On paper, Dorset Council has balanced its budget for 2024-25 through a 5% rise on Council Tax, fees and charges, and using up to £8m of its reserves if it can’t find further savings.
But it has already spent £40m of reserves in its first five years, financing unplanned overspends, and this is the first time it has actually ‘planned’ to use reserves to avoid service cuts. The Council Tax rise will hit many residents really hard but, with various councils across the country going bust, Dorset Council has little choice unless central government policy changes. Funding to local authorities has been slashed by half since 2010, with Dorset remaining almost bottom of the pile, and Adult Social Care in particular, which already accounts for over 40% of Dorset Council’s expenditure, is chronically underfunded.
Local Care Home Manager Claudia Webb writes: “This is an extremely pressing issue which successive governments have failed to address. In 2022, the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee stated that adult social care is largely “invisible”: something that happens behind closed doors, that is about “them” rather than “us”. This was very apparent during the pandemic, with tragic consequences, and results in services that are underfunded, a workforce that is undervalued and underpaid, and a system that is only really seen in terms of the impact it has on the NHS.
“At the same time, a recent survey of unpaid family carers found that over 90% feel ignored by government. I work with people who are directly affected by this.
“It’s very clear we need to develop a more compassionate vision. If you have specific concerns for yourself or a loved one, please contact me and I will try to help.”