Press release —
SEND services in Bury continue to improve – latest inspection
Services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bury continue to improve, with inspectors confirming effective action has been taken across all six priority areas.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) revisited Bury Local Area Partnership in March 2026 to assess progress since the full inspection in May 2024 and published their report on Monday 29 June 2026 – and builds on the results of the ‘stocktake’ assessment visit that showed improvements in 2025.
Inspectors found that the partnership, which includes the council, NHS, schools and wider services, has taken effective action in all six areas identified for priority improvement.
The findings recognise stronger partnership working, more effective governance and early signs that changes are improving how services work together across education, health, and care.
They also note that this progress is not yet experienced consistently by all children, young people and families, and that further work is needed to ensure improvements are felt on the ground.
Councillor Lucy Smith, Bury Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “This outcome shows the progress we have made together as a partnership, with clear evidence that we have taken effective action across all six areas identified for improvement.
“We have strengthened how we work together, improved oversight of our plans, and are beginning to see changes in how services respond to children and young people with SEND.
“Importantly, this feedback does not just come from us. Inspectors listened to children, young people, families and professionals, and their views have helped shape this assessment.
“We know there is more to do. While improvements are underway, they are not yet felt by everyone who needs them. Our focus now is on making sure those changes are experienced consistently by families across Bury.”
Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Cabinet Member, Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform, said: “This inspection recognises the significant work carried out across health services and with partners to strengthen support for children and young people with SEND.
“We have increased capacity in key services, including educational psychology and health visiting, and introduced new approaches to support children and families earlier.
“There are encouraging signs, such as reduced waiting times for initial speech and language assessments and stronger multi-agency working through locality teams.
“However, we are clear that challenges remain, particularly in waiting times for some specialist assessments, and we will continue working together to address these.”
Katherine Sheerin, Chief Commissioning Officer for NHS Greater Manchester said: “NHS Greater Manchester is pleased to hear of the positive outcome following the recent CQC & Ofsted visit to the Bury Local Area Partnership.
“The improvements to services and access for children, young people and their families were clearly recognised, with the achievements made through strong partnership working.
“We know that there is further work to do to ensure that the improvements are sustained and felt consistently by all families, children and young people in Bury, and we now have even stronger foundations to build from.”
The inspection highlights progress across all six priority areas. These include:
- Stronger leadership and governance, with independent oversight and regular monitoring through the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board, alongside increased involvement of partners including the parent carer forum.
- Earlier identification of needs, supported by expanded educational psychology services, improved health visiting, and better use of screening tools to identify emerging needs sooner.
- Improved support while waiting, including new health-led services, family programmes and the development of a neurodiversity hub offering both individual and group support.
- Better preparation for adulthood, with earlier transition planning, stronger focus in education, health and care plans, and improved careers guidance and pathways for young people.
- More coordinated transitions between services, including improved information sharing between education phases and clearer pathways into adult services.
- Improved quality of education, health and care plans, with better templates, stronger quality assurance processes and clearer inclusion of children and young people’s voices.
The report also highlights specific examples of progress, including reduced waiting times for initial speech and language assessments, increased access to early help and support through family hubs, and improved communication and responsiveness in EHC plan processes.
At the same time, inspectors identified areas where further work is needed. These include long waits for some neurodevelopmental assessments, inconsistencies in how services are experienced by families, and the need to strengthen communication so that parents and carers better understand the support available.
The Bury Local Area Partnership will continue to deliver the priority action plan, alongside meeting the requirements of SEND reform, to continue building on progress, with a focus on ensuring improvements lead to consistently better experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Through its leadership role across Greater Manchester, the Bury partnership is also contributing to the development of national SEND reforms, drawing on the experiences of children, young people, and families locally to help inform future policy.
The full inspection letter/report can be viewed here: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1...
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