Social Care Services, Scotland, 2013

Introduction and key points

This Statistics Release presents the latest national figures for Social Care services provided or purchased by local authorities in Scotland. All local authorities in Scotland provide Social Care services which give people the support, practical help and personal care that they need to live as independently as possible in the community.

This release combines the previously separate Home Care Services and Self-Directed-Support (Direct Payments) publications. It includes a new section summarising the Social Care data, as well as more detailed figures for Home Care, Community Alarm and Telecare, Meals Services, Housing Support and Direct Payments. A substantially revised Social Care services statistical data collection was introduced this year for the new publication. Definitions have been kept consistent (where possible), and trends are presented comparing with previous years Home Care and Self-Directed Support.

All figures for 2013 relate to the week containing 20 March 2013 and are provisional and as such may be subject to change. The final figures will be published in future publications. Figures for Direct Payments cover the full financial year ending 31 March 2013.

Key findings

Over 152,000 people were receiving Social Care services in the week containing 20 March 2013. These services include Home Care services, Community Alarm and Telecare services, Meals services (both hot and frozen meals), Housing Support services and Direct Payments. Around 80% of Social Care clients (122,000 people) were aged 65 and over.

In March 2013, there were 60,950 Home Care clients. Since 2007, the number of Home Care clients has declined each year while average number of hours provided has increased each year.

Figure 1: Home Care Clients and Hours provided 2000- 2013

Source: Social Care Survey 2013, Home Care Census 2000-2012,

For the new Social Care survey, local authorities were asked not to include clients receiving round the clock care (168 hours) as Homecare clients but rather as Housing Support clients. This has resulted in a drop in the overall hours of care provided in 2013. However removing everyone receiving 168 hours a week from the 2010- 2012 data shows that there has been an increase in hours of Home Care over the four year period with 637,786 hours provided in March 2013.

Increasingly councils are purchasing services from the private and voluntary sector rather than providing them themselves. In 2013, 55% of Home Care clients received a service solely from their Local Authority, compared to 81% in 2004. Additionally, only 40% of Home Care hours were provided by Local Authorities compared to 65% in 2004.

Over 114,000 people received Community Alarms and Telecare services in 2013, a 4% increase from 2012. Just over 8,000 people received meals services, a decrease of 17% from 2012.

The number of people in receipt of Direct Payments has increased from 5,049 in 2012 to 5,403 in 2013. The total value of direct payments has steadily increased from 2001, with £66 million being spent in the year to 31 March 2013. £29 million of this (43%) was spent on people with physical disabilities.

Figure 2: Number of people receiving Direct Payments (and value of payments) 2001-2013

Source: Social Care Survey 2013, Self-directed Support(Direct Payments) Survey 2001-2013