A “lifeline” service for people with severe care needs in Bath and North East Somerset is set to close in a move that has been a “massive shock” to users.

Dimension’s Newton House, on the edge of Bath, offers short stays for people with severe care needs, allowing full time carers to have a short break, known as “respite care.”

But users of the service received a letter from Dimensions and Bath and North East Somerset Council, stating that the short breaks service would be ending.

The letter said: “We understand how important it is for you and your family to be able to access short breaks. This is not a decision we wanted to take, and we did not take it lightly. But unfortunately, Newton House as a short breaks service has simply become unaffordable.”

Julie Franklin, who is a full time carer for her son, Ryan Probert, who often stays at Newton House, said: “It’s a massive shock.”

Ryan is 28 and has an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes which means he is small, is non-verbal, and needs medication and a very high level of care.

Now the family does not know what will happen next. The letter they received — the first they heard about the home closing — said that no more bookings would be accepted after the end of January. It will then become a residential care home, also to be run by Dimensions.

It said that they would be supported in finding an alternative service, and a dedicated practitioner appointed by Bath and North East Somerset Council would assess whether their needs were the same. But Julie said: “It’s not like you can just rock up with him anywhere and leave him. I wouldn’t be able to do that.”

Richard Franklin, Ryan’s stepfather, said: “They haven’t thought this through. This is not something you can just set up in a week. If you are going to close a centre down then you must have provision in place.”

“It’s just an invaluable service. Not just for us but other people as well.”

A spokesperson for Dimensions added: “We’re deeply proud of the short breaks we’ve delivered at Newton House over very many years and hope to contribute to the support that replaces it. We look forward to now supporting people to make Newton House their permanent home.”

A spokesperson for Bath and North East Somerset Council said: “This is not a cut in funding for respite care, which we know is important to service-users and their families, it is a change in the way we are providing the service. We are working hard to find alternative support for service users and their families to make sure they have the right provision in the future, which may mean for example community-based support.

“It is a joint decision between the council and the provider which has come about because Newton House is being used to cover other care needs. Please be assured that every service user and their families have a nominated contact person to support them through this change.”