There has been a keen interest expressed in continuing similar events across the coming academic year. To this end, parent/carer organisations have been contacted to find out the best way to do this. If you would like to see further events and have not had the opportunity to have your say, please email send.localoffer@bury.gov.uk with your thoughts and ideas. We are particularly interested to know what time of day would be best, and whether face-to-face or virtual events are best for you along with any other issues you would like to raise. 

 

It was clear from the feedback that some people felt they previously had not known enough about the Local Offer; continuing the events will hopefully contribute toward keeping awareness raised and communication clear. There were also some people reporting feeling unsure whether their contributions will be reflected in the revised Local Offer; in the same way, further opportunities to evaluate and establish a continuous cycle of improvement will be helpful to ensure that it is a true reflection of everyone’s contributions. Everyone who responded felt that they had been given enough time to share their views and reported that they had felt listened to at the events. 

 

We are looking forward to meeting with you across the next academic year to ensure that our revised Local Offer is a comprehensive and useful source of information for all of Bury’s partners. 

 

 

The Graduated Approach Toolkit was launched at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. Although revisions to some sections are still underway, the section for parents and carers is complete. 

 

The parent and carer section opens with an explanation of SEND and the Graduated Approach. It provides an overview of the four types of SEN outlined in the Code of Practice, and how each need presents at different stages through a child’s education. This section also includes guidance for parents and carers about how to use the Toolkit along with a list of five things to consider for parents and carers who have a concern and are not sure what to do. The link to the parent and carer section is here: Graduated Approach Toolkit – Resources for Parents and Carers | The Bury Directory 

 

This section includes five further categories: 

·        Information to support understanding of SEND and SEND Systems 

·        Advice to help prepare for meetings 

·        Information about Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) 

·        Information about annual reviews of EHCPs and 

·        Links to local and national organisations who can support the parents and carers of children and young people with SEND.  

 

In the 2023-24 academic year, a continuing professional development programme is planned for school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) to support the embedding of the Toolkit in everyday practice. This will help SENCOs to use the information and guidance to support the inclusion of children and young people with additional or special educational needs. It will be important for schools moving forward to be able to evidence how the approaches outlined in the Toolkit have been used to access top up funding. 

 

For further information, please contact Cath Atherden, Service Lead (SEN Support) c.atherden@bury.gov.uk 

 

The myHappymind programme that has been delivered in over 25 schools and nurseries across Bury has been picked as a finalist for two of the Innovate Healthcare Award categories. 

The emotional and wellbeing programme helps children understand how their brains work, learn to celebrate their unique strengths and set meaningful goals. The programme is a result of joint commissioning from NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care and Bury Council. 

Before using myHappymind, 75% of staff reported that less than half of the children had a method to self-regulate when they faced a stressful or worrying situation. But after implementing the programme, 100% of staff reported that the module has helped the children understand their own brain. A teacher from one primary school said: 

“I cannot speak highly enough of this programme. The content is based firmly in science but is delivered in a fun and engaging way for all learners within the classroom.” 

“myHappymind has succeeded in embedding children's knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing by revisiting areas of learning we have already introduced in school in an exciting way. For example, children more readily discuss and talk about the brain's function and regulation in everyday conversations about behaviour and feelings.” 

The programme has been picked for the Innovation Spread Award and the Innovation Helping Address Health Inequalities Award. Further joint funding has been secured to extend the programme for another year and expand to more schools. 

For more information about the awards, visit: https://www.innovatehealthcareawards.co.uk/finalists-2023 

For more information about the myHappymind programme, visit: https://myhappymind.org/programmes/ 

Department and Child Development Centre, at Fairfield General Hospital this month. 

With colourful yet subdued lighting and planets projected in serene orbit along a wall, the space is at once calming and distracting, a peaceful place away from the busy waiting room for children with sensory processing difficulties. 

Officially opening the tranquil space, Debi Walker, Director at First Point Family Support Services and parent to a 21-year-old who has benefited from Fairfield General Hospital’s Nursing and Paediatric teams for the past 20 years – said: “This amazing new sensory room provides a therapeutic space for children attending appointments here.” 

“It’s a wonderful environment that gives children more control and choice over sensory changes and encourages that personalised sensory input which helps the children be calm and focus on themselves so that they can be better prepared for interacting with others and engaging in their appointment.” 

The sensory room was made possible by a charity donation from the Post Graduate Medical Education Fund, created as a result of a large donation from the late Dr Syed Haider’s. The first consultant paediatrician in Bury, Dr Haider established a 29-bed paediatric inpatient and outpatient unit, along with a 17-cot neonatal unit and a children’s medical emergency department between 1973 and 1997. 

Although Bury’s Acute Children’s Services closed in 2012 and currently provides Outpatient Paediatrics Department services only, the unit’s sister Susannah Turner said: “Dr Haider was an extremely dedicated paediatrician – many of today’s doctors and nursing staff were trained by him.” 

Debi adds: “Dr Haider was a pillar of our community – a well-respected man and a long-serving paediatrician. May his legacy continue – it will make a tremendous difference to children today and we thank him for this.”               

Closing the speeches, the clinical lead for community paediatrics, Dr Merijam Kikic said, “This is a great achievement for our department and has already made a positive change for our children waiting to be seen in Paediatric Outpatients Department at Fairfield General Hospital. Thank you again to a very generous donation from Dr Haider’s charity fund”. 

The sensory room has unofficially been in use since 2022, making a positive difference to many children now attending the department. 

A huge thank you to the many service users who completed online surveys to give their extremely valued feedback about their experiences with the Vision & Hearing Impairment/Deaf Education Service.  We are very proud of the celebratory comments that many of you have shared, and we look forward to working on the highlighted areas of improvement from September 2023.

A copy of the survey report can be provided upon request.  

At the end of the summer term, 4 of our younger children graduated from our pre-school group.  We wished them well as they left us to prepare for school, where they start their exciting new chapters in September.  If you’d like to know more about our Tuesday (term time only) pre-school sessions for your child, who you think might have a vision/hearing impairment, please get in touch.

In the meantime, we wish all our students, families, settings, and colleagues a safe and happy summer!

 

We want to provide you with the best service possible. To help us do this please ensure you inform the team of any changes such as a change in the equipment needed for transport, updated height and weight, new wheelchair etc. If you are moving home address or there is a change in the school your child is attending please ensure a new application form is submitted for assessment. Applications can be downloaded from the website; School and college travel assistance - Bury Council 

The team can be contacted by telephone on 0161 253 6968 or email schoolandcollegetransport@bury.gov.uk 

 Bury Mental Health Support Team (MHST) for education started mobilising in October 2022, we work in partnership with Early Break to deliver the MHST offer with Pennine Care being the lead provider.

MHSTs have three core functions:

·       to deliver evidence-based interventions for emerging, mild-to-moderate mental health issues (typically worry, anxiety or low mood) with no significant risk which would benefit from brief, low intensity interventions for Children and Young people who do not meet criteria for specialist support

·        support the senior mental health lead in each school or college to introduce or develop whole school or college approach and;

·        give timely advice to school and college staff and liaise with external specialist service to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.

 

The team’s focus is on early intervention, prevention, and promotion; for children and young people who are thriving, coping or would benefit from getting help. It is great that we are able to further the support that is available in these areas and hopefully reducing the need for specialist support in the future. 

We have a phased approach to delivery and are live in all 19 of our phase 1 schools, this consists of 9 Secondary Schools and 10 Primary Schools. Once fully operational we will cover 32 schools and colleges in Bury. Please see below for a list of the schools/colleges we cover, if we are able to support further education settings in the future, we will again make contact with schools in the bury area and request expressions of interest.

We are a school led referral service, if you have concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing please speak with your child’s teacher or the school designated mental health lead to discuss support available in your school and to consider whether a referral to the MHST or other service would be appropriate. 

 Bury Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Phase 1 Secondary Schools
Elton High School
Hazelwood High School
Parrenthorn High School
Philips High School
St Gabriel’s RC High School
The Derby
The Heys
Tottington High School
Unsworth Academy

Phase 1 Primary Schools
Cams Lane Primary School
Chesham Primary School
Park View Primary School
St John’s with St Mark’s CE Primary School
St John’s CE primary
St Joseph and St Bede’s RC Primary School
St Stephen’s CE primary School
Unsworth Primary School
Woodbank Primary School
Summerseat Methodist Primary School 

Phase 2 – NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING REFERRALS
(Will go live in line with recruitment)
Chantlers Primary School (MHST worker is embedding)
Christ Church CE Primary School Walshaw
Emmanuel Holcombe Primary School
Holy Mount RC Primary
Higher Lane Primary School
Hazelhurst Community Primary School
Hollins Grundy Primary School
St Joseph’s RC Primary School (MHST worker is embedding)
St Mary’s CE Primary School Prestwich
Elms Bank Special School
Spring Lane School
Bury College
Holy Cross College        

 

 

On 1^st September 2023, a new SEND Support Service page will be launched on the Local Offer providing further information and contact details. The Service will continue to head up the revision of the Local Offer in co-production with all Bury’s partners and will also oversee the continuing development of the Graduated Approach Toolkit. 

Click on the link for the SEND Support Service page:  SEND Support Service | The Bury Directory

 

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Bury’s parents, carers, children, young people and services.

 

For further information contact Cath Atherden: c.atherden@bury.gov.uk