Senior Tribunal Officer

Milton-Keynes-Council; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Family friendly policies

Health cash plan

Bike purchase scheme

Discounts for entertainment and travel

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is recruiting a Senior Tribunal Officer to join the SEND service. The role leads tribunal and mediation processes, supporting robust and timely EHC plan decisions while managing associated risk and costs.

The post requires a Level 5 qualification with strong SEND law knowledge, and experience in education or legal services. It involves line management, collaboration with schools and health professionals, and ensuring deadlines are met.

Qualifications

• Level 5 qualification or above in a relevant area.
• Strong knowledge of SEND law and practice.
• Experience in education, SEND, legal services or related field.
• Ability to produce clear, evidence-based written statements and reports.
• Understanding of EHC plan assessment and review process.
• Confident in working with families and professionals with discretion and professionalism.
• Negotiation and problem-solving skills to resolve disputes.

Responsibilities

• Lead on managing appeals relating to EHC plan decisions, meeting deadlines.
• Collaborate with colleagues, schools, health professionals and partners.
• Represent the Local Authority at SEND Tribunal hearings.
• Provide guidance on legislation and best practice.
• Oversee tribunal team including line management and day-to-day supervision.
• Contribute to reducing risks to finances and reputation.

Skills

Negotiation

Problem solving

Collaboration

Communication with families

Education

Level 5 qualification

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Closing Date:

13/09/2026

Job Category:

Children's Services

Service Area:

Children's Services- Special Education Needs & Disabilities

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32days after five years.In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can access low‑cost leasing of electric and low‑emission vehicles.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Roles are either ‘site based’ or ‘home based’.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

Job Introduction

We’re recruiting a Senior Tribunal Officer to join our SEND service at Milton Keynes City Council, where your work will help shape outcomes for children, young people and their families. The central Admin team are responsible for all the legal processes that sit behind EHC plans, and this dedicated role plays a vital part in ensuring those processes are robust, timely and effective.

The role of the Lead Tribunal Officer oversees the team around tribunal and mediation processes, as well as ombudsmans, upper tier tribunal and judicial reviews, ensuring that the Council is represented with professionalism and expertise. The role minimises risk to Milton Keynes City Council in terms of financial costs in fines but also through incorrect placement, and unwarranted provision within section F of EHC plans, helping protect both public resources and the quality of provision for children and young people. The work ensures that evidence is robust, improving our position within hearings and reducing barristers costs, while strengthening confidence in our decision making.

They provide oversight of all appeals ensuring deadlines are kept to, supporting colleagues across services and maintaining a clear, coordinated approach. This reduces pressure across wider teams, enables a single point of contact for families and mitigates against financial and reputational risks to the Local Authority.

Working as part of a collaborative and supportive organisation, you’ll help us deliver better outcomes while living our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative in everything we do.

Site-Based role

This is a Site-Based role, and you’ll be expected to work from the designated workplace.

Interviews for this role will be held on 2 October 2026

At Milton Keynes City Council, we aim to make a difference every day. We’re dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We act as one council, and we work hard to create cleaner, safer and healthier communities while tackling inequalities and supporting people to thrive.

• Lead on managing appeals relating to Education, Health and Care Plan decisions, ensuring all statutory deadlines are met and responses are clear and evidence based.
• Work collaboratively to build strong relationships with colleagues, schools, health professionals and partners so everyone understands their role in the appeals process.
• Represent the Local Authority at Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal hearings, presenting evidence and providing expert advice.
• Ensure effective decision making at mediation by assessing risks and recommending practical outcomes, particularly in complex cases.
• Provide clear guidance on Special Educational Needs and Disability legislation, supporting colleagues to understand legal requirements and best practice.
• Take responsibility for overseeing and supporting the tribunal team, including line management and day‑to‑day supervision.

Ideal Candidate

• You bring a Level 5 qualification or above in a relevant area, along with strong knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disability law and practice.
• Your experience in education, SEND, legal services or a related field enables you to manage complex casework with confidence.
• Experience in producing clear, evidence-based written work supports your ability to prepare high‑quality case statements and reports.
• A strong understanding of the Education, Health and Care Plan assessment and review process allows you to navigate statutory requirements effectively.
• Confidence when working with families and professionals helps you handle sensitive situations with care, respect and professionalism.
• Proven skills in negotiation and problem solving enable you to resolve disputes in a constructive and balanced way.
• An approach that demonstrates collaboration ensures you work positively with colleagues and partners to achieve shared outcomes.

Full UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle

To be successful in this role, you’ll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle. If we offer you the role, we’ll ask you to provide evidence of your driving licence and vehicle insurance, including cover for business use. We’re unable to confirm an appointment until these documents are received.

As part of the pre‑employment checks, should you be offered the role, we’ll carry out an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, (unless you are currently registered with the DBS Update Service).

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round‑the‑clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council, see attached.