Annex A - Data and Methodology

The annual aggregate justice social work return for local authority justice social work services was introduced in 1999-2000. It initially covered justice social work reports, community service orders, and probation orders. Over time, the content and format have evolved to reflect new developments, increased demand for information, and clarification of data definitions. Additional items and their introduction years include:

• supervised attendance, community service and probation orders (2000-01, removed from 2016-17 onward)
• drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) (2003-04, removed from aggregate return from 2012-13 onwards as superseded by unit return)
• community payback orders (CPOs) (2011-12, removed from aggregate return from 2012-13 onwards as superseded by unit return)

Since 2012-13, data on CPOs and DTTOs has been collected for each individual order, enabling detailed analysis of their progress and outcomes. All 32 Scottish local authorities have provided community payback order data from 2013-14 to 2023-24. After the introduction of the CPO, information on the legacy orders was phased out.

Figures in this publication are extracted from live justice social work information management systems. The statistics presented for the most recent year reflect information on activity in the financial year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. Figures for earlier years may differ slightly from those published previously – see later in this Annex for examples of revisions.

Revisions are flagged up in the publication at the time but not in future publications. The current tables on the Scottish Government crime and justice statistics website, including earlier data at sub-Scotland level, may be revised at any point if required. Revisions are highlighted in the relevant table.

As a result of information provided by local authorities with their 2024-25 unit returns, some revisions were made to the 2023-24 data and, to a lesser extent, earlier years’ data. The main reasons for these revisions were:

• The inclusion in the 2024-25 data of orders which were in existence before the 2024-25 year, but which had been excluded from earlier years’ data returns in error, and
• Some orders which were previously advised in the 2023-24 returns as being in existence at the end of that year, but which had actually been finished before then. Some authorities advised of substantial numbers of CPOs falling into this category. This was due mainly to orders not being closed off on their IT systems.

As a result of these changes, the total for CPOs finished in 2023-24 has been revised upwards by around 500 (four per cent). CPOs in existence on 31 March 2024 was revised downwards by around 600 (four per cent).

Figures in this publication on the number of new orders commenced are not collected on the same basis as those published in the criminal proceedings publications. This is partly due to differences in the unit of analysis (cases versus orders). In addition, criminal proceedings data refer to the court rather than the local authority implementing the order.

Data from local authorities' recording systems, used for case management and internal monitoring, includes personal characteristics like gender and ethnicity. These characteristics are usually self-identified. Administrative data will always be subject to some degree of error that arises in any large-scale recording system. The data in this publication has, however, been quality assured as far as practicable. This is done through a series of validation processes before publication. As a result, the data is considered of good quality.

The aggregate return for JSW reports includes validation checks to notify local authorities of inconsistencies within the data. If there are large changes from the previous year, the local authority is asked to confirm the figures. Once all data returns are returned, further analysis is conducted to detect major changes over recent periods.

Unit-level data for CPOs and DTTOs undergoes automated error checks, followed by accuracy and consistency reviews by the Scottish Government statistical team. Checks are also made to ensure there is consistency between 2024-25 and earlier years’ data.

For several months during the years 2022-23 to 2024-25, the DTTO service in Edinburgh was suspended to new assessments/orders. This led to an overall decrease in the numbers imposed during those years. More details are provided in section 6.

Ratios in this publication are calculated per 10,000 people aged 16 to 70 in Scotland, using mid-year population estimates from the National Records of Scotland website. Estimates from 30 June 2024 were used for the 2024-25 data. Revised figures from Scotland's Census 2022 have been applied for years 2011 to 2021.

As well as the additional justice social work datasets at local authority level on the Scottish Government website, there are also further datasets on the Scottish Government's open data platform.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland have different judicial systems. This makes comparing information on justice social work statistics unfeasible. Statistical information on their judicial systems can be found at:

• England and Wales: Statistics at Ministry of Justice
• Northern Ireland: Department of Justice

There are a range of other statistics on the Scottish judicial system:

• Scottish Government Crime and Justice Statistics
• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service – Official Statistics
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service - Publications
• Scottish Prison Service - Information
• Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard