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March 2020 March 2020

from central Government. Instead, the Government expects us to raise the
funding we need through council tax.
This is why 2% of the increase in council tax is what is known as a ‘social care
precept’ – in other words, central Government is encouraging councils to
increase council tax specifically in order to fund the growing cost of social care.
Councillors will vote on this proposal at the Full Council meeting on 18 February.

Town and Parish Councils

We are holding workshops with Councils as part of the dialogue between Dorset
Council (DC) and Town & Parish Councils (T&PCs), to discuss how we can build a
new relationship and work together in future for mutual benefit and, more
importantly, for the benefit of Dorset communities. Below is some feedback
 The approach by DC to work with T&PCs to build a new working
relationship was widely welcomed.
 T&PCs wanted greater details of how a new relationship with DC and
T&PCs would work in practice.
 Most agreed that DC and T&PCs have a shared objective of providing
community leadership to meet the needs of local people as well a shared
appetite to work together better to achieve this jointly.

 A strong theme was that Dorset Council needs to work hard to build trust
with T&PCs by:
 Listening to town & parish councils

 Involving them in decision-making at the earliest opportunity
 Acting on their feedback wherever possible, and where it isn’t possible
explaining why
 Improving two-way communications.

 DC perceived by some as ‘monolithic’ and ‘remote’.
 DC needs to develop open and improved communications with T&PCs. For
example, DC need to involve T&PCs as early as possible in any potential
changes or cuts to services so they can prepare properly. Officers need to
explain their decisions and processes better to local councils.
 There's a question over resources. DC and T&PCs all face significant
pressures on budgets and resources. Sometimes DC does things which can
inadvertently put additional pressure on town and parish councils. DC
needs to explain better the constraints on its resources to T&PCs.

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