Dorset Council investigation finds ‘significant weaknesses’

Dorset Council has said it takes correcting “significant weaknesses” found in its governance and procurement processes “extremely seriously”.

The authority said it had drawn the problems to the attention of its auditor Grant Thornton itself.

The auditor said while the investigation into what happened is still incomplete, it has enough information to know the issues were serious.

The authority’s councillors who sit on its audit and governance committee will be presented with a report at County Hall in Dorchester on 24 February.

It is expected the final report outlining the problems will be presented within the next few months.

A statement from the council said: “As the auditor’s report makes clear, it was Dorset Council that drew the attention of the auditor to the weaknesses. Dorset Council acknowledges these findings and is taking immediate action. Upon discovering potential non-compliance with contract procedure rules and the scheme of delegation, South West Audit Partnership (SWAP) was commissioned to conduct a thorough and independent investigation. The findings and recommendations from this investigation will be presented to councillors at a future Audit and Governance meeting, expected in the next few months.

“We take this matter extremely seriously, which is why we have commissioned this comprehensive investigation. Our commitment to transparency ensures that the investigation’s findings will be made publicly available. Councillors will thoroughly review the recommendations and take the necessary steps to address the identified issues, ensuring good governance and accountability.”