New dataset boosts opportunities for social care research

The Social Care dataset (Source) contains data collected by Public Health Scotland from all 31 Health & Social Care Partnerships across Scotland.

Covering activity from 2017/18 to 2023/24, the dataset captures both local and national care provision.

It is structured into sections that include demographics, client information, self-directed support, care at home, community alarms, care homes, and learning disability statistics. Data is collected and submitted by local authorities to Public Health Scotland for every person, regardless of age, who has:

·        received an assessment or review of their care needs, and

·        accessed local authority-funded social care services during the collection period.

This individual-level data can be linked to the Community Health Index (CHI) database, opening up linkage opportunities with many other datasets including the population spine, Scotland’s Census, and other health datasets.

The Source dataset brings the addition of individual-level information on social care clients, such as whether they live alone, if they receive palliative care, or if they are receiving unpaid care. This information is not readily available in other Public Health Scotland datasets, making this an invaluable addition to data available for research in the National Safe Haven.

Apart from the Health and Care Experience Survey (HACE), Source is the only dataset to record if individuals received unpaid care — a valuable piece of information for further research in this area.

Researcher Jan Savinc of Edinburgh Napier University said, “The Source dataset is very valuable because it provides standardised, individual-level data on social care use with nationwide coverage in Scotland, making it a unique dataset in the UK. It sheds light on a vulnerable population with complex needs that has rarely been studied on a population level. The dataset enables research looking at interactions between health and social care needs, how social care provision varies across Scotland, as well as its impact on various health outcomes.”

Social care is a vital investment in people, communities, and the economy. Improving care experiences and outcomes – especially for unpaid carers – is a major policy goal. While Scotland has long been a leader in health research using administrative data, social care has lagged behind. This is largely due to limited access to research-ready datasets, a challenge not unique to Scotland but seen globally. Fortunately, this is changing.

Researchers interested in learning more about Source or other datasets in the National Safe Haven can do so through our metadata catalogue. Or find out how to apply with our data access overview.

More information on researcher learnings of the Source dataset can be found in this Data Explained document authored by Jan Savinc, available from ADR UK.