Auditors have questioned whether Dorset has been getting good value for money from grants it gives for the education of some children in its care.

It says that of a sample of 18 cases investigate only three had made significant progress; eight had made some progress with the remaining seven making no, or little, progress.

The education funding packages, from Pupil Premium Plus, are designed to improve the chances of vulnerable children in education. Statistics show that young people in care are often poor performers compared to their peers, reducing their life opportunities when they become adults.

Said the audit report to Dorset Council : “Often there are no outcomes and impact assessments provided by suppliers or if there are, these are of poor quality. As a result, it is not always possible to evidence an assessment of the value of the intervention, either financially or on the progress of the young person.”

It says that in 2018-19 almost £938,000 was spent via the Pupil Premium Plus grants to support looked after children in the rural county, which was then in the control of the former Dorset County Council.

A summary of the auditor’s findings says that since the audit was concluded in December 2019 the new council has been working hard to implement the 18 recommendations it made to help achieve improvements.

“Excellent progress appears to be being made although more time is needed to demonstrate that new processes are fully embedded and working as intended,” said the report.