THE first ‘in person’ Dorset Council meeting to be organised since last Monday’s ‘freedom day’ has been cancelled.

An email was sent out to those likely to attend the Corporate Parenting Board at 5pm in County Hall on Thursday, July 22, to say that it had been cancelled “due to a number of people no longer able to attend".

The board only has a membership of seven councillors, with three enough to constitute a legal meeting, although the event is usually well attended by up to a dozen officers, press, young person’s representatives and foster carers.

Dorset Council was asked whether the reasons for not attending included being alerted by the NHS app, or track and trace, but was unable to give the reasons why people had said they could not be there.

Business due to have been conducted included annual reports about fostering and from the independent reviewing officer as well as a current ‘scene set’ from executive director of children’s services, Theresa Leavy.

It is anticipated that the meeting will be re-arranged although a date has not yet been set.

Dorset has stopped holding many of its meeting online since July 19th, unlike Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which is now meeting in person, but also continuing to stream their meetings for the public to watch.