Invisible Impact

Kevin looks after the bridges, walls and hidden bits that keep the county moving. In this episode he explains the day job in plain English: working with engineers, shaping schemes early to save money, and letting crews take ownership so the work shines.

Belief beats qualifications. Fran, Dorset Council’s Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning lead, talks about building a team from scratch, why apprenticeships unlock confidence for people who didn’t fit the exam mould, and how “where there’s a will, there’s a way” became her mantra.

Jack shares his journey into arboriculture, from his apprenticeship with Dorset Council’s ranger team to life as a senior arborist. He talks about the variety of the role, the trust within his team, and why safety and preservation come before cutting trees down.A conversation about nature, teamwork, and the invisible impact of keeping Dorset’s landscapes safe and thriving 🌳

In this spooky edition of the #WorkForDorset Podcast, our recruitment team ask fellow employees some tough questions - from navigating personality clashes to battling imposter syndrome. Will they avoid a workplace nightmare and confront their career monsters head-on, or shy away from the truth? 👻👀

We have had a little break with podcasts but we are back! As work starts to begin on this years festival of the future we thought it would be great to gather some people who helped shaped the Festival last year to talk about their experiences. With guests: Lisa Trickey – Dorset Council: Digital lead Claire Collett - Dorset Council: Tecnology Enabled Care James Thomas - Jet engineering Matt Prosser - Dorset council CEO Lucy Castle  - Shaftsbury School student --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message

We are kicking off Season 2 of the podcast with a really interesting and fun conversation about remote learning and the effect of lockdown on the future of education. Join our host Sam McLaren as he talks about the lessons learnt in the last year and how it has affected education and the children themselves. With guests - Alex May (Service Designer) and his daughter Neve - Sarah Dackham (Business Partner) and her son Tom - Mark Blackman (Corporate director for education and learning) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message

The massive changes of the past few months can't be undone. Toast can't go back to being bread and Dorset can't return to what it was before the pandemic. This podcast discusses some of this change - such as how communities have used digital to come together to support us. Join our guest host Aidan Dunn to talk about how Dorset has changed with guests David Larkins,Jon Sloper,Neil Lawrence, and Sam McLaren. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message

Rian talks about life as Dorset Council’s social media manager, from keeping tabs on what works to building trust online. He shares how creativity, instinct and genuine connection keep the council’s stories real and relevant.A look at the person steering the feed, the thinking that shapes it, and why it matters📱

Kim shares her journey from studying animation to becoming a digital apprentice at Dorset Council. With warmth, honesty and humour, she talks about adapting to public sector life, the power of process mapping, and how design thinking and good software help her make a real difference.A story of curiosity, creativity and finding joy in the unexpected ☕📊

Nick reflects on his journey from Royal Navy sailor to Dorset’s Armed Forces Coordinator, sharing how community, courage and a lifetime of service continue to shape his work today.A story of purpose, belonging, and supporting those who’ve served. 🎖️

Dawn shares how her personal journey fuels her work in child protection, why kindness and fairness matter, and how listening can change lives. A powerful story of authenticity, impact, and inclusive leadership.🌈

Sam and special guests dive into stories about first days at work, from bacon rolls and dungeons to playing "Two Truths and a Lie" and the misadventures of falling down the stairs. Don't miss this entertaining and insightful second episode of our podcast, where we turn those awkward first-day moments into valuable lessons and laughs!

Join us for the debut episode of 'What can we learn' as we dive into the hilarious and enlightening world of Interviews! Sam, Mia, and special guest Kath Saunders dissect tales of AI gone wild, distracting dogs, cringe-worthy handshakes, the surprises of big interview panels, and the art of strategic water breaks. Don't miss this insightful and entertaining kickoff to our podcast journey, where we turn interview fiascos into valuable lessons!

We had no idea how Dorset would change when we recorded this podcast.  Digital skills have become more important than ever. We looked forward a decade and guessed how digital might change, without knowing how much it would develop in weeks. What can we learn from this pre-lockdown conversation to help us step back from the current situation and direct activity from this new, COVID-19 starting point?  Our guests were linked by a passion for digital skills: Louise Stokes helps the nation improve its digital skills through the national organisation Digital Leaders, Richard Burn supports Dorset businesses develop their digital skills through the Dorset Growth Hub and Alan Frame helps Dorset pupils and teachers improve their digital skills with Dorset Council.   Let us know what you think to how we thought then and what we must do now. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message

In our first volume we discuss the future of Dorset with help from pupils from The Prince of Wales School who came up with some imaginative and challenging ideas to kick off our conversation. Host Penny Syddall (communications lead for Superfast Dorset) talks to businessman Gordon Fong from Kimcell which is based at the Dorset Innovation Park at Winfrith. Martin Sutcliffe, who works with Dorset Council’s Fisheries Local Action Group Animateur and we’re also joined by Dr Deborah Smart, Dorset Council’s corporate director for Digital and Change who has recently arrived in Dorset. If you would like to send a message or question, please use the voice message facility on Anchor or email us at digital@dorset.gov.uk. We’d love to feature you in the next volume so let us know if you have some thoughts or innovation you’d like to share with the network. Thank you for listening. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message

Christian reflects on his journey in children’s services, from frontline social work to leadership. He shares how personal experience, openness and empathy shape his approach, and why building trust with families and teams matters.A conversation about leadership, vulnerability, and the power of listening in making a lasting impact

At Dorset Council every policy, project and service starts with people, often working quietly behind the scenes to make things happen.Invisible Impact shines a light on those people, sharing the voices of our colleagues whose work helps shape the places we live and support our communities.In each episode, we chat with people making a difference - what they do, why they care, and how they got here.Their work may not always be visible, but the impact is anything but.

The Festival of the Future is now less than 2 months away! To answer all your questions and get you up to speed we have had a conversation all about the event with the organisers, let us know what you think! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/digital-dorset/message