Bury's SEND participation initiative wins regional award

Bury Council and Bury Youth Service have been recognised with a prestigious North West ADCS Impact Award for helping young people with SEND shape and improve services across the borough through the Bury Changemakers initiative.

Bury was one of nine local authorities recognised in the Practice Change category, with a further 15 awards presented across the Partnerships, Innovation, and Workforce and System Leadership categories.

The Department for Education-supported award recognises the positive impact the initiative has had on improving practice and ensuring the voices of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) help shape services across the borough.

Bury Changemakers is a group of young people aged 11 to 25 with lived experience of SEND who work alongside professionals, schools, health services and senior leaders to improve services for children and young people across Bury. Supported by Bury Youth Service, the initiative forms a key part of Bury Council's commitment to strengthening the voice of children and young people within SEND services.

The initiative was established to move beyond consultation and create meaningful opportunities for children and young people to influence decisions, challenge practice, and help shape improvements across local services.

Over the past year, Changemakers have contributed to SEND reform discussions and strategic planning, attended and influenced the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board, designed and delivered SEND awareness training for school staff, worked with school leaders on inclusion and reasonable adjustments, helped redesign the Short Breaks Duty Statement, and co-produced an Autism and ADHD pathway video with NHS partners.

The initiative has helped improve SEND information and accessibility, strengthened inclusion in schools, embedded youth voice in decision-making and created wider opportunities for participation through Change Champions and school partnerships. Its impact was also recognised during Bury's Area SEND Inspection.

One young person involved in the initiative, said:

"Young people's voices deserve to be heard. We are the future, and decisions about us shouldn't be made without us."

Councillor Sandra Walmsley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:

"We are delighted that Bury Council and Bury Youth Service have received this award in recognition of the Bury Changemakers initiative.

"This achievement reflects the power of genuine co-production. By creating opportunities for young people with SEND to share their experiences, challenge our thinking and help shape services, we have been able to make meaningful improvements that better meet the needs of children and families.

“I would like to thank the young people involved, along with the staff and partner organisations who have supported this work. Their commitment has helped create lasting improvements in services and stronger opportunities for children and young people with SEND to influence the decisions that affect their lives."

The North West ADCS is a partnership of 24 local authorities that share expertise, provide constructive challenge and remain focused on improving the lives of children, young people and families. The awards showcase the commitment and innovation that exists across the region, highlighting teams and initiatives that are delivering meaningful change.

The recognition comes during a period of significant progress for SEND services in Bury. Earlier this year, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) confirmed that effective action had been taken across all six priority areas identified following their 2024 inspection. The inspectors' June 2026 report highlighted continued improvement across the local area partnership, reflecting the impact of collaborative working and a strong commitment to ensuring children, young people and families help shape the services they receive.