A new Community Interest Company has been launched as part of the Kingdom Group to deliver support and care services to vulnerable adults in East Central Scotland.

Kingdom Support and Care currently provides high quality services to 255 people allowing them to live in the community in Fife and Falkirk and employs 238 staff.

The company will continue to deliver high quality support and care services and will focus on further development of its services, through working closely with local authorities.

Launching the new company at a meeting of stakeholders, staff and service users in Glenrothes, Charles Milne, chairman of Kingdom Support and Care, said: “The housing and social care sectors are increasingly facing different challenges and we need to stand on our own to develop different approaches and solutions.

“With its own dedicated Board of Management and full time Director, KSC will possess the range of skills, knowledge and experience required to enhance the service and allow greater focus on growth and development.”

He added: “I believe that this new organisation will be a catalyst for positive change and at the same time provide stability for supported individuals, families, staff and commissioners of services. As a Community Interest Company, we will be able to undertake other activities, such as training, to increase our financial stability.”

Kingdom Support and Care has been established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingdom Housing Association and is part of the Kingdom Group.

Kingdom Group chief executive, Bill Banks, explained: “It was decided that Kingdom Support and Care should be created as a Community Interest Company to allow us to continue to provide excellent support and care services to the existing service users with a business plan that is sustainable and viable.”

He added: “The new company is retaining existing staff, ensuring continuity, and will have more focus to provide increased opportunities for efficiencies and business development.”

Norah Smith, director of the new company, stressed: “Our priority for the first few months of operation as KSC is to ensure that we continue to deliver the services we deliver now; maintaining the quality of services and helping those we support to achieve their outcomes and have a good life.

“Although KSC is new, the staff, the people we support, the policies and procedures, the working practices, the relationships we have with colleagues are not. They are all well established and although not a guarantee, give us a good starting point from which to keep delivering quality services and on which to build for the future.”

She added: “Following this, our aim is to grow and develop. Not just for the sake of having more services – our aim is not to be the biggest – but so that we can help meet the needs and wishes of those who need support in the future – whatever that support is. We also need to grow and develop so that we make KSC as strong and sustainable as possible for the future.

“We want to see if we can move into other geographic areas or diversify into other areas of work – but not at the expense of the services we deliver now and always only where it is practicable, achievable and where we have the right skills and knowledge. It is only if these criteria are met that we will make a positive difference.”