Social care charity Quarriers has blamed unsustainable loses for the closure of three services in Ayrshire.
Quarriers would not have made this decision if there had been a viable alternative - Alice Drife
Quarriers has confirmed it is to close two children’s homes and a school in Ayrshire.
The Bridge of Weir-based care charity announced the closures last month before undertaking a short period of consultation.
However the charity's acting chief executive Alice Drife said that after carefully considering a number of alternative options for Seafield School in Ardrossan, Merton House in Largs and Williamfield in Irvine, they could no longer remain financially viable and would be closed.
“We do understand this will be a difficult time for everyone associated with the services,” said Drife. “However, we have been unable to put Seafield on a sustainable financial footing. As the two children’s homes support some children at the school these will sadly also close.
“It is forecast that Seafield School will have a deficit of in excess of £400,000 at the end of the financial year in March as a result of the number of children and young people at the school falling. As a charity we are simply unable to absorb these losses.
“Quarriers would not have made this decision if there had been a viable alternative.”
The charity provides care and support for people with a disability, children and families, young people, young homeless people, people with epilepsy and carers.
It said demand for places at Seafield had decreased, with only 14 pupils currently enrolled in a school that had the capacity for 25, and it was no longer financially viable for the school to stay open.
The proposal has a knock on effect for Merton House and Williamfield because they housed pupils at the school.
There are 69 people currently employed across the three sites, and it is hoped they will be redeployed elsewhere in the charity.
Shortly after the initial announcement last month, Quarriers chief executive Paul Moore resigned from his post suddenly and without notice.
