Publication - Statistics

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS): technical report 2018

Published: 26 November 2019
Directorate: Population Health Directorate
Topic: Education, Health and social care, Law and order
ISBN: 9781839603327

Information on the fieldwork and data processing for the 2018 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS).

Supporting documents

Appendix A: Liaison teacher instructions

SALSUS 2018

Instructions for Liaison Points – Online Survey

Thank you very much for your help so far with this survey. This pack contains everything you need to take part in SALSUS 2018. You will have been sent a pack of materials for each selected class in your school. This document explains the steps you need to take.

If you have any problems or questions, please see the SALSUS website (www.salsus2018.co.uk), or contact Lucy Setterfield, Ipsos MORI project manager, on 0131 226 8677 or salsus2018@ipsos.com.

Each individual class pack should contain:

Instructions for the class teacher administering the survey (x1). These instructions are also included at the end of this document for your reference.
Opt-out letters for parents (x30)
Information sheets for pupils (x30)
A set of 40 stickers with the survey link and unique log-ins for pupils (x1)
A class response sheet (x1)

The liaison point pack should also contain:

A separate sheet of test log-ins for you and the class teacher administering the survey (x1)
A reply paid envelope for returning the class response sheets (x1)

If there is anything missing, please contact Ipsos MORI. Alternatively, electronic copies of the materials can be downloaded from our SALSUS website: www.salsus2018.co.uk).

A summary of the steps involved...

1. Check the contents of each class pack and read these instructions and the class teacher instructions carefully.

2. Raise awareness of the survey among parents.

3. Distribute the packs to the relevant class teachers in the bags supplied.

4. Use one of the test links on the separate sheet enclosed to verify that the survey works and none of the questions are blocked by a filter.

5. Take a note of when the class teacher plans to administer the survey and follow up if they have not returned the class response sheet on that date.

6. Post the completed class response sheets to Ipsos MORI in the provided reply paid envelope.

7. Follow up on absent pupils.

Step 1: Please check the contents of each class pack and read these instructions and the class teacher instructions carefully

You should keep these instructions and give everything else to the class teacher.

Step 2: Raise awareness of the survey among parents

To ensure that parents are aware their child might/will be asked to participate in the survey, it would be much appreciated if you can raise awareness that the school is taking part in SALSUS 2018.

This could be done, for example, by posting a short message on the school website, in (e-) newsletters, or via other sources from which parents receive information from the school.

The information should make clear to parents that while participation is important, and the results of previous waves of the survey have helped in planning and developing services aimed at reducing smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in Scotland, they can request that their child does not take part in the survey.

Sample text for raising awareness of the survey among parents is provided on the SALSUS website (www.salsus2018.co.uk), or can be obtained from us by emailing salsus2018@ipsos.com.

Step 3: Distribute the packs to the relevant class teachers in the bag supplied

There is a label on each bag to show which pack is for which class (it will say '2F' or '4B' etc.). Please use the specified classes – do not substitute with other classes. Please ensure that you use the correct bag for each class, and please emphasise the following key points to the class teacher:

the opt-out letters for parents and the information sheets for pupils need to be issued at least a week before the survey is completed (the school may decide to send its own opt-out letter, rather than use the one provided)
they must complete the class response sheet and return it to you
arranging for absent pupils to complete the survey at a later date is key to the reliability and representativeness of the results.

Step 4: Test the survey with one of the links provided on the test logins sheet. These are test log-ins and should not be used for pupils. If pupils use these log-ins to access the survey, the data they provide will not be recorded.

When testing the survey, please make sure you check right through to the end (and that you say you smoke, drink and use drugs to cover all of the questions!).

You can test the survey using the main Survey Link: https://ipsos.uk/SALSUS2018

Step 5: Take a note of when the class teacher plans to administer the survey and follow up if they have not returned the class response sheet on that date

Step 6: Post all class response sheets to Ipsos MORI Scotland

Please return the completed class response sheets in the reply paid envelope provided. If you have misplaced the envelope you can contact Ipsos MORI or use the following freepost address: Freepost RTSA–ZGKX–STRU, Salsus 2018, Ipsos MORI, Kings House, Kymberley Road, Harrow, HA1 1PT on a standard A4 envelope.

The final date for the completion of online surveys and the return of class response sheets is 25^th January 2019, butplease return your school's response sheets as soon as they have all been completed. If more than one class in your school has been selected, please return them at the same time.

Spare materials should be retained until all absent pupils have completed the survey and then put in your paper recycling – please do not return any spare materials.

Step 7: Follow up on absent pupils

If any pupils are absent when the survey is completed, class teachers should record this on the class response sheet and note their names in the space provided in Step 4 of their instructions.

If possible, absent pupils should complete the survey the next time they attend that class. If this is not possible, please arrange another suitable time. You could administer the survey to all absent pupils at the same time in an ICT suite or the library, or in individual classes either on laptops or tablets. We understand the additional work involved in following up on absent pupils but following up on these pupils will make a big difference to the representativeness of the sample and the robustness of the survey results. Why is this so important? Surely getting responses from 23 out of 25 pupils in a class is really good….?

The higher the response rate, the more accurate the results will be. We know from previous surveys that absenteeism is strongly linked to some of the behaviours we are looking at – so following up on absent pupils is particularly important because we know that, as a group, they are 'different' to the pupils who are not absent. If we do not follow up on absent pupils the results will be biased.

Absenteeism due to truanting and exclusion is highly correlated with substance use. For example, in the 2015 survey:

80% of 15 year old regular smokers had also truanted in the past year, compared with 37% of 15 year old non-smokers
62% of 15 year olds who had drunk in the last week had also truanted in the past year, compared with 26% of 15 year olds who never drink alcohol
24% of 15 year olds who had used drugs in the month prior to the survey had truanted more than 10 times, compared with 4% of 15 year olds who had never used drugs.

Levels of absenteeism due to sickness were not asked about, but there was a question on health and this was also correlated with substance misuse (e.g. 91% of those who had never used drugs rated their health as 'excellent' or 'good' compared with 77% of those who had used drugs in the month before the survey). It therefore seems likely that there is also a correlation between absenteeism due to sickness and substance misuse.

Absent pupils who are completing the survey at a later date should do so under the same conditions as pupils in the main session. This needs to be explained before they complete the survey so that they feel they can be honest while they are completing it – reassurances given afterwards will be too late to affect the quality of the data collected.

We have provided space below for you to keep a note of the absent pupils to be followed up. If pupils are on long-term absence, we can arrange for a pack to be sent to their home address.

Thank you very much again for your help.

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date surveys completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Salsus 2018

Instructions for Liaison Points

Thank you very much for your help so far with this survey. Included in this pack you will find everything you need for classes at your school to take part in SALSUS 2018. You will have been sent a pack of materials for each selected class in your school. This document explains the steps you need to take.

If you have any problems or questions, please contact the liaison point within your school, see the SALSUS website (www.salsus2018.co.uk), or contact Lucy Setterfield, Ipsos MORI researcher, on 0131 226 8677 or salsus2018@ipsos.com.

Each pack, to undertake SALSUS 2018 with one class of pupils, should contain:

Instructions for the class teacher administering the survey (x1). These instructions are also included at the end of this document for your reference.
Opt-out letters for parents (x30)
Information sheets for pupils (x30)
Questionnaires (x30)
Plain envelopes in which pupils are to seal their completed questionnaires (x30)
Reply paid envelopes for absent pupils participating at a later date (x5)
Class Response Sheet (x1)
Bag for the return of the Class Response Sheet and sealed envelopes containing completed questionnaires (x1)

If there is anything missing, please contact Lucy Setterfield, Ipsos MORI researcher, on 0131 226 8677 or salsus2018@ipsos.com. Alternatively, if you prefer, electronic copies of instructions for teachers, pupil information sheets, opt out letters to parents, and Class Response Sheets can be downloaded from our SALSUS website:www.salsus2018.co.uk.

A summary of the steps involved...

1. Check the contents of each class pack and read these instructions and the class teacher instructions carefully

2. Raise awareness of the survey among parents

3. Distribute the packs to the relevant class teachers in the bags supplied

4. Take a note of when the class teacher plans to administer the survey and follow up if they have not returned the bag of questionnaires on that date

5. Arrange collection of bags of completed questionnaires

6. Follow up on absent pupils.

Step 1: Please check the contents of each class pack and read these instructions and the class teacher instructions carefully

You should keep these instructions and give everything else to the class teacher. If anything is missing or you have any questions, please contact Lucy Setterfield, Ipsos MORI researcher, on 0131 226 8677 or salsus2018@ipsos.com, or see the SALSUS website (www.salsus2018.co.uk).

Step 2: Raise awareness of the survey among parents

Where possible, to ensure that parents are aware their child might/will be asked to participate in the survey, it would be much appreciated if you can raise awareness that the school is taking part in SALSUS 2018.

This could be done, for example, by posting a short message on the school website, in (e)-newsletters, or via other sources from which parents receive information from the school.

Sample text for raising awareness of the survey among parents is provided on the SALSUS website (www.salsus2018.co.uk), or can be obtained from us by emailing salsus2018@ipsos.com.

Step 3: Distribute the packs to the relevant class teachers in the bag supplied

There is a label on each bag to show which pack is for which class (it will say '2F' or '4B' etc.). Please use the specified classes – do not substitute with other classes. Please ensure that you use the correct bag of questionnaires for each class, and please emphasise the following key points to the class teacher:

the opt-out letters for parents and the information sheets for pupils need to be issued at least a week before the survey is completed (the school may decide to send its own opt-out letter, rather than use the one provided)
they must complete the Class Response Sheet and include it in the bag along with the completed questionnaires
arranging for absent pupils to complete the survey at a later date is key to the reliability and representativeness of the results.

Step 4: Take a note of when the class teacher plans to administer the survey and follow up if they have not returned the bag of questionnaires on that date

Step 5: Arrange collection of bags of completed questionnaires

When you have received the bags of completed questionnaires for all of the selected classes in your school, please telephone Heather Dewhurst or Mike Payne (Design to Print) on 01342 826662 to arrange the courier collection. The process is very straightforward and they will arrange for a UPS courier collect the bag(s) that day or on the next day that the school is open.

The final date for returning the questionnaires is 25^th January 2019 butplease return them as soon as they have all been completed. If more than one class in your school has been selected, please arrange for collection of the boxes at the same time. However, if one class will be completing the questionnaires significantly later than the other(s), you can return these separately.

The completed questionnaires, in their sealed envelopes, should be returned in the bag provided. The bag being returned should contain:

the Class Response Sheet completed by the teacher
a sealed envelope (containing a completed questionnaire) for each pupil in the class who completed the survey.

If more than one class has been selected to participate in the survey, the questionnaires from each class should be returned in separate bags – please do not put questionnaires from different classes together.

Absent pupils completing the questionnaire at a later date will return their questionnaires separately (individual reply paid envelopes are supplied for this).

Spare materials should be retained until all absent pupils have completed the survey and then put in your paper recycling – please do not return any spare materials.

Step 6: Follow up on absent pupils

If any pupils are absent when the questionnaire is completed, class teachers should record this on the Class Response Sheet and note their names in the space provided in Step 4 of their instructions.

If possible, absent pupils should complete the questionnaire the next time they attend that class. If this is not possible, please arrange another suitable time. We understand the additional work involved in following up on absent pupils but following up on these pupils will make a big difference to the representativeness of the sample and the robustness of the survey results. Why is this so important? Surely getting responses from 23 out of 25 pupils in a class is really good….?

Absenteeism due to truanting and exclusion is highly correlated with substance use. For example, in the 2015 survey:

80% of 15 year old regular smokers had also truanted in the past year, compared with 37% of 15 year old non-smokers
62% of 15 year olds who had drunk in the last week had also truanted in the past year, compared with 26% of 15 year olds who never drink alcohol
24% of 15 year olds who had used drugs in the month prior to the survey had truanted more than 10 times, compared with 4% of 15 year olds who had never used drugs.

Absent pupils who are completing the questionnaire at a later date should do so under the same conditions as pupils in the main session. The main difference is that they should be given a reply paid envelope to return the questionnaire themselves. This is important because pupils completing the questionnaire on their own, or in a small group, will not have the same reassurance that their response is anonymous and will be lost in the pile of other sealed envelopes. Knowing that they are handing the sealed envelope back to a teacher who knows who has completed it may affect the honesty of their responses. So please give them the reply paid envelope at the same time as the questionnaire, and explain that they should put it in the post themselves. This needs to be explained before they complete the questionnaire so that they feel they can be honest while they are completing it – reassurances given afterwards will be too late to affect the quality of the data collected. If appropriate and there is a post box near the school, the pupil could be allowed time to go and post it immediately after completing it. Otherwise, they should take it with them and post it on the way home. (We know that some pupils may forget to do this, but we would rather get a smaller number of more honest answers than risk the quality of data).

We have provided space below for you to keep a note of the absent pupils to be followed up. If pupils are on long-term absence, we can arrange for a pack to be sent to their home address.

Thank you very much again for your help.

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Class (e.g. '2F' or '4B' etc) ………………..

Date questionnaires completed by class ………………...

Names of absent pupils to be followed up: (do not include those who have refused or whose parents refused)

……………………………………………………………. Date completed …………………..

Contact

Email: salsus@gov.scot

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