Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Cllr Ireland declared an interest in Item 11 - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system replacement programme. He would leave the meeting for the consideration of the item.

Cllrs Clifford, Bartlett, and Sutton declared they had an interest in the Dorset Innovation Park as they had been appointed to the Shareholder Committee and had not yet updated their register of interests.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on Thursday 24 July 2025.

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  

There was one question from a member of the public.  A copy of the full question and the response is set out in Appendix 1 of these minutes.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  8.30am on Thursday 24 July 2025. 

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13 

There were no questions submitted by councillors.

To consider the draft Cabinet Forward Plan.

The draft Cabinet Forward Plan for September to December 2025 was received and noted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

(a)              That, the current performance and the importance of the Recovery & Community Resilience contracts in the operation of the local urgent and emergency care system, be noted

(b)              That the use of the direct award process C under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR23), be approved, to award five contracts to the existing providers in order to continue the existing Recovery and Community Resilience (RCR) service; and

(c)               That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Adults & Housing, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, to make all necessary arrangements to give effect to the direct award to the existing providers.

Reason for the decision

Dorset Council was the Lead Commissioner, on behalf of the Dorset Integrated Care System, for the Recovery and Community Resilience (RCR) contracts, which were funded in the main from NHS Contributions via the Better Care Fund.  This was a critical service to avoid bed blocking with knock-on effects for the Integrated Care Board and the Council. There was an essential requirement to have established contract provision in place.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care introduced the report. The FutureCare Programme was being used to reduce the length of stay in hospitals and to review how these services operate However, the contracts were due to expire with no further options for extension. It was critical, that the services are maintained whilst the longer-term plans are finalised. This paper requested permission for a direct award of a further contract to existing providers, pending the outcome of longer-term transformation planning.

The Cabinet Member apologised for the item being added late to the Forward Plan and thanked the Chair and Vice-Chair of the People and Health Scrutiny Committee.

A member questioned why there was no other option than to award a direct contract. The Cabinet Member explained that changes through the FutureCare programme were still being finalised and at the current time it was the best option financially and operationally. There would be a full tender for the contract when the outcomes of the FutureCare programme were known.

It was proposed by Cllr S Robinson and seconded by Cllr N Ireland.

Decision:

(a)  That, the current performance and the importance of the Recovery & Community Resilience contracts in the operation of the local urgent and emergency care system, be noted

(b)  That the use of the direct award process C under The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR23), be approved, to award five contracts to the existing providers in order to continue the existing Recovery and Community Resilience (RCR) service; and

(c)  That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Adults & Housing, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, to make all necessary arrangements to give effect to the direct award to the existing providers.

Reason for the decision:

Dorset Council was the Lead Commissioner, on behalf of the Dorset Integrated Care System, for the Recovery and Community Resilience (RCR) contracts, which were funded in the main from NHS Contributions via the Better Care Fund.  This was a critical service to avoid bed blocking with knock-on effects for the Integrated Care Board and the Council. There was an essential requirement to have established contract provision in place.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

The following item of business were considered by the Chair as urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The item was considered to be urgent to enable the works to take place over the Summer.

SEND Capital Programme

(a)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance & Capital Strategy and the S151 Officer to enter into a contract for the project set out in the exempt Appendix B of the report to Cabinet 29 July 2025.

(b)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Executive Director People – Children’s to enter construction contracts at the appropriate time provided the project forms part of the SEND Capital Programme and the project cost is contained within the overall programme budget.

Reason for the decision

To ensure no further delays were incurred for the project set out in exempt Appendix B and to ensure the appropriate delegation was in place for future projects which form part of the SEND Capital programme.

The following items of business were considered by the Chairman as urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The item was considered to be urgent to enable the works to take place over the summer.

SEND Capital Programme

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills. The item enabled work to take place over the summer holidays at the Dorchester Learning Centre. The numbers of places the work would support was outlined. The Cabinet Member explained the reason why the item had not been added to the Forward Plan and thanked the Chairman of the People and Health Scrutiny Committee for allowing the urgent item.

In response to how the Cabinet Member would ensure transparency and accountability with the decision, the Cabinet Member explained this decision was about giving delegated authority for the project and that the decision and project was in the open domain.

In response to a member’s question about the item being urgent, the Corporate Director for Education and Learning took full responsibility for the item being urgent, explaining that officers thought the project was covered by a previous delegation given to them by Cabinet in 2022, and it was realised too late to add the item to the Forward Plan or as a regular item on the agenda.

In response to a question about what would happen if the project was delayed, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills advised that the work would need to wait until the next summer holiday period and there would be inflationary costs.

There was general support from members for the project to take place and to address capacity issues with placements. Members thanked the Corporate Director for Education and Learning for taking responsibility for the late report.

It was proposed by Cllr C Sutton and seconded by Cllr S Clifford.

Decision:

(a)  That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance & Capital Strategy and the S151 Officer to enter into a contract for the project set out in the exempt Appendix B of the report to Cabinet 29 July 2025.

(b)  That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Executive Director People – Children’s to enter construction contracts at the appropriate time provided the project forms part of the SEND Capital Programme and the project cost is contained within the overall programme budget.

Reason for the decision:

To ensure no further delays were incurred for the project set out in exempt Appendix B and to ensure the appropriate delegation was in place for future projects which form part of the SEND Capital programme.

To consider passing the following recommendation:  

Recommendation  

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in item(s) No 10 & 11 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.  

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered. (Any live streaming will end at this juncture).  

Reason for taking the item in private

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  

It was proposed by Cllr S Clifford and seconded by Cllr B Wilson.

Decision:

That the press and the public be excluded for the following items in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Reason for taking the item in private:

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  

The live streaming was concluded at this juncture.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Property & Assets and Economic.

That the recommendations as set out in the exempt report of 29 July 2025, be approved.

Reason for the decision

(a)    To manage the disposal of sites surplus to requirements as identified as priority disposals by the Council.

(b)    To generate capital receipts and save holding costs.

The Cabinet Member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth introduced the report and outlined the proposals.

Non-Cabinet and Cabinet members discussed the report and asked questions of the Cabinet Member and officers.

Proposed by Cllr R Biggs and seconded by Cllr S Robinson.

Decision:

That the recommendations as set out in the exempt report of 29 July 2025, be approved.

Reason for the decision:

(a)  To manage the disposal of sites surplus to requirements as identified as priority disposals by the Council.

(b)  To generate capital receipts and save holding costs.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Development and Transformation.

That the recommendations, as set out in the report of 29 July 2025, be approved.

Reason for the decision

To support to provision of a new ERP solution to transform our ways of working, as an integral part of the “Our Future Council” transformation programme.

Cllr N Ireland left the meeting for the consideration of this item. The Vice-Chair, Cllr R Biggs, chaired the remainder of the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Development introduced the exempt report, highlighted the key areas and outlined the recommendations.

Non-Cabinet and Cabinet members asked questions of the Cabinet Member and officers.

It was proposed by Cllr B Wilson and seconded by Cllr S Clifford.

Decision:

That the recommendations, as set out in the report of 29 July 2025, be approved.

Reason for the decision:

To support to provision of a new ERP solution to transform our ways of working, as an integral part of the “Our Future Council” transformation programme.