A CHARITY providing specialist care for disabled people has left parents little time to find alternative support after scaling back its services.

Ripon Community Link (RCL) is reorganising in an effort to secure its future, resulting in up to 12 staff redundancies and 12 of its current service users having to find alternative care.

Val Cocker of Bedale was shocked to receive a letter out of the blue from RCL informing her that her severely disabled son Stephen, 22, could no longer attend the centre as of June 22.

Stephen, who has global development delay and epilepsy, cannot care for himself and Mrs Cocker said it was devastating to be told at such short notice that the centre he currently attends five days a week can no longer care for him.

She said: “We were totally shocked, absolutely shocked.

“I am so upset because it takes so long to get placements.

“Parents were not asked about this, carers were not asked and we were not offered any reduction in hours or days or anything.

“If they had said this would happen from September it would be bad enough, but we only got the letter this week saying they were stopping the service on Friday.”

Mrs Cocker praised the “wonderful” RCL staff and said the centre is the best place for her son to be.

RCL operates at sites across Ripon and also runs the Walled Garden operation which focuses on learning, catering, horticulture and the environment.

It launched a consultation earlier this year after a series of unexpected financial challenges threatened its future.

As part of the reorganisation, the charity will appoint an interim Chief Executive, vacate its premises within Ripon Community House and adopt the working title of Ripon Walled Garden.

It plans to develop and enhance its Walled Garden operation and employ a dedicated fund-raiser.

The RCL will now cater for those with mild and moderate learning disabilities, meaning that its current service users with more complex needs have to find alternative services.

Karen Murray, Chair of Trustees, said: “We took the difficult, but necessary, steps of reviewing all our services, and whilst the last six months has been incredibly challenging, we now have a way forward that secures our long-term future and safeguards the jobs of 22 members of staff and our support of around 65 service users.”

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said they are working with RCL to help families find alternative support. He added: “We understand that this will be a shock and a worry to the people affected, but we will do all we can to make the changes as smooth as possible and to keep people informed.”