Children and young people in Bolton with special educational needs are "assessed in a timely and effective way" with education officers demonstrating "a genuine determination" to meet their needs, with inspectors have found.

But inspectors did find during a recent inspection of SEND ­— special educational needs and disabilities - services in Bolton that waiting lists remain too long for those children and young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ASD.

Inspectors reported: "Children and young people typically benefit from well-developed services in Bolton.

"When children and young people are identified to be at risk of harm, social workers respond in a well-timed manner to reduce risk. .

"There is an appropriate safety net around those children and young people with SEND who are missing education or electively home educated.

"Most pupils who have been excluded from school are supported well to secure a new school placement quickly."

A joint inspection was carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in June.

Key partners across the NHS, schools, education providers, early years and the Bolton Parent Carer Forum also contributed to the inspection process.

The report finds that SEND service providers in Bolton are “passionately ambitious” for children and “inspire a culture of care and creativity”.

Inspectors highlighted several areas where the SEND partnership in Bolton is performing well.

These include the involvement of children and families in care planning, strong collaboration between partners, and effective work to prepare young people for adulthood.

Inspectors stated: "Many children and young people with SEND receive the right help at the right time.

"Health, education and social care professionals work well together and ensure that they know children and young people well. This means that schools are ready for children as soon as they arrive."

The report noted that although children wait too long for an ASD or ADHD assessment in Bolton there is a wide offer of support while waiting, adding that "improving support for

children with neurodiversity is a priority for the local area".

However the report added: "Exclusions from schools and the number of young people not in education, employment or training in Bolton remain too high. This is specifically the case for those young people who receive SEN support. Some children and young people with SEND do not attend school often enough. Leaders are aware of these concerns and are taking action, but the full impact of these actions is yet to be seen."

The Ofsted report stated that "children and young people are typically well prepared for their next steps".

Areas identified for improvement include reducing waiting times, the need for more support to those children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties, as well as improving the timeliness of assessments and planning.

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Cllr Martin Donaghy, said:“What comes through clearly in this report is the dedication and genuine care that SEND providers show towards children and young people in Bolton.

“But that passion is also combined with practical and effective measures that make a real difference to our service users, helping them live independent and fulfilling lives.

“I want to firstly thank everyone for their continued hard work, and secondly to restate our commitment to maintaining and improving standards in this area.”

Fiona Noden, Chief Executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Place Based Lead for Bolton said: “We’re so proud of the outcome of the inspection and believe that it truly does justice to the work of countless professionals across Bolton supporting our children and young people with additional needs.

“Whilst this is the announcement of an inspection, this outcome isn’t the result of this inspection – it’s because every day people who care are doing the right things for these children and their families, and will continue to do so.”

NHS Greater Manchester’s Chief Executive, Mark Fisher, said: “Partnership working is the bedrock of how we deliver health and care services across Greater Manchester.

“This report for Bolton is testament to how working together across different agencies can really drive forward improvements that make a meaningful impact on the lives of our young people and making sure every child in Bolton has the opportunity to thrive.”