A social care company that ploughs any profits back into the community has celebrated its first anniversary.

Breckland Care at Home now provides 250 hours of home care a week to help its 27 service users remain independent, and serves an area from the north Norfolk coast to the Fakenham and Dereham.

The social enterprise company, which is based at the Elmham Surgery in North Elmham and took about two years to set up, started off with five members of staff but will soon employ 24 people.

Amy Gray, the company's finance and general administrator, said Breckland Care at Home pays staff for their uniforms, travel time and travel expenses, and is hoping to issue share certificates in the future so staff will receive dividends.

It also plans to ensure the same group of five staff, who can help with meals, washing, shopping and trips, care for service users over a two-week cycle.

She said: 'I think it's something that some elderly people find mind-boggling that sometimes you get four to five people coming in doing different things, where as we try to do everything as a package.'

She said the company is currently consolidating its position in mid-Norfolk, but eventually wants to expand county-wide.

She added: 'We want to show that we are a community interest company, and not in it for profit. Although we would like to make a profit to put back in the community, it's not for ourselves. We are struggling to get that message across.'

See http://www.brecklandcareathome.co.uk for more information.