A new plan to help people live in their own communities, recently announced by the Scottish Government and COSLA, has been warmly welcomed by the Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland.
The Coming Home Action Plan will see almost 400 people with learning disabilities and complex support needs benefit from £20 million of funding, which will provide tailored support and housing close to home, family and friends.
A significant portion of the funding will be delivered by ILF Scotland.
Peter Scott, OBE, CEO of ILF Scotland said: “We are proud to bring our experience to this vital work and to play our part in enabling real and lasting change for some of Scotland’s most disabled citizens.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with national and local partners to remove barriers and ensure people can return home—or remain at home—with the right support in place.
"Independent living is at the heart of our mission. We are clear that everyone has the right to live in their own home, connected to the people and communities that matter to them.
“We see every day how the right support, in the right place, can make this a reality. This additional investment gives us a stronger platform to make progress alongside partners, and most importantly alongside disabled people and their loved ones.”
Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing Tom Arthur 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.”
The funding will provide 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.
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 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.
