Senior SEN Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

About us

Do you want to make a difference? A REAL difference?Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the FutureTogether, ourambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.Were seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of daring to do it differently, as we continue to strive to do better.In our Children, Education & Families Directorate, we want everychild to have the best possible education and with this goal in mind, we've set out to improve and transform our services.We're currently in the process of re-evaluating and restructuring our Specialist Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services, with theobjective of advancing the educational outcomes for children and young people.We are pleased with the promising progress in SEND services, with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reporting that Oxfordshire's local area partnership has taken effective action to make improvements in services andsupport for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) following a monitoring visit in September 2025.Oxfordshire County Council is a financially stable local authority which iscommitted to investing in Children, Education and Families.Together, we ensure that we have the resources we need to make a real difference to the people wesupport.

About the role

We've transformed the way we help our communities to get the best outcomes possible for everychild and family we work with.As part of this, we continue to invest in Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), with the growth of our four sub teams within the EHCP Casework Team: Assessment Team, Early Years and Primary Team, Secondary and Post 16 Team and Tribunals, Resolutions and Compliance Team.Due to our continued investment in SEND, we are looking for experienced Senior Officers to join our Tribunals, Resolutions and Compliance Team.

Reporting to theLead Officer, you will be responsible for leading and managing allocated SENDIST appeal cases, ensuring full compliance with statutory duties, tribunal regulations, and legal deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage allocated SENDIST tribunal cases.
• Ensure all legal deadlines are met and case preparation complies with Tribunal rules.
• Lead and attend Way Forward, Mediation, and pre-Tribunal meetings as required.
• Represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal Hearings when necessary.
• Provide professional advice,challenge andsupport to Headteachers, SENCOs, Governing Bodies, and Academy Trusts.
• Deliver training where required to ensure compliance with legislation such as the SEND Code of Practice and the Disability Discrimination Act.
• Work collaboratively with schools and partner agencies to meet statutory timescales.
• Maintain effective communication with statutory and voluntary sector partners.
• Attend multi-agency planning meetings andchild protection case conferences as required.
• Remain up to date with changes in legislation, policies, procedures, and statutory guidance.
• Ensure relevant updates are communicated effectively to staff.
• Strong knowledge of SEND legislation and Tribunal processes.
• Proven experience managing SENDIST cases.
• Confident in representing a Local Authority at Tribunal hearings.
• Excellent communication, organisation, and stakeholder management skills.

About you

We would like to hear from you if you are

• Always learning,confident and skilled in SEND Casework with an excellent knowledge SENDIST Appeals, the SEND Code of Practice and relevant Legislation.
• Kind and caring, you arechild and young people focused, with good written and verbal skills.
• Willing to take responsibility and problem solve, dealing with complex casework and liaising with families and key agencies to ensure best provision and outcomes for our children and young people.
• Driven to do it differently to embark on a journey of continuous improvement in SEND.
• Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do, you can establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with our families.
• Experienced in attending and effectively managing SENDIST Appeals

Rewards and benefits

• Competitive salary
• Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays).
• A comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Flexible working.
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeingsupport 24 x7.
• Range of family friendly policies.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Explore more here

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Alex Potts,Lead Officer, Tribunals, Resolutions and Compliance Team at Alex.Potts@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Ourcommitment to:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitment to:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommitted to helping andsupporting those transitioning from HM ArmedForces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitment to:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommitted to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers toshare thiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitment to:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: Alex.Potts@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

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Desirable

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Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Oxford

OX1 1ND

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)