Data and methodology

Comparing Census data with official looked after children statistics

The estimates derived from the Census 2022 communal establishment data should be interpreted as indicative proxies rather than direct equivalents to the official Looked After Children Statistics. In this report, 975 children aged 0-17 were identified on Census day (20 March 2022) as likely to be living in residential care settings. By comparison, looked after children statistics recorded 951 children in residential care as at 31 July 2022. Differences between these sources are expected and could arise for the reasons outlined below.

• Communal establishment categories may include some children who are not looked after. For example, categories such as hostels or specialist units can include mixed populations, which may lead to some over-counting relative to looked after children statistics.
• Some 16–17-year-olds in continuing care arrangements may be living in residential care settings but are no longer classified as looked after. These children would be captured in Census data but not in the looked after children administrative records, particularly affecting older age groups.

Data quality

Statistical disclosure control

Census outputs are subject to disclosure control techniques (such as record swapping and cell suppression). As a result, small cell counts may not sum precisely, introducing additional uncertainty when comparing with administrative totals.

Rounding methodology

Some percentage totals do not exactly equal the sum of their component parts due to the effects of rounding.

Terminology

Children in residential care

The Each and Every Child initiative highlights that how we talk about care experience matters. Research shows that language can shape public attitudes, and that describing children in ways that emphasise their involvement with the care system can reinforce perceptions of difference and ‘otherness’.

In this report, we refer to the current legal definition of ‘looked after children’ under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 – broadly defined as those in the care of their local authority. We also refer to ‘children in residential care’ to describe a specific care setting. This is used to provide clarity and precision about children’s living arrangements, rather than to define them by their care status.