Are Disabled Children Visible in Scotland's Children's Statistics? : Understanding the Data: A Review of Scotland's Statistics

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McTier, Alexander (2024) Are Disabled Children Visible in Scotland's Children's Statistics? : Understanding the Data: A Review of Scotland's Statistics. CELCIS, Glasgow.

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Abstract

The collection of good quality statistics is critical to increasing the awareness and visibility of disabled children and to better understanding their needs. The Scottish Government’s Data collection and publication guidance: Disability paper published in 2022 highlights the importance of good quality statistics by stating: “Disability statistics are important for monitoring discrimination and inequality. Good quality disability data will help with understanding the issues faced by disabled people...(and)… may also be used to inform policy formulation and service delivery” (Scottish Government, 2022 pp2-3). As well as informing and influencing national and local policy makers, funders, and leaders and managers of services, having good quality disabled children’s statistics can lead to better support for individual children. Identifying and recording a child’s disability enables services to better understand the child, make reasonable adjustments, provide supports that meet the child’s individual needs, and consequently deliver on their Equality Act 2010 and Children (Scotland) Act 1995 statutory duties. Furthermore, if needs are understood and recorded at an early stage in a child’s life and/or disability, there are greater opportunities to put in place preventative, early intervention and/or anticipatory support before their support needs increase and longer-term or specialist care is required.

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McTier, Alexander ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3639-5214;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)