DORSET’S care sector could suffer a double blow in the coming months – from coronavirus and the effects of EU exit.

Many of the county’s care businesses are reported to be struggling to survive as a result of the pandemic with some now being closely monitored and supported by Dorset Council.

The number of people going into local residential care homes has dropped significantly since the pandemic started, Dorset councillors were told at a meeting on Monday.

It is now feared that as EU exit approaches, in January, more care staff will decide to return to their own countries adding to the sector’s annual staff turnover of around 30 per cent.

Fears have also been expressed for the county’s tourism and hospitality trade and agriculture because of EU exit, both traditional areas of low-pay and seasonal work.

Councillors on the audit and governance committee also heard that some higher paid jobs in Dorset were at risk, primarily from the effects of the pandemic, with aviation companies shedding workers and the engineering companies which supply those businesses having to follow suit.

Executive director for place, John Sellgren, said that although the council was  monitoring the changes in the local workforce it was too early to predict what the long term effects of EU exit might be, although he said the pandemic had given an illustration of what happens when markets slow and people travel less.

He said that it could be that residents, finding themselves out of work, might consider the care sector for future employment and that the trend for UK holidays would continue to give a boost to the tourism sector.

He said that the delay in EU exit had allowed both Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council more time to prepare and, between them, had funded an advisor post to work with the county-wide chamber of commerce and industry.

Mr Sellgren said more than 50 risk areas from EU exit had been identified pan-Dorset, 34 classed as moderate risk, none as high risk, with plans being developed for each area to mitigate any potential problems.

He said the caring services remained one of the key areas of concern with its heavy reliance on EU citizens to fill posts, but there was also concerns for local agriculture, the food supply chain, medicines and the availability of chemicals for water treatment, although he said the South West was predicted to be one of the areas least affected by EU exit.

“Particularly in care we do have a larger number of people from the EU…I trust that many will have registered through the settlement scheme and will remain but clearly that’s a situation we can’t necessarily know all of the consequences of at this stage and we will be monitoring very closely indeed,” said Mr Sellgren.

He said another scenario was for pay increases within the sector to attract more staff which, in turn, would have an impact on local council budgets.

Current council planning is also looking at preparing for big incidents happening at the same time – pandemic, winter flu, severe weather and a break in key supply chains.

Dorchester mayor Cllr Richard Biggs said the area was already suffering some problems because of a reduction in imports  – in timber, plaster and plasterboard in the building trade because of shortages from European suppliers. He said the same situation, after exit, might also lead to shortages in spare parts, for example for boilers which were often built elsewhere in Europe.