Access to period products: monitoring and evaluation strategy 2021/22 to 2024/25

Annex B – Data collection approach to non-statutory provision in educational settings

The Scottish Government carried out an evaluation, in partnership with COSLA and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), of the implementation of the Scottish Government's policy to provide access to free period products in educational settings during the first full academic year of delivery, from 1 September 2018 to 31 August 2019. The evaluation considered the period products provision delivered in Scotland by local authorities, colleges and universities.

The evaluation was carried out to gain insight into the different models of access being implemented by schools, colleges and universities, including what works well in providing access to period products and any lessons learned, and to gain insight into the views and experiences of students, including what impact, if any, providing access to sanitary products has had on them.

Referring to delivery in the 2018/19 academic year, the six overarching objectives of the evaluation were to understand:

• What delivery models were used to provide access to free period products and the advantages and disadvantages of each delivery model.
• How co-ordination and distribution of products/the means to purchase products was managed and what challenges were encountered?
• The level of demand for period products among pupils and attending whilst attending schools, colleges and universities.
• The volume, types and cost of products provided in educational settings.
• The cost of delivering access to free period products in educational settings.
• What impact the availability of free period products had on pupils and any barriers faced in access.

A mixed methods approach was taken to the evaluation of provision. The evaluation used data from several sources, including quantitative and qualitative monitoring data provided by all local authorities, colleges and universities, covering 1 September 2018 to 1 February 2019 and 2 February 2019 to 31 August 2019, and a survey of 3,000 young people attending schools, colleges and universities across Scotland, carried out by Young Scot on behalf of the Scottish Government between 19 June and 2 September 2019, to gather their views and experiences of accessing period products in educational settings during the first full academic year of delivery and any impacts.