Adult social care services in Dorset, which are provided across the whole county by Tricuro, are in the future to be split between two providers.

Dorset Council is to end its current contract with Tricuro and is creating a new company, Care Dorset.

However, BCP Council is to remain with Tricuro.

Cllr Karen Rampton, portfolio holder for People and Homes, BCP Council, said: “We remain fully committed to continuing the good care services that Tricuro provide for the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. I would also like to thank the dedicated staff who continue to provide high standards of care to all of our residents.

“By collaborating with Tricuro, we have new opportunities to expand and develop services to provide the best care possible for our residents and local communities in line with the council’s plans to transform and modernise our services.

“I would like to offer assurance to both Tricuro staff across the BCP area and our residents who receive care that they will see no change, and care services will continue to be delivered as normal.”

Dorset Council is responsible for arranging the social care for around 4,000 residents at any one time, but not all care for those residents is provided by Tricuro.

The authority says it is working closely with the regulator and all stakeholders to ensure Care Dorset is set up correctly and meets the required standards.

The transfer of care service to the new company will happen later this year but will not be before October. Dorset Council residents will continue to receive the same level of care by Care Dorset and residents who currently receive care are being contacted directly about the changes.

Members of Tricuro staff who support Dorset Council residents will transfer to the new company without changes to their existing employment contracts.

The council is working closely with Tricuro and with Trade Unions regarding all employees, including care workers, to manage the transition to Care Dorset.

Dorset Council cabinet members believe social care services will be better provided by a new company which serves just the Dorset Council area, which is large, rural and whose residents have different needs.

Cllr Peter Wharf, portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “We are in the process of ensuring we can continue to provide high quality social care to our residents, while also achieving the best possible value for money.

“The needs of residents in the Dorset Council area are at the heart of the decisions being made. We want to be able to tailor our social care services to best meet those needs.

“Employees of Tricuro have our profound respect and thanks for working with some of the most vulnerable members of the community who need assistance to live a fulfilling life. We value these colleagues hugely and will continue to do so as they transfer.”

Tricuro was set up in 2015 as a provider for social care services under the former council structures, to cover the whole of Dorset. Since then, there have been significant changes including the creation of the two new unitary authorities – Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. These two councils are very different, geographically and demographically.

Dorset Council says it has decided to act, as spending on adult social care represents around half of all council expenditure, which will be £141m in the 2022/23 budget. In addition, demand for adult social care is growing year on year, and Dorset Council has the highest percentage of residents aged 85 and over of any county or unitary authority in the country.