CARE Dorset – the arms-length Dorset Council care organisation, is unlikely to report a profit this year.

The organisation’s revenue budget is almost £900,000 adrift, most of it attributed to delays in completing and setting up the St Martin’s extra care housing scheme in Gillingham. The facility will provide 55 extra care housing places taking its first resident in mid-October.

With accounts for the year still being finalised and more than £800,000 owing the business managing director, Mr Chris Best, says it is just possible that Care Dorset might still break even or show a small profit.

Staff for the Gillingham development have been recruited and trained, some starting in August, with none of them being able to move into the building until this week.

Dorset councillors were told that it will be at least two weeks before the first residents move in and several weeks after that until it is fully occupied.

Care Dorset is currently celebrating its second anniversary after taking over services from Tricuro.

Despite the financial set-back, managing director Mr Best, says the organisation is still developing well.

He says staff retention is better than the national average with new recruitment programmes managing to keep vacancies down to 5% of the workforce, also better than the national position.

He told councillors that the organisation’s reablement service has been short listed for Care Team of the Year at the National Care Awards, due to be announced at the end of November.

The service, which currently offers 30 beds, is used mainly for people being discharged from hospital, helping them to go back home, or if that is not possible into another care setting. By offering the service is has helped relieve pressure for beds at local hospitals.

Caroline Tapster, chair of Care Dorset, told councillors on the shareholder committee on Monday that other positive achievements include high levels of occupancy, a reduction in the use of agency staff and the opening of a service for younger adults with learning disabilities in Dorchester Road, Weymouth.

Other recent developments have seen the closure of Sidney Gale House in Bridport, with all its residents being re-located, some closer to family than they were. Work will start in the coming weeks on demolition and redeveloping the site to become what is likely to be Dorset’s first purpose-built reablement service.

Committee members heard that ongoing projects include developing new services for day care in partnership with Dorset Council and other, independent, providers and further work on a five-year plan.