Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Flower and Holloway.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd June 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd June 2025 were confirmed and signed.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct.  In making their decision 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.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

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.

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected] by 8.30 am on 25^th June 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 no public participation.

To note the minutes of the Audit & Governance Hearing Sub-committee (if any meetings have been held).

No meetings held.

To consider a recommendation by Jonathan Mair, Monitoring Officer, to consider the SWAP Investigation Report on the 7th July 2025 so that it can be taken as the Committee's single item of business at that meeting.

The not for publication SWAP Investigation Report will be emailed to members of the Committee in preparation for the proposed meeting on the 7^th July 2025.

The Committee agreed the recommendation to have a reconvened meeting to consider the SWAP Investigation report on the 7^th July 2025 so that it could be taken as the Committee’s single item of business at that meeting.

Decision: To have a reconvened meeting on the 7^th July 2025 so that the SWAP Investigation Report could be taken as the Committee’s single item of business.

To receive a report by Aidan Dunn, Executive Director Corporate Development.

The Corporate Director for Transformation, Customer and Culture went through the Councils financial challenges and in response launched Our Future Council, which was a bold, whole Council transformation programme designed to modernise how we work, improve customer experience and ensure long term financial sustainability by reducing duplication making better use of technology and digital solutions.  She covered the transformation plan which outlined how the Council manages Our Future Council Programme.

Mr Roach asked given our experience of the directorates falling short and criticalities of the program, what are you doing to manage the risks and are they getting stretched targets? For transformation for end customers, technology making part of transformation and technical solutions, how will the council deal with the challenges of a high elderly population of Dorset residents and how are you engaging with those end users?

The Executive Director Corporate Development informed that first of all risks were changing the way the organisation was organised and there was an ongoing restructure to seek economies of scale as part of our future council to bring together to a strategic centre. In terms of managing resources, he referenced pg 407, and the organisation was being viewed as one single council, as opposed to directorate-by-directorate basis. Decisions were being made about resources, the councils’ priorities, third element financial saving targets, efficiencies across the council, green boxes and directorate savings targets. A crucial element was how do we make sure we have sufficient resources to enable that we have enough resources, to enable all those directorates. The Council needed to operate more efficiently and to prioritised decisions from a council perspective rather than a directorate basis. Technology investment was about making the organisation more efficient and would not necessarily impact residents.

The Corporate Director transformation, customer and culture responded to Simon Roaches question about technology and elderly residents. She was very aware of the demographics and there was a customer strategy to ensure customers were supported, where they need that help, support design, user adoption and building safe spaces in libraries and offering a telephone service. There would also be streamlining using the best and most advanced technologies.

Noted. 

To receive a report by Marc Eyre, Service Manager for Assurance.

The Service Manager for Assurance introduced the report which looked back over the 2024-25 financial year. He would have ordinarily presented a draft document for comment and observations, but this was moved from agenda for the ongoing SWAP investigation which could impact significantly on the level of assurance provided. The wording in the annual governance statement was reviewed and updated within the context of those investigations and in terms of the SWAP Annual Audit Opinion. The action plan reflected the work being done to respond to the outcomes of the investigations. 

Noted. 

To receive a report by Sean Cremer, Corporate Director Finance and Commercial.

The Corporate Director Finance and Commercial introduced the report. He went through the main headlines. There had been a 6.7 million overspend at the end of 2024-25 financial year and an improvement from the Q3 paper of £4.1 million and a reduction to the amount of reserves that were required to balance the position. Within that net position a service overspend of just under £10 million and Our Future Council savings of £8.6 million and an underspend within central budgets of £11.9 million.  The Dedicated School Grant 2024-25 overspent by £37 million pounds and remained the single biggest risk to the organisation. Section 12 discussed the capital programme totalling £551 million of which spent £90 million for 2024-25 and significant reprofiling took place. Debt figures were stable and there was an increase in collection of historical debt.

Noted.

To receive a report by Aidan Dunn, Executive Director Corporate Development.

The Corporate Director Finance and Commercial introduced the report which formed the auditors risk assessment for 2025 statements. The report has been brought to the Committee for awareness of the risks identified by officers and to ensure that members of this Committee were cited on the clear communication between officers and auditors.

Noted.

To receive a report by Sean Cremer, Corporate Director Finance and Commercial.

The Corporate Director Finance and Commercial introduced the report. The report covered the questions received from Grant Thornton and the responses from Dorset Council officers and formed the risk assessment for the 2024/25 statements.

Noted. 

To receive a report by Julie Masci Director Audit for Grant Thornton. 

Julie Masci Audit Director from Grant Thornton and Sam Harding Audit Manager at Grant Thornton introduced the report for the 2024/25 Audit. She highlighted the key areas of focus throughout the Audit. She referenced pg 325 in which significant risk areas were set out and was similar to last year. Key significant risks related to land and building valuation and net defined benefit liability.

Noted.

To consider the work programme for the Committee.

No Comments.

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.

There were no urgent items.

There is no exempt business.

There was no exempt business.