SEND Engagement & Complaints Officer

About this job

We are looking for an organised, compassionate and solutions-focused Engagement and Complaints Officer to join our Statutory SEND Service. This is an important role at the heart of our work with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, their families, education settings and partner agencies. You will lead on the coordination of complaints, enquiries and feedback, ensuring that responses are timely, accurate, evidence-based and written in a clear and respectful way. You will also support meaningful engagement with children, young people, parents, carers and stakeholders so that their experiences help shape service improvement.

About you

You will be an excellent communicator with strong analytical, written and organisational skills. You will be confident working with complex and sensitive information, balancing empathy with the need to provide clear, evidence-based responses and maintain the council’s position where appropriate. You will be able to build constructive relationships with families, colleagues and partners, manage competing deadlines and remain calm in challenging situations. Experience of complaints handling, customer engagement, casework, education, children’s services or SEND would be particularly valuable.

About us

Barking & Dagenham is changing. It Starts Here.

Think you know Barking and Dagenham? Think again. While this small corner of east London might have a reputation for needing development, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find active communities and a place that consistently punches above its weight. The borough is changing – and changing for the better. And It Starts Here.

Yes, the borough has its challenges. But it’s on the cusp of something exciting. With one of the youngest populations in the country, ambitions are high and rightly so. 98% of our schools are rated Good or Outstanding and every year more of our talented teenagers get into Russell Group Universities and hotly sought after apprenticeship schemes.

We have award winning parks, centuries old manor houses full of relics and artifacts you can go and see, and the ruins of one of Anglo-Saxon England's most powerful and wealthiest religious sites. We’re even bringing beavers and white storks to the borough to help rewild the local landscape and boost biodiversity.

Over the past few years, we’ve been working hard to improve how we deliver services and support our community. From tackling inequality to making sure our services are the best they can be, we’re focused on what matters most to local people.

We’re creating the conditions for people to thrive - so everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, feel proud to call this place home, and be part of something bigger.

#ItStartsHere - with our streets, our schools, our neighbourhoods. And with your application to join our determined team who are passionate about doing what’s best for the future of Barking and Dagenham.

As an Investors in People Gold Award employer, we’re serious about supporting our staff. From flexible working, professional training and career development to wellbeing initiatives, we want our people to feel valued and supported in everything they do.

Additional Information

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any adjustments or support at any stage, please contact the Hiring Manager to discuss your needs.