Dorset compared with councils in South West
Compared with the 12 councils in South West.
- Residents
- 391,036 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,765 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Dorset sits
1
measures in the bottom quarter
4
measures below the middle
9
measures in the top half
Dorset compares worst with councils in South West on:
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (11th of 12; 1st is lowest)
It compares best on:
- fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents (1st of 12; 1st is lowest)
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (1st of 11; 1st is highest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (2nd of 12; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 78.2% | 34.1% | Top half 2nd of 11 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 9.2 | 4.5 | Bottom quarter 11th of 12 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 46.3 | 45.5 | Below the middle 8th of 12 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 11.1% | 14.9% | Below the middle 8th of 12 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 86.1% | 75.5% | Top half 2nd of 10 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 70.5% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 66.3% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 72.2% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 54.3% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 83.7% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 5.7% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 86.7% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 95.1% | 95.7% | Below the middle 9th of 12 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 3.6 | 10 | Top half 1st of 12 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 82 | 19.7 | Top half 2nd of 12 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 60.5% | 46.2% | Top half 1st of 11 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 1.1 | 2 | Top half 4th of 11 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 3.4% | 7.7% | Top half 4th of 11 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 66.3% | 56.2% | Top half 3rd of 11 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 37.9% | 38.5% | Below the middle 7th of 11 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Dorset | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 94.0% | 93.7% | Top half 5th of 12 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Dorset | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £263 | £280 | 8th of 12 | |
| Adult social care | £524 | £496 | 3rd of 12 | |
| Public health | £42 | £53 | 11th of 12 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £27 | £35 | 9th of 12 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £117 | £114 | 4th of 12 | |
| Highways and transport | £48 | £38 | 4th of 12 | |
| Culture and leisure | £39 | £35 | 4th of 12 | |
| Planning and development | £38 | £18 | 2nd of 12 | |
| Central services | £19 | £46 | 11th of 12 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,143 | £1,128 | 6th of 12 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Dorset’s children's services outstanding at its last full inspection, in March 2025.
- Outstanding
- 2 of the 12 councils in South West, including Dorset
- Good
- 6 of the 12 councils in South West
- Requires improvement
- 3 of the 12 councils in South West
- Inadequate
- 1 of the 12 councils in South West
Over time
Dorset against the median of councils in South West.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Dorset: 78.2%
- Median (councils in South West): 34.1%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Dorset: 9.2
- Median (councils in South West): 4.5
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Dorset: 60.5%
- Median (councils in South West): 46.2%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Dorset: 3.6
- Median (councils in South West): 10
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Dorset. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.