Decision details

Purpose of Report: This Business Plan has been prepared to seek approval from the City of York Council (CYC) Cabinet for the Community Equipment Loan and Telecare Service (CELTAS) to ‘spin-out’ and become an independent social enterprise, in the form of a Community Interest Company (Company Limited by Guarantee). It covers: •Our vision; •An analysis of the market place we will operate within; •An explanation of the range of services we will offer; •A description of our legal form and our governance arrangements; •An overview of the infrastructure needed to underpin our business; •Our financial forecasts demonstrating the viability of our business; and •An implementation plan outlining how we will establish the new organisation. Our business plan sets out our ambition to build on the established track record of our staff and their outstanding skills and expertise to deliver high quality, professionally delivered Community Equipment Loan and Telecare Services and represents the navigation document for our formation and early period of operation. Members will be asked to approve the Integrated Business Plan for the Community Equipment Loan and Telecare Service (CELTAS) to 'spin-out’ of City of York Council (CYC) and become an independent social enterprise.

The item was slipped to the March Cabinet to allow more time to consult with customers and continue dialogue with staff. The report will now be taken to Cabinet in April as more time is required to continue the consultation with customers and complete further sensitivity analysis in the business plan.

This report will now be considered by Cabinet at its meeting in May to allow the current consultation with customers of the service to be both fully analysed and then reflected in the body of the cabinet report”

This report will include the business plan for the proposed social enterprise as an annex which may be considered in private as it contains Exempt Information as described in Paragraph 3of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) in that the information relates to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED:  i)   That Cabinet agree to the establishment of the Council’s  first social enterprise and to:

ii)  Create a mutual, Social Enterprise organisation to provide the Warden Call/CELS service in shadow form to facilitate smooth transition.

iii)  Form a Community Interest Company,(in the form of a Company Limited by Guarantee) for the reasons described in sections 4 and 5 of the report.

iv)  Provide a further report on progress in December 2013 to seek confirmation of a 1 April 2014 start date for the new organisation

REASON:           To create a viable social enterprise opportunity that will provide services to a wider customer base whilst providing value for money to the council.