Social Care Analytical Unit: Areas of Research Interest. 2026-2029
This document sets out the current Areas of Research Interest (ARI) for the Scottish Government’s Social Care Analytical Unit.
References
1 Care Inspectorate (31st October 2025) Datastore (Grading Summary)
2 Audit Scotland (2026) Community health and social care performance
3 Public Health Scotland (2025) People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services 28 October 2025
4 Audit Scotland (2022) Social care briefing
5 Audit Scotland (2026) Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care
6 Scottish Social Services Council (2025) Workforce Data Report 2024
7 Audit Scotland (2022) Social care briefing
8 Scottish Fiscal Commission (2025) Fiscal Sustainability Report – April 2025
9 Popham F. and Boyle, P. (2011) Assessing Socio-Economic Inequalities in Mortality and Other Health Outcomes at the Scottish National Level: Final Report for Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy.
10 Academy of Medical Sciences (2018) Multimorbidity: A Priority for Global Health Research
11 Whitty C J M, MacEwen C, Goddard A, Alderson D, Marshall M, Calderwood C et al. (2020) Rising to the challenge of multimorbidity
12 Scottish Government (2022) National Care Service - health and demographic profile: evidence
13 Fraser of Allander Institute (2022) Demand and expenditure for adult social care in Scotland
14 Scottish Government (2022) National Care Service - health and demographic profile: evidence
15 Audit Scotland (2026) Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care
16 Margaret Whoriskey et al. (2025) Digital Innovation in Social Care: Priorities and Opportunities for Scotland - University of Strathclyde
17 Scottish Government (2025) Understanding the Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland
18 Scottish Social Services Council (2025) Workforce Data Report 2024
19 Scottish Social Services Council and Care Inspectorate (2025) Staff vacancies in care services 2023
20 Audit Scotland (2022) Social care briefing
21 Scottish Government (2024) Unmet need - Health and Care Experience (HACE) survey – further analysis of care experience
22 Scottish Government (2024) Financial Information from the Scottish Household Survey 2023
23 National Records Of Scotland (2024) Scotland's Population 2023 - The Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends - National Records of Scotland (NRS)
24 National Records Of Scotland (2025) Projected Population of Scotland: 2022-based - National Records of Scotland (NRS)
25 Public Health Scotland (2022) Scottish Burden of Disease Forecasting Briefing
26 Fraser of Allander Institute (2022) Demand and expenditure for adult social care in Scotland
27 Scottish Fiscal Commission (2025) Fiscal Sustainability Report – April 2025
28 National Records Of Scotland (2024) Scotland's Population 2023 - The Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends - National Records of Scotland (NRS)
29 National Records Of Scotland (2020) Household Projections for Scotland, 2018-based - National Records of Scotland (NRS)
30 National Records Of Scotland (2024) Scotland’s Census 2022 - Health, disability and unpaid care | Scotland's Census
31 ScotPHO website Population groups: older people [accessed Dec 2025]
32Scottish Fiscal Commission (2025) Fiscal Sustainability Report – April 2025
33 Scottish Government (2023) Health and Social Care Data Strategy
Contact
Email: ariasc@gov.scot