£62m to help discharge people with learning disabilities

The Department of Health and Social Care is providing new funding to help to move people with learning disabilities and autistic people into more appropriate care.

Named the Community Discharge Fund, the funding will give local authorities additional money to remove some of the obstacles to discharging inpatients, helping to cover ‘double-running’ costs such as establishing community teams, funding accommodation and staff training.

Over the next three years, local authorities and Transforming Care Partnerships will be able to use the funding on the most appropriate measures for their area.

This is one result of Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock calling for a renewed focus to ensure people with learning disabilities or autism are discharged promptly from hospital back into the community.

On his request, Baroness Hollins has appointed an oversight panel to examine the independent case reviews for people with a learning disability or autism who were identified as being in long-term segregation.

Hancock said: “Far too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people remain in hospital when they could receive better-suited support in their communities, closer to their homes and loved ones. So, I am delighted this new funding will help local authorities to support discharges into the community more quickly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.”

Baroness Hollins said: “Since November I have been reviewing all of those instances when people with learning disabilities and autistic people have been detained in long-term segregation. I have now appointed an oversight panel to assist me in understanding what I have found out, and in making urgent recommendations to the government. Our aim is to prevent the use of seclusion and restraint in future.

“Supporting people to live well in their own homes would be the best outcome. In some circumstances people’s mental health may require a short admission for specialist assessment and development of an evidence-based treatment plan, but the majority can and should be able to receive expert mental health treatment and support in the community.”

The funding, announced in the March Budget, consists of £74 million over three years for the whole of the UK under the Barnett Formula. Local authorities in England will receive £62 million over the three years: £20 million in 2020 to 2021; £21 million in 2021 to 2022; and £21 million in 2022 to 2023.