The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is Monday 16 March 2026.
Minutes:
Question from Councillor Patrick Canavan
Can the Leader confirm whether BCP Council will be making a formal response to the current consultation on the proposals from the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service?
Could she also confirm that this response will include highlighting concerns about the impact on frontline fire cover, the modelling used to justify the proposed reductions and the potential impact on areas of open heathland and on communities like Hamworthy? Will BCP Council also encourage the Fire Authority to consider alternative proposals that avoid station closures?
Response from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Millie Earl
Thank you for your question and for raising these concerns.
BCP Council has given a response to the current consultation on the proposals from the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. This has been drafted by officers from services including communities, emergency planning and environment to reflect operational matters relating to the proposed changes.
Supplementary Question from Councillor Patrick Canavan
Could I just request from the Leader that that is circulated please.
Question from Councillor Joe Salmon
As you will recall, Full Council originally considered a motion which set out a strong local role in supporting schools and developing a conurbation-wide approach to reducing the harms associated with smartphone use.
That original motion was subsequently amended by yourself and significantly narrowed before being passed without dissent.
Over a year has now passed since Council agreed the amended motion. However, there has been no visible progress reported to Members on:
• Correspondence to Government
• Engagement with schools
• Discussion at Headteachers’ Breakfast
• Input from the Youth Parliament
• Any movement towards a consistent local policy
In practical terms, the situation in our schools appears unchanged. Mobile phone use continues to be widespread and the harms we collectively recognised at the time of debate remain present.
Given this lack of progress, it is reasonable to ask whether the decision to water down the original motion reflected a reluctance or inability on the part of the administration to meaningfully engage with this issue.
I would therefore welcome a written update setting out:
• What concrete actions have been taken to implement the motion as passed
• What outcomes have resulted from those actions
• What engagement has taken place with schools and young people
• Whether any work is underway towards a consistent local approach and what the timescale of this work is
Full Council resolutions should translate into real-world action. Where they do not, it is important that Members and the public understand why they have been failed in this way.
I look forward to your response.
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, Councillor Richard Burton
Thank you for your question, Cllr Salmon
I prepared this answer for the adjourned council meeting. Since then, there have been some further developments, and I will add these to the end of my answer.
Time was allocated to the topic of smart phone use in the Head Teacher Briefing on 17th October. At this our Director of Public Health presented, as did a representative supporting smartphone free childhood. Slides were also shared with all Head Teachers in the weekly Education Bulletin following that briefing.
Furthermore, the leader of the council wrote to all Head Teachers in the autumn term regarding the review of their policies in line with their school or trust review timescales. The letter was carefully timed to be at the best time to make the biggest difference.
The DfE updated their guidance to schools on 19th February. This has been shared with schools so that they can ensure that their policies are in line with this guidance, which indicates that all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default.
Quoting from the document, it says that: “This publication provides guidance to individual schools and trusts on how to implement a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime.”
It also says “All schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default; anything other than this should be by exception only.”
Lisa Linscott, the Director of Education and Skills, and I are attending the BCP Youth Forum on the 15th of April 2026 to gain their feedback on this issue. This will be key to understanding any next steps to be taken. We will then take this back to our Head Teachers to agree those next steps.
In the meantime, ongoing national research evidence on this complex issue is continuing to be noted so that we can ensure that any action we take is commensurate with national evidence and guidance.
In your question you state that mobile phone use continues to be widespread within schools. I would like to know where you are getting that data from. I have visited many schools, of all sorts in that time. I haven’t once seen any evidence of mobile phone usage within schools. No head teacher has raised this as an issue with me.
I did amend the motion to make it achievable and for it to receive wide support. Remember that most of our schools are academies. We cannot, nor should not instruct them on their policies. We can advise and help but the decisions are theirs. Council resolutions must be attainable to translate into achievable real-world action. We let members of the public down if we promise outcomes that are not achievable or beyond our control. In this case we also risk our relationship with schools which is vital.
As I said, since I prepared this answer, I attended the Youth Forum and listened to their discussions. I would highlight that the members of the forum had a real understanding of the issues and I was really impressed with the quality of discussion. The discussions included considerations of safety, educational use, social impact, and policy consistency across schools.
There were lots of Concerns about smartphone misuse: Many expressed negative experiences with smartphones in schools, such as inappropriate recordings and misuse, They generally liked the idea of restrictions or bans especially for younger students but acknowledged the need for phones for safety reasons. They gave examples of educational and practical benefits: Like smartphones supporting accessing coursework, bus tickets, medication tracking, and school communication apps, which make them valuable tools despite potential distractions and misuse. They talked about Challenges with alternative solutions: They said that suggestions like using “brick phones” are hindered by modern app incompatibility and financial burdens, (having to own two phones) limiting their effectiveness for safety and health needs. They also discussed social implications and policy consistency: They said that smartphones help maintain friendships and support networks outside school, especially for those struggling socially, but inconsistent school policies cause confusion. They did say that clear, consistent conurbation-wide policies and engagement with parents and students would be helpful.
I have fuller notes about the discussions that I would be happy to share with you, if they would be of interest.
One more point that you might be interested in is that I also visited the general manager of Morebuss to discuss some ward issues but used the opportunity to discuss the app related discount. The discount was offered after previous discussions with Cllr Vikki Slade. At the time they were experiencing problems with the previous card-based payment system but could offer this discount easily using the app. Morebus are now reassessing this in light of the new legislation and are planning to fix and reintroduce the loadable card system that should enable them to offer school student discount by another way.
Supplementary Question from Councillor Joe Salmon
Can you send me that in writing by email, and if you do and I reply to you by email could you then subsequently consider replying to me again by email rather than me having to ask another councillor question to get a response, as this isn’t probably the most effective use of the councillor questions slot in full council.
Question from Councillor Simon Bull
The benefits of using AI could have a great impact on how the council operates. Care and consideration should be taken at each step as this fairly untested technology is adopted, there are challenges and concerns. Can some reassurance be given that known issues with using AI which include along with others; oversimplification, over generalization, the flattening of cultural perspectives, the potential for reinforcing bias, and systemic racism will be addressed as the use of AI is implemented within the council?
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Resources and Governance, Councillor Jeff Hanna
I would like to thank Cllr Bull for raising the issue.
At BCP Council, we are very clear that artificial intelligence must be used carefully, ethically and responsibly, and that it must support, not replace, human judgement, particularly where decisions affect residents.
For that reason, we are not adopting AI in an uncontrolled or experimental way. We have put in place a formal AI governance and risk management framework, which requires any type of proposed use of AI to be first assessed for desirability, viability and feasibility, including ethical, equality and bias considerations, before it can proceed.
In relation to the risks highlighted:
AI tools are not permitted to make automated decisions on behalf of the council. Human oversight is a core requirement, and professional judgement always remains accountable. AI is used to assist staff, not to replace decision?making.
All AI use cases must consider the risk of bias explicitly. This includes requirements for transparency, testing, and where appropriate the completion of Equality Impact Assessments before deployment. The governance framework is designed to identify and mitigate algorithmic bias and unintended harm, rather than assume technology is neutral.
· Flattening of cultural perspectives and loss of context
AI outputs must always be reviewed and contextualised by staff. In sensitive areas such as social care, housing or SEND, guidance makes clear that AI must align with principles of dignity, respect, choice and control, and must not undermine person?centred practice.
In addition, BCP Council has established clear rules on which AI tools can be used, with strong controls around data protection, security and transparency. At present, Microsoft Copilot is the only approved generative AI tool for council use, because it ensures council data remains secure and is not used to train external models.
We are also putting in place corporate oversight through an AI Governance Board, which provides strategic assurance, scrutiny and accountability over all AI activity across the council, including monitoring impact and responding to issues if they arise.
Finally, this is not a static position. AI technology is evolving quickly, and so is the council’s governance. Our approach is deliberately principles?based rather than tool?based, allowing us to adapt while maintaining clear ethical boundaries, transparency and public trust.
All of the above has been shared with and discussed by the Council’s Digital Working Group, which meets regularly, and which all members of the Council are welcome to attend. The next meeting of the group is on Wednesday of next week, and it will include presentations on the Council’s use of AI.
In responding, may I express appreciation to our IT staff, not least the Director, for the care and thoughtfulness they have applied to what is by no means a straightforward issue.
Supplementary Question from Councillor Simon Bull
While we are trialling AI will residents be given the option to opt out of having it used in their individual cases?
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Resources and Governance, Councillor Jeff Hanna
I am happy to answer the question as well as I can, but I am not aware that that has been built into the system, I am not sure that it would be straight forward to build that into the system given the types of AI use that are being introduced, and I am not quite sure of the need for that.
Question from Councillor Sara Armstrong
This week I learnt about the ongoing situation of another young resident in my ward who has been waiting several months for a secondary specialist school place.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice, local authorities have a legal duty to secure the provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and to ensure that every child receives a suitable education. Luke has been out of school now for almost 4 months and it's only been in the last week that alternative provision has been provided.
Can the PH explain what steps the council is taking to address the shortage of SEND school places, particularly for children with high SEND needs who are unable to attend mainstream settings or a satellite provision, what timely support is being provided to children who are currently out of school, and how the rights of these children and their families are being upheld when statutory duties are not being met?
Whilst I appreciate that a new SEND school will be opening at the Parkfield School site - what about those children who are still out of school and have been for several months and cannot wait till August 2027?
I'd also like a response regarding the ongoing absence of specialist holiday provision for children and young people with an EHCP who have specific needs that are not being met and are therefore missing out on the benefits and opportunities available to other children holiday provision can provide?
Many SEND children cannot attend group activities, noise is a huge trigger for them so the SEND local offer offers them no provision in the holidays as it cannot cater for their needs.
A more bespoke package is required, and several parents have asked me and the PH in the past about this. They have been told no package exists and that BCP cannot provide funding for this. There are free breakfast clubs and wraparound care in mainstream schools but why are the SEND children with more complex needs being forgotten about?
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, Councillor Richard Burton
Thank you, Councillor Armstrong, for raising this matter.
I want to begin by being clear that the council takes its statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice extremely seriously. We recognise the significant impact on children and families when suitable education is not in place, and we do not consider it acceptable for children to be without education for extended periods.
SEND sufficiency and specialist places
The core challenge we face is a longstanding national shortage of specialist SEND provision, particularly for children with high and complex needs. That context does not remove our responsibility locally, and addressing this is one of my key priorities as Portfolio Holder.
The council is actively building SEND sufficiency, including:
· Expanding specialist provision locally
· Increasing capacity within existing special schools and specialist units
· Developing new specialist school places, including the planned school at the Parkfield site
This work is being taken forward through our SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which has a clear focus on reducing the number of children waiting for places and minimising time out of education.
However, I fully recognise that new schools alone do not help children who are out of education now, and we are not asking families to simply wait until 2027.
Support for children currently out of school
Where a child cannot attend school, the council has a legal duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to secure suitable education.
Alongside our longer?term sufficiency work, we are strengthening our interim arrangements, including:
· More timely identification of children who are out of school
· Putting alternative or bespoke provision in place more quickly
· Reviewing provision where it is not meeting the child’s needs
We accept that this has not always happened as consistently or as quickly as families expect, and improving this is a priority area within our improvement programme.
Communication with families
I also want to acknowledge that communication with families who are waiting for placements must improve.
As Portfolio Holder, I have been clear that families should not feel left in uncertainty. Work is underway to:
· Improve the clarity and frequency of updates to families
· Ensure parents understand what support is in place while they are waiting
· Strengthen escalation routes where provision is delayed or not working
This is about being honest, transparent and supportive during what is often a very difficult time for families.
Holiday provision and short breaks
Turning to holiday provision, it is important to say that many children and young people with SEND do currently access holiday activities, including through our Holiday Activities and Food programme.
However, I fully recognise that group?based provision does not meet the needs of all children, particularly those with more complex or sensory needs.
That is why, as part of our SEND and AP Improvement Plan, we have a specific focus on the development of our Short Breaks offer. This work is intended to:
· Broaden the range of support available to families
· Improve access to more flexible and bespoke provision
· Ensure holiday and short?break support better reflects the diversity of SEND needs
This is about strengthening the system so that families are not left without suitable options.
Closing
In closing, I want to be clear that I do not underestimate the seriousness of the issues raised.
We know there are children and families experiencing unacceptable waits, and we are taking action to:
· Increase specialist capacity
· Improve interim education arrangements
· Strengthen communication with families
· Develop more inclusive and responsive short?break provision
This work is ongoing, and I will continue to provide oversight and challenge to ensure progress is made.
Supplementary Question from Councillor Sara Armstrong
Than you for that answer, I just want to draw attention as well to the number of families that are going through complaints processes at the moment, and are having to use the complaints process to advocate for the needs of their children, and that many families are just simply not in a position to afford to get legal advice, again to support them through that process. So my final point also is please can I have a written response in terms of what you have just said so that I can share that with the young person and their family.
Question from Councillor Simon Bull
Plant Based: Recommendations from the Environment and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the Plant-based and reduced meat and dairy diets: draft position statement and action plan were presented at Cabinet on 26th November 2025. A number of the recommendations included implementation dates in February this year. These actions include: Meetings on Council premises to provide at least one vegan option for all food and drink types, Re-tendered food contracts to include plant-based options, Promotional and retail guidance on plant-based diets developed and shared, and Publish online text to promote the benefits of plant-based diets. As it is now March, I ask what progress has been made on this?
Response from the Portfolio Holder for Destination, Leisure and Commercial Operations, Councillor Richard Herrett
Thanks, Cllr Bull, for your question
Our teams have been working in this area and as it is now May, we have even more to report.
To take you through the actions. Of the 11 items that came from the recommendation, the following are in response, I have not listed each item but tried to summarise the point in in the answer.
1- Formal catered meetings on council premises had been providing this option in most circumstances already, but definitively since February 2026.
2- The first occurrence is expected in the autumn, material has already been shared and will be shared again, we are not in control of the curriculum.
3- Commercial services are already meeting the 25% target across food outlets, I believe at 36% in general, there are some minor individual exceptions being worked through. Menus in the future will be labelled as plant based and meat free rather than Vegetarian or Vegan.
4- Procurement are writing plant-based options into future contracts.
5- including re-tendered contracts.
6- Promotional material has been written and shared.
7- A scoping exercise has been completed, would be happy to share.
8- A survey has been completed with 500 respondents which is around 10% of staff. Awaiting a decision.
9- 20 champions have signed up, inaugural meeting is next month.
10-Our web pages have been updated to promote the benefits of plant based diets, the link is in the notes, but I’m not reading it out.
https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/environment/protecting-the-environment/sustainability-and-carbon-reduction/how-you-can-help-tackle-climate-change
There is an annual review scheduled in August.