FURIOUS families of disabled adults had to submit a Freedom of Information request to find out what social work bosses were planning for their loved ones.

This week a petition with almost 1300 signatures was handed over to Scottish Borders Council demanding a rethink over the proposed closure of Reiver Industries.

The Tweedbank based disability service, along with its satellite projects in Galashiels and Selkirk, will close at the end of May.

Disabled adults from all over the central Borders use the daily services supplied by Brothers of Charity.

But a social work review from two years ago found that the activities didn’t meet requirements.

The local authority claim that they have conducted full consultation about the planned changes with all of the service users and their families.

But this week many of them slammed the social work department for keeping them in the dark - and causing stress and anxiety for their loved ones.

Kim Smedley-Williams from Galashiels, whose sister Keri has been attending Reiver Industries for seven years, said: “During the consultation some families got one or two letters, some got just the one and some didn’t get any. To say that all of the service users and their families were fully consulted is wrong.

“There was nothing in any of those letters to say Reivers was under threat. We learned Reivers was going to close in the local newspaper. We kicked up a stink and was then told it wasn’t closing before later being told it was to close again. We asked what alternatives there would be and were told a wide range of activities - that isn’t an answer.

“We had to submit a Freedom of Information request to see all the letters that were supposedly sent out. If we had known from the start that Reivers could close we would have fought it and so would other carers.” Monday’s meeting of the council’s Petitions Committee was told that numbers at Reiver Industries, where disabled service users carry out community work such as recycling, folder-making and cookery, had dropped from more than 70 in 2006 to 33 at present.

And that a new service provided by charity Cornerstone was taking over an alternative building-based service from February.

A move towards other placements with social enterprises and work placements is also ongoing.

But the secretive way the changes have been brought came in for heavy criticism.

Charlotte Drum from Newstead has been working at Reiver Industries for over two years.

Mum Angie believes it is the best place for her daughter.

She said: “Parents with children who have special needs like to know what is going on. I had one meeting with the social work people and things weren’t any clearer when we came out. Charlotte has tried other services - she went to Gala Day Services - and didn’t like them.

“She likes Reiver and looks forward to going. For over a year we’ve not known what was going to happen which is upsetting for Charlotte and her family.” The £490,000 Brothers of Charity contract was judged not to meet 'requirements for the future’ in 2011.

They were initially scheduled to close earlier this year but attempts at finding a replacement led to a stay of execution until next March.

Parents and carers rallied round to sign Rae Smedley-Willliams’ petition in a final bid to save the centre.

Rae said: “This whole plan has been handled very badly. The way the Learning Disabled team have gone about this is totally unacceptable. Reivers Industries has such potential yet they are closing it without asking any of us what we think.” Social work bosses admitted they had blundered during the consultation process.

Acting director Stella Everingham told the meeting: “We do get things wrong some times but we have tried to move forward with services that are tailored for people’s needs.” Members of the Petitions Committee agreed that it was too late to save Reiver Industries, as had been the request of the petition.

But they agreed for the social work department to provide a full report on the planned changes, which will be submitted in January.