Robert Owen Communities (ROC) is set to merge with national charity, United Response, it has been announced.
ROC has been operating for 25 years and supports some 400 people with learning disabilities across Devon and Cornwall.
ROC says the merger will bring a number of benefits to both organisations including improved sustainability at a time when the social care sector is seeing a continued reduction in public spending.
CEO, David Wilson, said: “ROC is currently in a good position but we recognise that we will be under pressure in future years.
“So we wanted to act now to seek a larger charity with whom we could form a partnership to safeguard the future of our support to local people with learning disabilities.
“After a comprehensive competitive process we are very pleased to announce that we are merging with United Response, which has an excellent track record in providing support to people with learning disabilities and which shares our strong person-centred values.”
From April 1, ROC will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Response with Wilson retiring at the point of merge.
ROC will continue to trade under its current name and branding until March 2017, when services will be relaunched under the United Response name.
