ensuring all judicial deadlines are met. You ll also support early resolution of complaints and appeals where possible through proactive case management and attending mediation. From arranging and attending pre-hearing meetings to maintaining positive working relationships with schools, social workers, and voluntary organisations you ll do everything to ensure that all required evidence is efficiently collected, error-free and presented robustly. About you You ll need a degree in Law or CILEx / IPSEA SEND Law Level 3 (or above) qualification (or equivalent) with substantial SEND experience, along with GCSEs grade A-C (Level 4-9) or equivalent in English Language and Mathematics. With practical experience already from a relevant field, such as working with parents/carers or schools, you ll bring ready-formed customer or service-user facing skills with you, 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 a must. You ll also be energised by working under pressure, able to switch between competing priorities, and comfortable using your initiative. Finally, you ll 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. If you are interested in this post and require more details or just to chat through the role and what s involved, please email laura_donnellybathnes.gov.uk About Bath & North East Somerset Council. Working at Bath & North East Somerset 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. Go to https://jobsandcareers.bathnes.gov.uk/why-work-us/our-benefits At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose to improve peoples live. Find out more about our values at https://jobsandcareers.bathnes.gov.uk/why-work-us/our-values 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. Find out more on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/equality-and-diversity We are a Disability Confident Employer find out more at https://shorturl.at/ajrsW Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced/Basic DBS Check. Safeguarding Statement: 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. As part of this commitment anyone working in a post with children or vulnerable groups will be expected to undertake an Enhanced DBS check with/without barred list checks.