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Bradford Council

Creating an Accessible WordPress Platform to Support Families and Young People with SEND

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Background

The Local Offer is Bradford Council’s statutory platform for sharing information, guidance, and services available to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families, and professionals. As a vital resource mandated under the SEND Code of Practice, it must be clear, comprehensive, accessible, and easy to update.

Bradford Council recognised that its previous Local Offer website was no longer fit for purpose. Outdated design, poor accessibility, and complex navigation made it difficult for users to find relevant support. The Council partnered with 6B to deliver a fully bespoke WordPress website — built to meet statutory compliance, provide an improved user experience, and give internal teams the tools to manage content effectively.

The Need

The previous platform presented several challenges. Information was fragmented across multiple pages, search functionality was limited, and accessibility did not meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Families, young people, and professionals found it difficult to locate services, understand eligibility, or navigate the process for SEND support.

Internally, the CMS lacked flexibility, and content changes required developer input — limiting the Council’s ability to keep information accurate and up to date.

Bradford Council needed:

  • A fully accessible, mobile-friendly WordPress platform compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA
  • A modular CMS tailored for non-technical teams
  • Clear information architecture and improved on-site search
  • A design system suitable for both children, young people, and adult carers
  • Integration readiness for third-party tools and feedback mechanisms
  • Structured content migration with a focus on clarity and readability

The Solution

6B delivered a custom WordPress website for Bradford Council’s Local Offer, designed around accessibility, clarity, and self-service. A full discovery phase informed a restructured information architecture, simplifying how users access services, education pathways, health information, and parental support.

The CMS was configured with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and custom post types to model service listings, FAQs, guidance articles, and events. The editorial interface was tailored for ease of use — allowing content editors to add, update, and review pages quickly and independently.

The site was designed and tested to meet full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, with focus on readability, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and inclusive content design. Visual elements were developed in line with Bradford Council’s brand, while also ensuring accessibility for users with cognitive or visual impairments.

A custom filtering and search system was implemented to help users find relevant services by age, need, location, and category — making it easier for parents and carers to find targeted support.

The site also includes feedback tools and clearly signposted routes for input from children, families, and professionals — ensuring that the platform continues to evolve in response to lived experience.

The Impact

The new Local Offer website has dramatically improved the digital experience for families and young people in Bradford. Information is now easier to find, more accessible, and presented in a way that supports both independent browsing and guided support.

Council staff now manage content in-house, reducing publishing time and improving accuracy across service listings. Feedback from users has highlighted the improved clarity and navigation, particularly around education, health, and care pathways.

By investing in a user-centred, compliant WordPress platform, Bradford Council has met its statutory obligations while delivering a more inclusive, helpful, and future-ready digital resource for families navigating SEND support.

 

“Over the course of our time working with 6B they have continued to grow in both size and professional maturity. This is a testament to their ability to listen, learn and adapt quickly – a key skill when trying to run WordPress projects.”

– Nigel Hammon, Local Offer Lead, Bradford Council