We are currently setting next year’s budget. We have saved over £96 million since Dorset Council was created in 2019. This has been reinvested back into our frontline services, so no cuts are needed.
NHS Health checks just got easier This free check can tell you if you’re at higher risk of getting health problems like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or a stroke. If you are aged 40 to 74 and are eligible you will be invited by your GP or pharmacy within the next 5 years. If… Read more Targeted free NHS Health Checks
Between now and 2025, most telephone network providers will be moving their customers from traditional landlines to digital technology. Your telecoms provider should contact you before the switchover to discuss what you need to do. Digital landlines will not work if there is a power cut. If you have no other means of calling the… Read more The old telephone network is being switched off
If you receive a Winter Fuel Payment but can manage without it, you could donate it to support Dorset residents who need a little extra help. This is possible through Dorset Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter appeal. It provides grants of up to £200, making a significant impact for Dorset residents who could face the choice… Read more Give a warm Christmas
With Dorset Citizens Advice and Age UK, we provide support on a range of issues.
Our overriding aim remains to protect the essential frontline services on which you rely.
Do you want to make a difference to a young person’s life?
We regularly inspect our roads and pavements, but sometimes problems arise between inspections.
If you regularly support someone with everyday tasks due to their mental or physical health, disability or substance misuse, you can access discounts and other benefits from businesses when you register for a free Carers Card.
Our volunteer digital champions have been helping residents learn essential digital skills since 2013.
Make decisions based on information from us, the emergency services and government departments like the Environment Agency and Met Office. Get extra help if you are vulnerable. Sign up to Priority Services Registers via your water, gas and electricity providers. Stay well by keeping stocked up with prescription and over the counter medicines you use… Read more Be ready for emergency situations
We continue to focus on delivering and maintaining the best possible services for Dorset.
Getting active for 30 minutes a day boosts physical wellbeing and has mental health benefits: better sleep, more positive mood and reduced stress and anxiety.
Get composting Spring is a perfect time to think about making compost for our gardens, hanging baskets and window boxes. Composting is great for the environment. It improves soil – helping to create healthy plants and reducing the need to water and fertilise. It’s easy to make, can save money and you only need a… Read more Waste and reycling
Using a £20,000 Government grant, we are donating around 60 mobile devices and laptop computers, with up to two years’ worth of connection, to people who don’t have access to the internet. Get support Our volunteer digital champions are available to help people use their device. Some people cannot easily access everything they need online… Read more Opening the digital door
Can you help a loved one leave hospital? Helping a relative or friend with day-to-day tasks when they leave hospital could prevent further demands on health and social care services and free up a hospital bed. It can also help improve or speed up their recovery. If you could help a friend or relative when they leave… Read more Adult health and care
A great deal has happened since Dorset Council was created in 2019, including the global COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some key achievements so far.
Could you foster a child or young person? Fostering is rewarding and turns a child’s life around. We have great foster carers in Dorset but need more to look after our vulnerable children and young people. Foster carers come from many backgrounds with different life experiences and circumstances. There are different types of fostering, including emergency, short-term… Read more Children and young people
Dorset Council’s Budget for the financial year 2022-2023 has been carefully designed to prioritise the continued delivery of vital frontline services for residents.
Dorset is an attractive place and many people choose to retire here. 29% of our residents are aged over 65 (the national average is 19%). While many older people are fit and well, a growing number of vulnerable older people and disabled residents need social care. Over 50% of the council’s budget is spent on… Read more Cllr Spencer Flower – Welcome to the winter 2021 edition of Dorset Council News
There are over 58,000 Armed Forces veterans in Dorset, plus around 40,000 serving personnel and their families. Through the Armed Forces Covenant, we are working with them to ensure their needs are always considered and they are not disadvantaged due to their service. The Armed Forces could not carry out its vital role without… Read more Support for the Armed Forces Community and veterans
If you receive a Winter Fuel Payment but can manage without it, you could donate it to support Dorset residents who need extra help. We are supporting Dorset Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter appeal, which provides individual grants of up to £200 for people who face the choice between eating well and keeping homes warm. To… Read more Give the gift of a warm Christmas
Have you, and your family, made plans for the future? A Will, Lasting Power of Attorney and decisions about what you would like to happen should you need care and support, are important to have in place now, so you can plan your finances and make informed decisions. Unlike the NHS, social care isn’t free.… Read more Plan for your future. Could you be a Shared Live Carer?
We have joined the national Care Leaver Covenant, but it needs more organisations to sign up. Many care leavers face the challenges of pursuing their studies or finding employment often without the support of family and friends. Our aim is to get our wider community to provide more support through: education and training life, financial… Read more Can you help Dorset’s care leavers?
Residents of Red Oak Court, a supported living scheme, in Wareham have taken the big leap to live independently for the very first time. They moved into the temporary studio apartments, also called relocatable housing, last July. They have access to on-site care workers 24 hours a day, but live independently. The accommodation has been… Read more First anniversary of independent living
Before you go shopping, plan your meals and make a list so you buy only what you need. A quarter of a standard mug of uncooked rice or two generous handfuls of uncooked pasta per person are a good rule of thumb when estimating quantities required. Bread is best stored in its original packaging in… Read more Reduce your food waste, help combat climate change and save money!
Kayleigh, who has a four-year-old daughter, left her career in banking and is now fostering a 15-year-old girl. She said: “This is the happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve gained another family member for life.” Kayleigh joined our family of highly valued Foster Carers because she wanted to spend more time with her daughter and make… Read more Could you be a brilliant Foster Carer, like Kayleigh?
We have continued to deal with the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to Dorset. You can hear about our great opportunity to create a new school and centre of excellence, helping to improve lives and save money. The Climate and Ecological Strategy is now complete and going before Full Council in July for sign-off… Read more Cllr Spencer Flower – Welcome to the summer 2021 edition of Dorset Council News
BBQ and campfire ban in high fire risk areas Our Cabinet agreed to ban the use of disposable BBQs and the lighting of campfires on Dorset Council-owned land at high fire risk areas, like our country parks, woodlands and heaths. This action came about after the devastating Wareham Forest Fire which burned between May and… Read more Summer safety and Promise to love Dorset
Funding for housing support We have secured £1.6m from the Government’s Next Steps to Accommodation programme to help tackle homelessness in the county. The council has also agreed a further £4.78m over the next two years to purchase and refurbish properties to support homeless and rough sleeper households. This will ultimately reduce reliance on emergency… Read more Funding for housing support, living independently
