Social Care Analytical Unit: Areas of Research Interest. 2026-2029

Introduction

Areas of Research Interest (ARI) publications set out research priorities that have been identified for a policy area. They highlight the Scottish Government’s evidence needs to those with an interest in policy and research, to promote the alignment of research with real-world policy needs. An ARI is not a statement of policy priorities, nor a commitment to commissioning research, but makes research priorities visible to institutions and funders.

This publication sets out the current ARI for the Scottish Government’s Social Care Analytical Unit (SCAU). SCAU is part of the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Analysis Division. It is responsible for developing and communicating the evidence base for adult social care in Scotland, to support policy making. The unit is made up of social researchers, statisticians, economists and operational researchers, who abide by professional codes of practice^[1]. SCAU works collaboratively with social care policy teams, other analysts, finance, service designers and external partners such as Public Health Scotland.

This ARI focuses on adult social care and the people who use or provide it, including the workforce and unpaid carers. It focuses on research priorities, knowledge exchange, making the best use of existing data and data improvement opportunities. The broad scope of the ARI is reflective of the scale and complexity of social care, and the diversity of the ways in which it is delivered and of people who are supported. We have prioritised strategic and cross-cutting research, where there are gaps in data or evidence, and where we need to deepen our understanding to support policy and service improvement. There is scope to address these themes through both the synthesis of existing research and through the development of new research.

This ARI is set out in the form of themes and research questions, which are not listed in any order of priority. However, research and evidence which are relevant to the implementation of the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 is considered as being of strategic importance. The majority of the themes and questions are relevant to all forms of care as they are delivered and should be considered as applying to care at home or in the community or in residential settings. There are also themes that highlight specific considerations for different aspects of how social care is delivered.

The research themes in this document reflect current strategic evidence priorities, but the list is not exhaustive. They are designed to remain relevant over time and therefore are not linked to individual policy programmes. The themes focus on areas where further research would add the most value to long‑term understanding of social care to inform policy development. These priorities may evolve over time as the evidence base and wider context develop.

The ARI covers the period from Spring 2026 to Spring 2029, at which point it will be reviewed. The review will take into account ongoing policy development and requirements, as well as feedback on the extent to which this ARI has delivered its aims.

The ARI is for anyone with an interest in social care research and policy in Scotland. We hope this document helps researchers and funders to focus on the kinds of research that could make the biggest difference to future government decisions.

This is not a call for bids or research proposals and it does not have any funding attached to it. It is separate from the work of the Chief Scientist Office to support research development in Scotland.