Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare: Phase 6

Footnotes

1 The ASQ is intended to identify developmental delays and hence is specific to the age of the child. More detail on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire can be found in Appendix C, as well as the relevant chapters.

2 A slightly modified version of the original SDQ has been validated for children between the ages of two and four. This was used at both Phase 4 and Phase 6. As children are developing rapidly at this age, we may expect scores on the scales to differ for two-year-olds and three-year-olds. More detail on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire can be found in Appendix C, as well as the relevant chapters.

3 Throughout this report the term “parents” should be understood to refer to carers also.

4 More information on the eligibility criteria for funding is available at: Funded early learning and childcare - mygov.scot.

5 Broadly, family wellbeing in the context of ELC is considered to be a combination of children and parents’ health and wellbeing, and the ability of parents to undertake suitable parenting and activities that may contribute to the long-term prosperity of the family unit.

6 A fourth component – a survey of heads or managers of settings attended by sampled children – was included at Phases 4 and 5. This survey was to gather information about their experiences of the impact of the expansion and was therefore not relevant at the earlier phases. It was not included at Phase 6 as settings participating at Phase 6 had already participated at Phases 4 and/or 5 and previously had the opportunity to complete the survey.

7 Once weighting had been applied to take account of the deliberate oversampling of deprived areas.

8 Childminders were not included in the sample.

9 Questionnaires were available in Polish, Urdu, Punjabi and Arabic, as well as English.

10 Further information on these instruments is provided in Appendix C.

11 Local authority settings were more likely to respond than partnership ones. Local authority settings made up 65% of the Comparator 3s sample, but 75% of the responding settings. Overall, 108 of 169 local authority settings responded (64%), compared with 36 of 91 partnership (40%).

12 Nine keyworker and five parent questionnaires were deleted because they were returned in error from settings in the Eligible 2s sample. A further 10 keyworker questionnaires were deleted because there was no permission from the parents for them to be completed clearly recorded.

13 A statistically significant finding is one that would be very unlikely to be observed in a sample of data simply by chance if there is no real underlying change or difference in the wider population. The magnitude of the difference is only an estimate but is very likely to be greater than zero.

14 The short form of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) has been used to measure mental wellbeing. More details are provided in the appendix.

15 See, for example: Coronavirus (COVID-19): impact on children, young people and families - evidence summary October 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot); or Covid-19: impact on child poverty and on young people’s education, health and wellbeing - House of Lords Library (parliament.uk)

16 Although there was an increase in average adult mental wellbeing between 2022 and 2023. See The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

17 The equivalent parent report data for children was 49% male and 51% female for the Eligible 2s at age three sample and 53% male and 47% female for the Comparator 3s sample.

18 Equivalised household income adjusts household income according to the typical income requirements for the number of people in the household. The modified OECD adjustment has been used in this case, whereby household income is divided by a household size factor, which is the sum of 0.67 for the first adult in the household, 0.33 for each subsequent adult or child aged 14 or above, and 0.20 for each child aged 13 or below. Cut points for the equivalised income deciles have been taken from a national survey of people in households in Scotland, the Scottish Health Survey 2023. The lowest equivalised income decile includes, for example, families of one adult and one child under 14 with an income of below £11,745, and families of two adults and two children under 14 with an income of below £18,900 per year. Note that wage inflation between 2023 and 2024 means that the true figure for the proportion of the sample in the lowest equivalised income decile is probably higher than the 39% reported here for the Eligible 2s and the 7% for the Comparator 3s.

19 For further details see the SSELC Phase 4 report: Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare: phase 4 report - gov.scot.

20 The short form of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale has been used to measure mental wellbeing. More details are provided in the appendix.

21 The short form of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale has been used to measure mental wellbeing. More details are provided in the appendix.

22 Information was gathered on the characteristics of the ELC settings attended by children in the study using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-3).

23 Scottish Government (2012) The Scottish Child Health Programme: Guidance on the 27-30 month child health review, Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

24 Bedford, H., Walton, S., Ahn, J. (2013). Measures of Child Development: A review, London: Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL Institute of Child Health.

25 See Ages and Stages Questionnaire (agesandstages.com).

26 See Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (sdqinfo.org).

27 Goodman R (1997) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A Research Note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581-586.