At the crossroads of disadvantage : an intersectional analysis of the Scottish data on care

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Lumsden, Kerr (2026) At the crossroads of disadvantage : an intersectional analysis of the Scottish data on care. Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 25 (1). pp. 87-114. ISSN 1478-1840 (https://doi.org/10.17868/strath.00096155)

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Abstract

The data system for care in Scotland has been criticised for failing to accurately depict the lives of care experienced young people. This article examines and evaluates national statistics and definitions in the context of education. It uses an intersectional lens and the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund as an applied case study. Descriptive analysis of both national statistics and quantitative data from Freedom of Information requests submitted to local authorities is used to evaluate the Scottish educational data system. The findings indicate that the data system struggles to identify care experienced individuals, instead focusing on looked after children, who are treated as a homogenous group within the data. The system also overlooks key factors that may contribute to lower educational attainment, such as sex, socioeconomic status and disability. Furthermore, the existing indicators do not provide a sufficiently detailed view to draw meaningful inferences on changes in care experienced young people’s attainment over time. The analysis demonstrates how decisions around data and definitions shape who is included, create gaps in local authorities’ knowledge and influence resource allocation. The article advocates for greater criticality among users of official statistics, its findings are highly relevant for policymakers, practitioners and researchers interested in education or the data system for care experienced young people. It also aims to support keeping the Promise by advocating for a more inclusive data system which would provide a greater evidence base for future policy development.

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