Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided a six-monthly progress report on Medway Commercial Group’s (MCG) performance for quarter 2 to quarter 3, 2020-21.

The report advised that to the end of Quarter 3 of the current financial year, MCG had posted an operating profit of £342,794, with the loss before tax inclusive of the Medway Council Management Fee being £94,761. The year-end forecast for 2020-2021 was for an operating profit of £629,864. Profit before tax, including management fees to Medway Council was forecast to be breakeven.

The report advised that Covid-19 restrictions had limited the expansion of telecare services beyond the existing customer base to safeguard elderly and frail clients. Trials of additional telecare technology had been initiated, with Adult Social Care, to assess the viability of new products, improve service reach and to inform cost efficiencies for long-term care support packages. The full results of the system trials would be included in the next six-monthly performance report to Cabinet.

The report also set out that the Recruitment Service had supported the Council in recruiting interim and temporary staff throughout the financial year, in support of council services. This had supported the Council to reduce the overall number of interim staff through the conversion of roles from temporary to permanent, or the termination of temporary contracts. During December 2020, the recruitment service had provided additional temporary staff to the Council and public health in support of the Covid-19 rapid testing centres

Reasons:

When Cabinet agreed to establish MCG it was agreed that regular monitoring reports would be provided to Cabinet.