Dorset Council
Challenge
Dorset Council’s traded and education services are well-established, supporting local schools significantly. Like many authorities, these services have evolved incrementally, affected by academisation and the pandemic.
To address this, the Council implemented a Locality and Inclusion Strategy to reduce exclusions, out-of-county care, and improve children’s outcomes. A review of Children’s traded commercial activity was commissioned to create a commercial strategy and framework that aligned with the locality ethos while ensuring commercial viability.
Approach
The team collaborated with internal Council stakeholders to:
* Develop a Children’s Traded Services Commercial Strategy.
* Conduct a market review to identify trends and assess local strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
* Analyse the current financial position, culture, and trading processes.
* Engage externally to understand customer perception and align with locality policy.
* Appraise three future commercial framework options.
We produced ten recommendations for Dorset to implement, regardless of the chosen commercial model. The review identified a market strategy, analyzed three commercial framework options, and recommended two aligning with the Council’s long-term inclusivity and locality goals, detailing the risks, investment needs, and required culture changes.
Impact
Following the review, Dorset adopted the findings and began implementing quick-win recommendations, improving their readiness for the new financial year. The market engagement strategy was accepted, and one recommended commercial framework is being implemented, offering significant revenue potential while aligning with inclusion and locality policies.
