The People and Health Overview Committee were scheduled to meet on 15 September 2025 to discuss the Empty Homes Strategy, the Dorset Domestic Abuse Strategy, and the Age Friendly Communities programme. The committee was also scheduled to review its work programme and the Cabinet Forward Plan.

Dorset Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025-2028

The committee was scheduled to consider the Dorset Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025-2028 and an associated Equality Impact Assessment. The strategy was presented by Ian Grant, Programme Coordinator for Community Safety, Adults and Housing. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 places a duty on local authorities to assess the need for support and prepare strategies for its provision to victims and their children who need to reside in relevant accommodation. The council must appoint a multi-agency Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board (LPB), assess the need for domestic abuse support in their area, prepare and publish a strategy for the provision of such support, give effect to the strategy, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy, and report back annually to central government. In Dorset, the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has adopted the role and functions of the LPB.

The strategy sets out the following priorities:

• Prevention: Stopping domestic abuse from happening altogether.
• Victims/survivors: Ensuring victims and survivors of domestic abuse have access to services that keep them safe and prevent further harm.
• Offenders: Holding offenders to account for their actions.
• Accessibility: Ensuring that the system and the services that operate within it are accessible to everyone who needs them.

The strategy included a review of progress made during 2021-2024, and identified that further work was required regarding researching best practice for housing options, particularly for those people who find it difficult to access shared refuge provision and for the perpetrators of domestic abuse.

The strategy included the following recommendations:

• Consider the local offer in the context of the predicted increase in demand over the next three years, ensuring it remains accessible and is able to continue to deliver good outcomes to the people who need them.
• Consider ways of improving accessibility in the system so it is available to everyone who needs it. For example, rural communities, younger people, older people, LGBT+, and men.
• Consider developing the local safe accommodation offer to ensure that the needs of everyone who needs it are met.
• Understand the drivers that reduce and stop reoffending, thereby cutting the number of repeat incidents of domestic abuse.
• Commissioners should continue to work together to design services / system and seek joint commissioning opportunities.
• Partners should balance the system between prevention, perpetrator offer and reactive services.
• Continue to create approaches that enable people experiencing / who have experienced domestic abuse, their families, and the community to shape provision and the local response.
• Continue to identify ways of supporting the voluntary and community sector.
• Recognise the links between stalking, sexual abuse and domestic abuse, using the evidence base to inform services.

Empty Homes Strategy

The committee was scheduled to consider the Empty Homes Strategy and an associated Equality Impact Assessment. The strategy was presented by Steven March, Service Manager for Housing Standards, and Councillor Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Housing.

The strategy outlines how Dorset Council will work towards getting as many empty homes back into use as possible. Long term empty homes are a wasted housing resource that blight communities. Removing barriers to get empty homes back into beneficial use as quickly as possible helps meet the high demand for housing, reduces pressure on new build development, improves communities and provides a future income and asset for the owner.

The strategy is informed by the council's Housing Strategy January 2024 to January 2029 and its delivery plan Home in on Housing.

The strategy sets clear targets, reporting requirements, oversight and an action plan which focusses on work to:

• Develop improved data management and intelligence about long term empty homes, enabling work to be better targeted
• Target 'hidden' empty homes and get ahead of the problem, without the need for a case to be reported
• Further develop proportionate enforcement options to tackle the worst cases
• Continue to raise the profile of long-term empty homes, how the council can help and assist residents to report cases affecting their community
• Work with stakeholders to maximise outcomes including colleagues in housing supply, Council Tax and Town and Parish Councils
• Help those bringing empty homes back into use, to do it in a way that helps to meet net zero targets.

The council will use all available options to bring long term empty homes back into use including advice, assistance, support and where appropriate, proportionate enforcement action.

The council will also develop a more proactive service, which will identify and tackle the 'hidden' long term empty homes.

The council will work to incentivise and promote empty properties being brought back into use to help meet housing demand and grow communities.

The council will improve outcomes bringing more long-term empty homes back into beneficial use.

The strategy defines a long-term empty home as a residential premises which has not been occupied for 2 years or more.

The strategy notes that homes are left long-term empty for wide variety of reasons, including:

• Financial constraints
• Inheritance and probate delays
• Care requirements
• Abandoned second homes and Sham second homes
• Investment strategies
• Delays in planning and development
• Lack of urgency or knowledge
• Lack of vision

The council offers repayment loans of up to £25,000 per unit of accommodation to bring empty properties back into use, from its ethical lender; Lendology.

The council has procured the services of a 'Finder and Genealogy' provider to trace the owners of abandoned homes and assist in finding the next of kin to unclaimed estates, that include long term empty homes.

Age Friendly Communities

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on progress made towards developing Age Friendly Communities across Dorset as part of the 'Communities for All' priority in the Council Plan 2024-29. The report was presented by Sam Poole, Corporate Director of Commissioning & Improvement, and Councillor Steve Robinson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

Dorset has one of the oldest demographics of any county in the UK, with 30% of residents aged over 65. The council is committed to ensuring Dorset remains a place where people can age well, live independently, and stay connected to their communities.

Becoming an Age Friendly County means creating inclusive, supportive environments where people of all ages, especially older adults, can live healthy, active, and connected lives. It involves adapting public spaces, transport, housing, and services to meet the needs of an ageing population, whilst promoting independence, wellbeing, and social participation.

The eight domains defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are:

1. Outdoor spaces and buildings.
2. Transportation.
3. Housing.
4. Social participation.
5. Respect and social inclusion.
6. Civic participation and employment.
7. Communication and information.
8. Community support and health services.

The committee was asked to consider endorsing Dorset's application for Age Friendly accreditation by the WHO, and endorsing the integration of Age-Friendly principles into whole council strategy and planning considerations including Adult Social Care locality practice, commissioning and strategic planning, and integrating age friendly principles into design of infrastructure, transport, housing, and public spaces.

Other Business

The committee was also scheduled to discuss its work programme, and review the Cabinet Forward Plan - September to December 2025.