Children's Social Work Statistics: data consultation findings

Annex A: Consultation questionnaire

You and your team

1. Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? [Individual/ organisation]

2. Full name, or organisation’s name [Free text]

3. Email address [Free text]

4. Are you content for the Scottish Government Children and Families Analysis Team to contact you again in relation to your responses? [Yes/ No]

Looked After Children data

We are considering adding or changing items in the Looked After Children data collection and updating guidance for local authority data providers. New data items may relate to topics including: identifiers to enable data linkage; kinship care, permanence, sibling separation, outcomes and experiences, reasons children become looked after, social demographics, geographical data; or other topics.

1. Please use this space to tell us what information you would like to see added to the existing data collection and specify how you would intend to use it once analysis of the new data became available. Please be specific about the information you would like to see added to data collections.

[Free text]

2. Is there any information in the Looked After Children data collection which you feel should be removed? Please explain your reasons for this.

[Free text]

3. Please provide any further comments you have on the content of the Looked After Children data collection, for example relating to guidance or the reporting period.

[Free text]

Child Protection data

We are considering adding or changing items in the Child Protection data collection and updating guidance for local authority data providers. New data items may relate to topics including: identifiers to enable data linkage; early stages in the child protection process; risk factors; geographical data; or other topics.

Please use this space to tell us what information you would like to see added to the existing data collection and specify how you would intend to use it. Please be specific about the information you would like to see added to data collections. [Free text]

Is there any information in the Child Protection data collection which you feel should be removed? Please explain your reasons for this. [Free text]

Please provide any further comments you have on the content of the Child Protection data collection, for example relating to guidance or the reporting period. [Free text]

Secure Accommodation data

Secure Accommodation data are collected annually from Secure Units.

Please use this space to tell us what information you would like to see added to the existing data collection and specify how you would intend to use it. Please be specific about the information you would like to see added to data collections. [Free text]

Is there any information in the Secure Care data collection which you feel should be removed? Please explain your reasons for this. [Free text]

Please provide any further comments you have on the content of the Secure Care data collection, for example relating to guidance or the reporting period. [Free text]

Published statistics

Children’s Social Work Statistics are published annually. Looked After Children data also contribute to annual Education Outcomes for Looked After Children Statistics.

4. Please indicate whether you find each of the following reporting products useful:

• Children’s Social Work Statistics bulletin [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]
• Education Outcomes for Looked After Children: bulletin [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]

5. Please use this space to provide any further comments you have on Children’s Social Work Statistics.

[Free text]

6. Please use this space to provide any further comments you have on Education Outcomes for Looked After Children Statistics.

[Free text]

We are considering introducing changes to the supporting tables and charts, and local authority comparator tool, which are released alongside annual publications. This may include new cross-tabulations which have not been presented before, and changes to the formats in which results are presented, e.g. from Excel tables to an interactive dashboard.

Please indicate which of the following supporting data you find useful:

• Children’s Social Work Statistics: publication tables and charts [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]
• Children’s Social Work Statistics: additional tables [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]
• Education Outcomes for Looked After Children: tables and charts [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]
• Looked After Children comparator spreadsheet [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]
• Child Protection Comparator spreadsheet [very useful/ somewhat useful/ not useful/ I do not use this]

7. Please use this space to specify any new cross-tabulations of variables in Children’s Social Work Statistics data you would find useful, which are not presently published. Please specify how this information would be used. [Free text]

8. Please use this space to specify any new cross-tabulations of variables in Education Outcomes for Looked After Children data you would find useful, which are not presently published. Please specify how this information would be used. [Free text]

9. What are your priorities in the supporting files published alongside annual statistics?

a. ability to compare results between areas [Very important, somewhat important, not important]

b. trend analysis [Very important, somewhat important, not important]

c. interactive reporting (e.g. dashboard presentation) [Very important, somewhat important, not important]

d. other (please specify) [Very important, somewhat important, not important]

10. Please provide any further comments you have on the supporting tables and charts published alongside these reports. For example, use this space to provide any additional comments relating to the frequency of content or presentation format. [Free text]