Youth justice - strengthening local support for young people in Bury

Bury Council has welcomed new government plans to reform the youth justice system, while setting out its own vision for a stronger, more locally focused approach to supporting young people and preventing offending.

The national reforms place renewed emphasis on early intervention, supporting families, and tackling the root causes of youth crime. This includes expanding support for parents and carers and improving how services identify and help vulnerable young people before problems escalate.

In Bury, this approach is already well established. The council works closely with partners including Greater Manchester Police, health services and community organisations to support young people and keep communities safe through early intervention, targeted youth programmes, and coordinated multi-agency support.

As part of its commitment to strengthening youth justice locally, Bury Council is transitioning its Youth Justice Service from a shared partnership with Rochdale into a standalone, locally operated service. The new Bury-based service launches from 1 September 2026 with support for young people, families and victims continuing without interruption during the transition period.

This transition will provide greater local oversight and accountability, enabling services to be more closely tailored to the needs of Bury’s young people and communities. It will also strengthen engagement with local partners across policing, health and education. Through strong partnerships with Complex Safeguarding, Missing from Home, and Youth Services, the in-house Youth Justice Service will further enhance community safety by identifying emerging issues early and taking coordinated, place-based action to prevent harm, tackle risks, and continuously improve how support is delivered.

The change will also strengthen the council’s work with victims, ensuring their voices are heard and that they remain at the heart of the youth justice process. This will be achieved through meaningful engagement, tailored support, and restorative approaches that help repair harm and build safer communities.

The new service will combine a merged Prevention Team with specialist staff based within the Bury borough. Designed to be both sustainable and effective, the fully costed model will focus on delivering positive outcomes for young people.

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

“We welcome these national reforms, which rightly emphasise early intervention, strong partnership working, and the vital role families play in shaping young people’s futures.

“In Bury, we are already taking this approach further by establishing our own Youth Justice Service. Bringing this fully into Bury will allow us to better respond to local needs, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure young people receive the right support at the right time.

“We recognise that young people are still developing and have a significant capacity to change. With the right support, and by working closely with families, we can help prevent them from becoming drawn into long-term patterns of offending while keeping our communities safe.

“This work also reinforces the importance of supporting – and where necessary challenging – parents and carers to take responsibility. Clear expectations, alongside the right support, are key to helping young people make positive choices.”

The council’s approach includes one-to-one mentoring, targeted prevention programmes, and close collaboration across services to ensure support is tailored to each young person. The new national measures will further strengthen this work, particularly in improving coordination between services and increasing the support available to families.

Across Greater Manchester, police are also committed to strengthening dialogue with communities. Residents are encouraged to sign up for ‘Bee in the Loop’ to receive:

• Updates on local activity
• Crime prevention advice
• Ways to contact neighbourhood policing teams

Sign up at: https://www.beeintheloop.co.uk/#SignUp

For more information about Bury Youth Justice Service: https://www.bury.gov.uk/social-care-and-support/child-care-and-support/bury-youth-justice-service

More information about the Government’s plans to overhaul youth justice:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/news/youth-justice-overhaul-to-keep-streets-safer
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-modern-youth-justice-service-foundations-fit-for-the-future