Data Sources for Impact Assessments
How to get started?
On this page you’ll find links to groups of suggested indicators for
- Socio-economic disadvantage using categories from the Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment
- Communities of special interest

Click on the links below to go each category that gives links to the data sources for each suggested indicator
Socio-economic disadvantage
Overview of indicators that could be used – click on the category boxes above to find links to the data sources for each suggested indicator

Communities of interest
Communities | Possible indicators | Sources |
Looked after/ accommodated young people | Child protection register numbersLooked after children numbers | Observatory -CPR, LAC |
Those involved in the criminal justice system | SIMD Data Zones Crime domainJuvenille crime – numbers of offences Justice social work statistics by local authority – social justice work orders, community payback orders, drug treatment and testing orders | SIMD -Crime domainObservatory – Juvenille crimeLocal data |
Addictions and substance use | Alcohol-related mortality and morbidity SIMD Data Zones – Alcohol and Drug Use included in the health domain of SIMD | Observatory – drug use, alcoholSIMD – health |
Carers – paid and unpaid | Provision of unpaid careHome care | Atlas s45, 46Observatory |
Disability | Disability / Long-term health conditionsBSL users | Atlas s42-44 Atlas s15 |
Homeless | Homeless data by local authority | |
Refugees and asylum seekers | Refugee/ asylum data by local authority | |
Low literacy / health literacy Lower educational status | Education/skills/attainmentSDS – Annual participation measure – Participation in education , employment training by deprivation –IS Attainment –inequality between least v most deprived | Observatory |
Poor healthy life expectancy | Years in good/poor healthEarly MortalitySIMD Health Domain | Illuminate – healthIlluminate – mortalitySIMD – health |
For more information on the main data sources :