Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies are noted above.

Members of Cabinet are asked to consider whether they have an interest in any of the matters of the Agenda and, if so, to formally declare that interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

Minutes from the meeting held on 12^th March 2026 are attached for approval.

It was agreed:

That the minutes of the meeting held on the 12^th March 2026 be approved as a correct and accurate record.

Matters arising from the previous meeting the chair requested an update. Ben Dunne Advised

Following the SEND Transition Event, a SEND transition session was held the next day to further explore issues raised by attendees. A follow-up meeting then took place with the wider team, including representatives from SENDIAS and the Head Educational Psychologist, to review feedback and consider opportunities for improvement. Discussions focused on how information and support can be more effectively communicated to schools, young people and their families during the transition process.

Members noted that signposting to available support had not been sufficiently clear, particularly for schools and the Parent Carer Forum. In response, work has been undertaken to strengthen communication pathways and improve awareness of available services. The Local Offer has also been updated to ensure information is more accessible and easier to navigate. These actions are intended to support the development of a more effective SEND transition event in future and to ensure that families are better informed about the support available to them.

A period of 30 minutes has been set aside for members of the public to ask questions on the agenda for tonight’s meeting.

No questions were received in advance of the meeting.

There were two members of the public in attendance at the meeting who each asked a question

Kiera Delaney referred to the recent Ofsted monitoring inspection and noted that improvement activity had been undertaken across all six priority areas. She highlighted continuing concerns regarding preparation for adulthood and asked what independent evidence officers had that Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) were leading to better outcomes in practice.

Kiera further asked what accountability and governance arrangements were in place to ensure that the findings of the inspection translated into improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and how the Council assured itself that EHCP provision was being delivered and adhered to.

Ben Dunne stated that the Council accepted the findings of the inspection and recognised that further improvement was required. He advised that progress had been made since 2024 and that the SEND Partnership Board and SEND Improvement Assurance Board were providing oversight of the improvement programme and monitoring delivery against key priorities.

Wendy Young highlighted that co-production remained an area for development. A draft Co-production Charter had been developed with input from the Parent Carer Forum, and further work was underway to strengthen engagement with parents and carers and ensure their views informed SEND improvement activity.

She added that social care contributions to EHCPs were monitored through statutory reviews and quality assurance processes. Provision within EHCPs was considered non-negotiable, and a range of mechanisms were in place to monitor delivery and take action where provision was not being secured.

The Chair thanked Kiera for her question.

Kiran Hampson asked whether the Committee would agree to allow additional time for public questions if time permits. She also asked how quarterly performance data, including the lived experiences of children and young people and their parents, would be published and whether the Council would commit to making this information available on its website.

The Chair clarified the Committee's procedure for public questions, advising that under the Committee's rules only one public question is permitted per person and supplementary questions are not usually allowed. However, where a question is submitted in advance then a supplementary question can be asked if this relates to the initial question will be accepted

In response, Ben Dunne advised that performance monitoring and governance arrangements are being overseen through the KPI and Governance Sub-Group, which is tracking progress against key measures. He explained that part of this work will include making relevant performance datasets publicly available. He also highlighted the role of specialist sub-groups, including the SEND Sufficiency Sub-Group, and noted that other priority areas within the Improvement and Impact Plan will be incorporated into the sub-group structure.

Councillor Walmsley emphasised the importance of transparency and expressed support for publishing performance information where appropriate. She assured members of the public that she would be available to discuss any concerns or questions and agreed to follow up directly with those in attendance. Councillor Walmsley also asked officers to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 108.

A period of up to 15 minutes will be allocated for questions and supplementary questions from members of the Council who are not members of the committee. This period may be varied at the discretion of the chair.

There were no member questions.

Each committee meeting is required to have a nominated Corporate Parenting Champion; they will receive training from Childrens Services and will be responsible for advocating for Corporate Parenting matters in each committee. Champions will be appointed by each Committee at their first meeting of the municipal year.

The Committee was advised that each committee is required to appoint a Corporate Parenting Champion at its first meeting of the municipal year. The Champion will receive training from Children's Services and act as an advocate and spokesperson for Corporate Parenting matters within the Committee.

Cllr Walmsley outlined the importance of the Corporate Parenting role and emphasised that the position represents a commitment to championing the needs and interests of looked after children and care experienced young people.

Cllr Farooq and Cllr FitzGerald both put their names forward for the position of Corporate Parenting Champion.

Report of the Cabinet member for Children and Young People is Attached

The Committee considered a report outlining the current national and local context for Children's Services, highlighting the significant reforms and challenges facing the sector. Members were reminded that the report had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

Councillor Walmsley introduced the item and invited Robert Arrowsmith and senior officers to provide an overview.

Officers advised that Children's Services are currently experiencing the most significant period of national reform in over 20 years. The reforms include major changes to SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), the Families First Partnership Programme, children's social care delivery models, children's residential care provision, and post-16 skills and youth services. These reforms sit alongside Bury's ongoing improvement journey and present both significant challenges and opportunities.

The Committee heard that SEND reform represents one of the largest national change programmes, designed to address shortcomings within the existing system. Alongside this, the Families First Partnership Programme will fundamentally change how children's social care services are delivered. Officers explained that, by April 2027, local authorities and statutory partners including health services, police and education providers will be required to implement new arrangements.

The Families First Partnership Programme brings together several strands of work. Under the new model, children and families will receive support through integrated Family Help Teams, with greater continuity of support from early help through to more specialist interventions. Services are expected to become more locality-based, moving away from historically centralised arrangements. Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams will bring together professionals from social care, health, police and education to work collaboratively with vulnerable children and families.

Members were advised that reforms to children's residential care will also have a significant impact. Greater regional collaboration is planned through Regional Care Cooperatives, with Greater Manchester operating as one of the national pathfinder areas. The intention is to improve sufficiency of placements, manage costs and deliver better outcomes for children in care.

Questions and Discussion

Councillor John Southworth asked for clarification regarding the Families First Partnership Programme.

Robert Arrowsmith explained that the programme is an umbrella for several related reforms. A key change is the removal of traditional distinctions between early help and children in need services, enabling children and families to receive support through a more integrated team approach. Family Help Teams will include a range of practitioners, including social workers and other qualified professionals, with services delivered more locally. Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams will include specialist professionals from health, police and education to ensure a coordinated response to safeguarding concerns.

Councillor Martin queried staffing levels, vacancies and savings targets, noting a lack of figures within the report.

Robert Arrowsmith advised that more than half of the Children's Services budget is spent on placements for children in care, particularly residential placements. The Regional Care Cooperative aims to help contain placement costs. The largest financial pressure continues to be the number of children requiring residential care. Officers reported recent progress in reducing numbers of children in care and noted that social worker caseloads had increased from approximately 16-17 cases per  ...  view the full minutes text for item 111.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People is attached.

The Committee received a report regarding the outcome of the Bury Local Area SEND Monitoring Inspection. Members were expected to have read the report in advance of the meeting.

Councillor Walmsley introduced the report, following which Wendy Young provided an overview of the findings and progress made since the inspection.

Wendy Young explained that the Local Area Partnership had worked closely with Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England colleagues through regular stocktake meetings and ongoing monitoring arrangements. The monitoring inspection took place in March and the inspection outcome letter was published on 29 June.

The report outlined the progress made against the Priority Action Plan and concluded that improvements had been achieved across a number of areas. However, it was acknowledged that, despite being subject to intervention since 2017, one priority area remained a concern. Work would therefore continue through the delivery of the Priority Action Plan to ensure sustained improvement and positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

It was also noted that the report had previously been considered by the Health Scrutiny Committee and that the monitoring inspection should not be seen as an endpoint, but rather as part of the ongoing improvement journey for the Bury Local Area Partnership.

Councillor Hunt noted the lack of specialist provision for young people aged 19 and over and sought assurance that this issue was being addressed.

In response, Wendy Young acknowledged the challenges associated with post-16 provision. She advised that work was underway to assess sufficiency across post-16 education and support services. A SEND Sufficiency Lead had been appointed and a SEND Sufficiency Plan was currently being developed. Engagement was taking place with key post-16 providers to better understand local needs and ensure that future provision met demand. The Sufficiency Plan would be brought forward for further consideration in due course.

Councillor FitzGerald highlighted the importance of ensuring that actions identified through both the Children's and Health Scrutiny Committees were appropriately monitored and progressed. It was confirmed that minutes and actions would be circulated and that arrangements were in place to ensure effective oversight across both scrutiny functions.

Councillor Boles sought clarification regarding transition data for children educated within alternative provision settings.

Wendy Young explained that concerns raised during the inspection had related primarily to pupils attending the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and children who had been permanently excluded. Historic data collection processes within the PRU had not been sufficiently consistent. However, partnership working with primary and secondary headteachers had been strengthened, and discussions had taken place through the relevant forums to ensure that the PRU could provide greater assurance regarding transition arrangements and performance information.

Councillor Boles also asked for an update on the tracking and completion of annual Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reviews.

Wendy Young advised that, while performance was not yet at the level required, significant improvements had been made through the full implementation of the Liquidlogic case management system. All children and young people were now recorded on the system, enabling  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

Reports from the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People attached

Members considered the report on the SEND Reform Plan and received a presentation from Ben Dunne.

Ben Dunne provided an overview of the SEND Reform Plan, outlining that the current SEND system is costly and requires significant reform. He advised that the changes proposed were complex and represented a substantial cultural shift across education, health and social care services. The plan had been developed within a five-week timescale and was centred on increasing inclusion and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND. He explained that the reforms sought to establish a more inclusive education system through a graduated approach to support, incorporating universal, targeted and specialist interventions. He also highlighted the proposed "Experts at Hand" model, which would provide greater support to schools through a team-around-the-school approach.

In response to questions from Councillor Southworth regarding communication with parents and carers, Ben Dunne acknowledged that improving communication remained a significant challenge and priority. He advised that engagement work had already commenced with children and young people through student councils and that four new engagement groups had recently been established. He stated that parents and carers would be central to the reforms and to the development of the "Experts at Hand" model.

Wendy Young added that improved communication across the partnership was recognised as essential and highlighted the importance of ensuring that underrepresented families were able to contribute to service development.

Councillor Sheppard asked what additional support from central government would assist the delivery of the reforms and requested information regarding the number of therapists and specialist professionals required to support implementation. Ben Dunne advised that further information would be provided following the meeting. Councillor Sheppard also sought clarification regarding the "Experts at Hand" model and whether sufficient capacity existed to deliver the service. Ben Dunne noted that final national guidance had only been published on 10 June and that further work was required locally to determine delivery arrangements.

Will Blandamer advised that NHS Greater Manchester was undertaking work to consider strategic opportunities around services such as speech and language therapy. He highlighted workforce development as a key challenge and identified workforce planning as a significant risk area for the future.

Councillor Sheppard further referred to the Exclusion Strategy and asked how the authority would respond where schools did not engage with the reforms

Ben Dunne advised that approximately 80 per cent of schools were now part of Multi Academy Trusts, creating both opportunities and challenges. He reported that strong relationships were being developed with trusts and that engagement had taken place with 13 of the 14 secondary schools in Bury. He stated that suspension and permanent exclusion rates remained too high and that robust analysis and conversations with schools were taking place to improve inclusion. He reported that schools had generally engaged positively with the reforms to date.

Robert Arrowsmith commented that SEND reforms shared many of the challenges facing wider children's social care reforms, particularly around increasing demand and workforce pressures. He noted that some of the strongest  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113.

Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chair agrees may be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.