Scottish Government

Improve support for people with care needs

DESCRIPTION:

This indicator measures the number of adults receiving personal care at home or direct payments for personal care, as a percentage of the total number of adults needing care.

SOURCE:

The following data sources are used for this indicator:

From 2008 to 2015: The NHS Continuing Care Census provides data for patients who are receiving NHS Continuing Health Care, which may be provided in a hospital ward or may also be provided on a contractual basis in a hospice or care home.

Findings from the census are published on the ISD website:

NHS Continuing Care

From 2016 onwards: Previous guidance, (CEL 6 (2008)) on NHS Continuing Care was replaced on the 1st June 2015 with DL (2015)11 on Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care. As a result, the previous NHS Continuing Care Census was ended in June 2015 and replaced by the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care Census from 2016. As a result, this indicator uses the new census in 2016 and going forward.

Findings from the census are published on the Scottish Government website:

Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care

Community Care Statistics Quarterly Monitoring Returns provide data for long stay care home residents (Local Authority funded) and Free Personal and Nursing Care figures for Care homes and Care at home.

Figures from the quarterly monitoring returns are published on the Scottish Government website:

Quarterly monitoring returns

The Social Care Survey provides figures for home care services provided or purchased by local authorities in Scotland, and data for those receiving direct payments. Findings are published on the Scottish Government website:

Social Care Survey

The above sources are used to calculate the total number of adults needing care (this combines Long stay care homes residents, those in the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care Census (Previously: NHS - Continuing care census), adults receiving Help with personal Care at home and those receiving Direct Payment for personal care at home) and the proportion of this figure receiving either personal care at home or direct payments for personal care.

DEFINITIONS:

Adults needing care are defined as those aged 18+ who are either :

• Long stay care home residents
• Receiving continuing care from the NHS
• Receiving long-term complex clinical care in a hospital setting
• Receiving help with personal care at home
• Receiving direct payments for personal care

Direct Payments allow eligible people to buy services to meet their community care needs instead of the Local Authority arranging services on their behalf.

BASELINE AND PAST TRENDS:

The baseline for this indicator is 2008 - the earliest data available.

In 2008, 57.1% of adults needing care received personal care at home or direct payments for personal care. Initially this rose to 61.8% in 2013 before slight decreases to 61.3% in 2015. A small increase to 61.6% in 2016 was observed, although caution when comparing to previous years should be noted as this year uses the new Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care Census in the measure as opposed to the NHS Continuing Care Census which was ended in 2015 after a change in guidance.

The number of adults receiving personal care at home or direct payments for personal care, as a percentage of the total number of adults needing care:

¹ Uses Hospital Based Clinical Care Census and not NHS Continuing Care Census.

CRITERIA FOR RECENT CHANGE ARROW:

This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 0.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 0.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 0.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.

For information on general methodological approach, please click here.

FUTURE ISSUES OR REVIEWS:

No issues.

ASSOCIATED TARGET:

No associated target.