Homelessness Statistics User Group meeting paper: March 2023

Progress to date

Why a data review?

Initial consultation with data providers [spring/summer 2020] revealed that a review was felt to be required to:

• ensure data collections are reflective of changes in homelessness legislation, terminology and policy initiatives
• ensure that the current categories are still relevant, include a large enough range of options and provide the level of detail required
• rationalise the collections to better reflect the data needs of the sector and data users – both by adding new items, and removing those that are no longer required
• improve guidance and validation, particularly where there are inconsistencies/high levels of divergence identified

Detailed consultations

• content consultation [end of 2020]
• public consultation [end of 2020]
• internal consultation [end of 2020]

Analysis, discussion and short term changes

• analysis of findings [publication TBC]
• initial discussions of working and topic groups [spring 2021]
• shorter term updates
  • HL3 and UAO guidance, 
  • HL1 guidance and changes for UDP
  • collection of sex and gender [upcoming discussion]

Plans going forward

Drafting content

In process of re-establishing the working group

• primarily local authority representatives to ensure any proposed changes are practical to implement
• split into topic-specific groups for detailed discussion

Scottish Government (SG) to lead on:

• research [legislation, official guidance, UK coherence]
• targeted external stakeholder engagement
• drafting new content / response options

Topic-specific group to agree – then wider working group

Final public consultation of proposed new content

Collection and processing systems

Alternative data collection and processing systems

• in-built validation at point of entry (e.g. ProcXed)
• easier to update and add new questions
• reproducible analytical pipelines (automation)
• reporting for data providers (error, quarterly and annual)

Additional considerations

• user need vs data quality and availability
• data linkage needs
• new prevention legislation
• consideration of data provider timescales
• how to ‘future proof’
• implementation / transition strategy
• governance and guidance associated with all aspects

High level timescales

• early 2023: review work to date
• end 2023/ Early 2024: re-establish working and topic groups and understand requirements for data collection and processing systems  
• early-mid 2024: establish proposed new content (through engagement with groups and stakeholders) and consult on proposed new content
• end 2024/ Early 2025: scope collections and processing systems and finalise content
• end 2026/ Early 2027: agree collection and processing systems and build and implementation

Would you like to be part of the working group?

Seeking membership consisting of data providers/regulators to ensure that considered changes are practical to implement

• get the opportunity to influence discussion and recommendations
• looking for a range of input, operational/data, different local authority location/size as that comes with different sets of challenges

If you are an external stakeholder and want to provide views/discuss please get in touch

emma.sigfridsson@gov.scot
homelessness_statistics_inbox@gov.scot