Tribunal Officer (SEND Assessment Team)

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Tribunal Officer to join our busy and dynamic SEND Assessment Team. The team is responsible for statutory SEND processes and works closely with families, legal services, education, health and social care partners to ensure that children and young people with SEND receive appropriate, lawful and timely support.

You will play a critical role in managing SEND Tribunal appeals, supporting high‑quality decision‑making across the service, and embedding learning from appeals to improve outcomes for children and young people aged 0–25 with SEND.

About the role

This is a challenging, senior and highly impactful role. As a Tribunal Officer, you will be:

The lead officer for SEND Tribunal appeals, managing cases from registration through to conclusion
Providing expert advice and guidance to SEND Assessment Officers and managers on tribunal matters
Preparing and quality‑assuring tribunal documentation, including responses, evidence bundles and witness statements
Working closely with legal services to coordinate a robust and defensible approach to appeals
Identifying opportunities for early resolution, negotiation and mediation, where appropriate
Attending and contributing to SEND Tribunal hearings and related meetings as required
Analysing tribunal trends and outcomes to inform service improvement and reduce future appeals
Supporting the development of good SEND practice through learning from tribunal decisions

About you

We are looking for someone who:

Has significant experience of working with SEND Tribunals or complex statutory SEND processes
Has in‑depth knowledge of SEND legislation, the SEND Code of Practice and tribunal procedures
Has excellent written skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and legally robust documentation
Can manage complex, high‑risk cases calmly and professionally
Has strong communication and negotiation skills, including working with families and legal professionals
Can work autonomously while contributing positively to a wider team
Is confident working in multi‑agency environments and supporting practice improvement
Is committed to inclusive education and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND

Experience of attending SEND Tribunal hearings and working at a senior practitioner level within SEND is highly desirable.

For full details, please refer to the job description and person specification.

Informal enquiries are warmly welcomed – please email lisa.eyre@sheffield.gov.uk

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.