National Performance Framework - disability perspective: analysis

1. Children and Young People

National Outcome: We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential

In total, there are seven indicators for Children and Young people in the National Performance Framework.^[7] Two are not appropriate indicators for the purpose of this analysis, and one cannot be broken down by disability status. Updated data is available for the remaining four following indicators:

Children have Positive Relationships (Pre COVID-19 Data)

This measure comes from the Scottish Schools and Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSAS). In 2018, disabled children were significantly^[8] less likely than non-disabled children to report having three or more friends. Only three quarters (75%) of disabled children reported having three or more friends, while 84% of non-disabled children reported this.^[9] This provides no significant changes on 2015.

Children's Voices (Pre COVID-19 Data)

This measure comes from the 'Young People in Scotland' survey.^[10] Survey data from 2017 and 2019 demonstrates that respondents have become more positive in response to the statement 'Generally, adults are good at taking my views into account when making decisions that affect me.' In 2017, the majority (53%) of respondents agreed with this statement, and in 2019 this had increased to 58% of respondents – a statistically significant difference.

However, significantly fewer disabled^[11] young people agreed that adults were good at taking their views into account than non-disabled young people in 2019 (54% vs 62%). This was a positive increase on 2017, when 47% of disabled young people and 58% of non-disabled young people felt that adults were good at taking their views into account. However, the gap in opinion between disabled and non-disabled young people remains large.

Child Material Deprivation (Pre COVID-19 Data)

According to data provided by the Family Resources Survey (FRS)^[12], in 2016-19, around one in eight (12%) of children in Scotland lived in combined material deprivation and low income^[13]. The data demonstrates that the rate of combined material deprivation and low income has been consistently higher in families with a disabled member, with a fifth (20%) of families with a disabled member falling into this category, compared to a twelfth (8%) of families with no disabled members. This situation provides no change on 2015-18, when the figures were the same. New data will be available in March 2021.

Child Wellbeing and Happiness (Pre COVID-19 Data)

This measure is based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This questionnaire is completed by parents as part of the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS).^[14] The SDQ comprises 25 questions covering themes such as consideration, hyperactivity, malaise, mood, sociability, obedience, anxiety and unhappiness. It is used to measure five aspects of children's development: emotional symptoms; conduct problems; hyperactivity/inattention; peer relationship problems; and pro-social behaviour.

In the period of 2016-2019, a significantly higher proportion of children with a limiting long-term condition had scores of total difficulties over the cut-off point at which scores are reported as "borderline or abnormal". Significantly more children with a limiting long-term condition had an "abnormal" score of 17-40 than had a "borderline" score of 14-16 – 40% compared to 10%. Children's SDQ scores 14-16 were also significantly higher for those with a limiting long-term condition than those with no long-term conditions (10% vs 6%), although there was no significant difference between children with limiting long-term conditions and children with non-limiting long-term conditions (10% vs 7%).

Children with a limiting long-term condition were significantly more likely to have a "abnormal" score of 17-40 – two fifths (40%) of these children had a score of 17-40, compared to 8% of children with a non-limiting long-term condition and 5% of children with no long-term conditions.^[15]

Additional Indicator

Poverty and Low Income (Pre COVID-19 Data)

Data from the FRS was analysed to report poverty rates for children living in a family with a disabled adult of child. It shows that, between 2016/17 and 2018/19, almost a third (30%) of children with a disabled person in the household were in relative poverty after housing costs. For families without a disabled member, the comparative figure was a fifth (20%). For severe poverty after housing costs, a fifth (21%) of children in families with a disabled member were in this situation, compared to only 14% of children in families without a disabled member.^[16]

There is some variation in outcomes based on which family member was disabled. For households where the disabled family member was a child, a quarter (25%) of children lived in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to 23% of children in families without a disabled child. When the disabled member was an adult, the number of children in relative poverty after housing costs rose to 31%, compared to 21% for families without a disabled adult.^[17]