Analysis and linkage of administrative data

A longitudinal (2012 to 2022) dataset of the Children Looked After Statistics (CLAS) held by the Scottish Government for the full cohort of 1,836 children will be analysed by Jade Hooper and Linda Cusworth. This will help us to map children’s pathways and permanence status, including their journeys since 2016 (in Phase 1 we analysed the CLAS from 2012 to 2016). 

The Children Looked After Statistics will be securely linked to child protection and education data collected by the Scottish Government. This will enable us to explore what factors influence children’s wellbeing and outcomes.  

All administrative data is pseudonymised – which means the research team don’t have children’s names and individual children can’t be identified. Safe and secure access and linkage of administrative data held by the Scottish Government has been approved by the Statistics Public Benefit and Privacy Panel, and the legal paperwork is now in place ready for data access.  

Jade Hooper and Linda Cusworth are leading on the analysis and linkage of administrative data.