Wednesday December 10th 2025
Scottish Borders Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A 50 per cent reduction in delayed discharges from hospital has been achieved by Scottish Borders Council’s Adult Social Work team.
In social care, a delayed discharge means a patient (usually 18+) is medically ready to leave the hospital but cannot because the necessary post-hospital care, support, or housing isn’t in place, often due to lack of social care capacity, assessment delays, or funding issues for care homes/home care packages.
These non-medical reasons keep patients occupying hospital beds, straining resources and negatively affecting the patient’s well-being and recovery.
A new report reflects a “period of significant progress”, with highlights Adult Social Work’s improvements to the delayed discharge process which has resulted in a reduction of 50 per cent, thereby enabling a greater number of people to move from hospital to a more suitable setting in a timely way.
SBC has endorsed the Chief Social Work Officer (CSWO) Annual Report for 2024–25, which sets out key achievements in delivering vital care and protection services as well as outlining priorities for the year ahead.
Over the period, What Matters Hubs drop-in sessions and appointments successfully provided advice, information and support to over 2,500 people while an expansion of the Shared Lives Programme enabled more adults to be matched with approved carers.
In Adult Social Care, the residential care home service maintained high standards, with all five council-operated settings achieving Care Inspectorate grades of ‘4-Good’.
Commissioned providers in the independent sector also sustained a strong performance, with 14 out of 16 maintaining ‘4-Good’ or higher.
Preventative approaches implemented by Children and Families, such as Aberlour Sustain, achieved a 96 percent success rate in avoiding care placements, while progress in permanence planning continued to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Another positive was the Family Group Decision Making initiative which supported 22 families to stay together.
In addition, improvements in risk assessment and multi-agency coordination reinforced the council’s ability to protect vulnerable children and adults, while promoting transparency and accountability in decision-making.
Progress was also made with a number of key projects including the Out of Authority and Coming Home programmes, aimed at reducing out-of-area placements for children, young people and adults with complex needs.
Councillor David Parker, SBC’s executive member for Integrated Care and Support Services and Chair of the Integration Joint Board, said: “This is a strong and comprehensive report that highlights the dedication and professionalism of all our social work and care teams, whose efforts make a real and lasting difference to individuals and families across the Borders every day. They often work in very challenging circumstances, and their commitment deserves recognition.
“Among the significant achievements noted over the past 12 months, the reduction in delayed discharges is worthy of particular mention. Cutting delays by 50 percent has not only helped ease pressure on our NHS colleagues, it has also enabled more people to move more quickly to a suitable setting, supporting recovery and improving quality of life.”
Councillor Tom Weatherston, SBC’s executive member for Social Work and Community Enhancement, added: “Our social work and care teams have worked tirelessly over the past year, and I want to thank them for their commitment and professionalism.
“The breadth of support they provide, from children and families to adults and older people, reflects a shared aim of achieving the best possible outcomes for everyone who needs our help.
“As the report acknowledges, there have been challenges to face, as is the case for many other local authorities across the country. However, this is a service that is deeply committed to finding solutions that will continue to improve outcomes and strengthen support for those who need it most.”
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