Insights into learning disabilities and complex needs: statistics for Scotland

REVISION 18 June 2024: Due to a coding error for data at census date 28 December 2023, all data marked with R superscript has been revised as part of this release and unless stated otherwise are now considered to be final. This revision does not affect the overall interpretation or conclusions to be drawn from the previously published data.

About this release

This is the second statistics report published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs in Scotland. The purpose of this report is to increase visibility of local and national data to support the Scottish Government's work to improve monitoring of people with learning disabilities and complex care needs who are in hospital, in out-of-area placements and whose current support arrangements are at risk of breaking down.

Main points

Considering adults registered with learning disabilities and complex care needs:

• In Scotland, at 28 March 2024 there were 1,463 people on local dynamic support registers.
• Of those, 489 were classified as urgent within the following categories:
  • 192 people in hospital, of which 83 were classified as a delayed discharge.
  • 75 people recorded as an inappropriately out-of-area placement.
  • 222 people recorded as at risk of support breakdown.

Background

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) was launched in May 2023, as one of the key recommendations from the Coming Home Implementation (gov.scot) report.

The register is applicable for adults (aged 18 plus) with learning disabilities and complex care needs whose support is funded by a Scottish Local Authority or Health Board. The DSR has different levels of categories for inclusion: Urgent, Enhanced Monitoring and Appropriate Out-of-Area placements. Further information on the Dynamic Support Register is available from the Scottish Government.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be November 2024.