New plan to help people live in their own communities.
Almost 400 people with learning disabilities and complex support
needs will benefit from £20 million of funding to implement the
Coming Home Action Plan, which sets out measures to ensure
tailored support and housing close to home, family and friends.
This will fund bespoke support, home adaptations, equipment and
technology to enable people to return to their communities rather
than spending longer periods in hospital than necessary or living
in supported accommodation far from home.
Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing said:
“Every day spent unnecessarily in hospital is time away from
someone's community, family and friends. We cannot allow people
to spend longer in hospital than they need to or to stay far from
home just because they have more intensive support needs.
“We are beginning to see progress. The latest data shows that
fewer people are delayed in hospital or placed in care settings
far from home – but there is more to do.
“I am pleased to see this £20 million funding bringing total
investment in delivering the Coming Home agenda to £40 million
since 2021. I thank Dr Anne MacDonald and partners for their
commitment. Real change is delivered locally and this Action
Plan, alongside additional investment, provides a strong
framework for that.”
Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care
said:
“We recognise the vital importance of ensuring that people with
learning disabilities and complex needs spend no more time away
from home than is absolutely necessary. COSLA remains fully
committed to delivering the Coming Home Action Plan and to
improving outcomes for the individuals and families we all serve.
“We have worked closely with the Scottish Government, Local
Government, Integration Authorities, the NHS and Third Sector
partners to develop the Action Plan and set out how we will
jointly address these long standing issues. I am grateful for the
significant commitment and time that all partners have invested
in producing the Plan, which is published today. We now need to
maintain that drive and collective focus as we move into
delivery.
“Sustained, additional investment across the whole system will be
crucial to ensuring that people with learning disabilities and
complex needs can return home as quickly as possible.”
Dr Anne MacDonald, Chair of the Coming Home Short Life Working
Group, said:
“I'd like to thank colleagues across the sector for all their
input to developing this Action Plan, which we hope will make a
real difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities
and complex support needs.
“The Action Plan is focused on changes that will support people
to live well in their local communities, to have choice and
control about where they live, and to have their human rights
upheld.”
Background
Coming Home Action Plan
Easy Reader Summary
The Coming Home Action Plan is jointly owned by the Scottish
Government and COSLA, which established the Short Life Working
Group in July 2025 to address outstanding recommendations in the
Coming Home Implementation Report 2022, and outline future
priorities. The Group was chaired by Dr Anne MacDonald, author of
the original 2018 Coming Home report.
The Plan contains 15 strategic aims and 34 actions to reduce
delayed hospital discharges and inappropriate out-of-area
placements for adults with learning disabilities and complex care
needs and to prevent the breakdown of community placements.
The most recent figures show that 391 people on the Dynamic
Support Register were recorded as being in the urgent
category.
Insights into learning disabilities and complex needs
Of those:
- 68 were classified as a delayed discharge (down 19% from 84
in December 2024)
- 28 people were recorded as an inappropriate out-of-area
placement (down 47% from 53 in December 2024)
- 187 people were recorded as at risk of support breakdown
(down 18% from 227 in December 2024)
The funding will build on more than £20 million that has been
already distributed to Integration Authorities through the
Community Living Change Fund since 2021, with a significant
proportion expected to be provided via the Independent Living
Fund Scotland.
The 2026-27 Budget delivers record funding for health and social
care to help shift the balance of care to communities.
