Review of Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland – survey of users 2023

Introduction

The Scottish Government’s Justice Analytical Services (JAS) produce and publish data provided to them by local authorities on justice social work statistics.

A questionnaire to ask people how they use these statistics was created and run from 28 April to 16 June 2023. It provided users of these statistics with the opportunity to say what information was most useful and to suggest improvements.

Data users who had registered for updates on the ScotStat website and contacts within the Scottish Government and local authorities were invited to participate in the survey.

The information from this data user survey has been collated and provides the main component for the recommendations in this report. Suggestions for improvement from main stakeholders throughout the last year were also included. These were from meetings that discussed how these statistics supported policies and strategies. A separate workshop for the Local Authority Social Work Statistics : Justice (LASWS:J) group was held in March 2023. LASWS:J members are one of our main users but are also the data suppliers and therefore are well placed to provide valuable information in this area. The March meeting was attended by representatives from 26 of the 32 Scottish local authorities.

Data tables and charts of the survey have been supplied in an accompanying spreadsheet. The number of responses to the different questions in the survey differed slightly in some cases as some respondents did not answer all questions.