Learn from our inspection:
Over the past year, SEND Young Inspector Louise has visited GP surgeries across Buckinghamshire to explore how accessible primary care services feel for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Working alongside Buckinghamshire Council, GP practices and health partners, Louise identified common themes that can make a significant difference to the experience of young people accessing healthcare.
Importantly, this work is not about criticising services. Throughout the project we met committed professionals who were already working hard to support patients. Instead, the project seeks to answer a simple question:
If support already exists, how can we make it more visible, understandable and easier to access?
The findings have now been brought together into a set of practical resources designed to support GP surgeries, Primary Care Networks and healthcare professionals.
Resources
🩺 Reasonable Adjustments Menu
A visual resource containing examples of reasonable adjustments that may support patients with SEND to access healthcare more easily.
💡 Top Tips for GP Services
A printable one-page resource summarising the five key recommendations identified through the inspections. Print and display in your surgeries!
✅ SEND Inclusion Audit
A simple self-assessment tool designed to help GP surgeries reflect on their accessibility from the perspective of a young person with SEND.
🎥 Webinar Recording
Hear directly from Louise, our SEND Young Inspector, about what she found during the inspections and the practical changes that can make a difference.
Link to be added soon!
Impact so far
This work has already influenced real change within local GP services.
Following one inspection, a GP practice established a dedicated accessibility improvement group and began implementing changes including:
Improved signage and wayfinding
Quieter waiting areas
Changes to waiting room layouts
Website accessibility improvements
Development of a virtual tour of the surgery
This demonstrates the value of involving young people directly in shaping services.
Thank You!
A huge thank you to Louise for leading this work as a SEND Young Inspector, and to the GP surgeries, health professionals and partners who welcomed feedback and demonstrated a commitment to improving accessibility.
We hope these resources support more inclusive primary care services across Buckinghamshire, the Thames Valley and beyond.
For more information
If you’d like to find out more about Shout Out for SEND, email ShoutOutforSEND@Buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
Interested in becoming a Young Inspector?