Giant Steps’ Next Steps program for school leavers has been operating since 2007.

It works on developing the life and social skills of students as they transition from adolescence into adulthood.

But after ten years, the board made a decision to cease operation at the end of the year due to a lack of financial viability.

The closure will force 13 participants to look for new support services.

There will be no changes to Giant Steps’ kindergarten to year 12 school.

The decision to close was made because of changes to the way the organisation was paid for its services.

Prior to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, people were given a block of funding for their needs.

But with the introduction of the scheme, less funding and more administration work made Giant Steps’ adult service unviable.

Last week Giant Steps principal Tim Chugg had the difficult task of calling parents of the 13 adults to inform them of the closure. 

He said funding through the NDIS was “no longer enough to cover, wages, administration, bricks and mortar and travel costs. 

Mr Chugg said the organisation and its board looked at all avenues to keep the program operational.

“Thinking about the individuals, it was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,” he said. 

“It wasn’t a snap decision.”

“It was a hard decision because it was the only decision we could make.”

The board looked at relocating the service to Launceston to reduce travel costs for participants.

“All of the options we looked at with relocating to various places or renting or anything at all, the numbers still didn’t add up,” he said.

“The day-to-day running was still going to look grim.

 A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services said the NDIS was a “once-in-a-generation reform and we acknowledge that it is a big change”.

“Service providers who have previously had access to large lump sum payments in advance, are now having to adapt the way they do business, to work under the fee-for-service arrangements under individualised NDIS funding,” she said. 

Some students have attended Giant Steps’ since kindergarten.

The closure of the program for adults comes at a time of prosperity for the school.

Enrolments are healthy and a new teacher has been hired for the 45 students.

The finer details surrounding the closure of Next Steps have not been ironed out.

But Mr Chugg pledged to focus every energy to supporting the 13 students.