Insights into learning disabilities and complex needs: statistics for Scotland

About this release

This quarterly release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents statistics relating to adults with learning disabilities and complex care needs who are included on the Dynamic Support register (DSR). The purpose of these statistics is to support the work of the Coming Home Implementation report. This report highlighted the need to see change with inappropriate out-of-area residential placements, inappropriate hospital stays reduced for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs, and people only in hospital for as long as they require assessment and treatment.

One of the key recommendations from the report was to create and maintain the Dynamic Support register (DSR).  Launched in May 2023, the register allows Health and Social Care Partnerships to monitor progress against out-of-area placements and reduce inappropriate hospital stays for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs.

Main points

In Scotland as at 27 March 2025:

• An estimated 1,264 people were registered on local dynamic support registers. This is a 13.6% decrease from the estimated number of people on the register this time last year.
• Of the people on the local dynamic support registers 63.2% are male. 36.8% are female.
• Of those people on the dynamic support register 318 were classified in the urgent category and sit within the three sub-categories below. The urgent category requires intensive planning with and for the people identified:
  • there were 157 people in hospital, of which 74 were classified as a delayed discharge. This is when a person is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care but continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge.
  • there were 45 people recorded as an inappropriate out-of-area placement. This is a placement which the person and/or family did not choose, and which nevertheless occurred because of a lack of suitable resources and/or accommodation within the person's preferred community setting.
  • there were 116 people recorded as at risk of support breakdown. This is when a person's current living situation has become unsuitable. For example, the family carer is unable to continue caring, there are concerns about the suitability or stability of a placement or there is an increase in severity and frequency of challenging behaviour.

Background

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) is applicable for adults (aged 18 plus) with learning disabilities and complex care needs whose support is funded by a Local Authority or NHS Board. Along with improving visibility of people with learning disabilities and complex care needs, the DSR is also a tool to support local planning and decision making.  It is to be utilised and maintained by each Health and Social Care Partnership to overcome challenges in supporting individual needs, care requirements and risk assessments when collaborating across both health and social care.

Further information on the Dynamic Support Register is available from the Scottish Government.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be September 2025.