Developing analysis and presentation of results from the Scottish Health Survey

The internship is based in the Scottish Health Survey team within the Health & Social Care Analysis Division. The team is moving analysis of the survey from SAS to R and the project involves setting up programmes in R to analyse a wide range of the survey results, prepare tables and charts and output these in accessible formats. The candidate should have some experience of using R, though we do already have some code that can be adapted.

Research to improve education data collections

Following the publication of results from the 21/22 PIE Census, the Benchmarking and Improving Evidence Team (BIET) within Educational Analytical Services are now looking to the future of this data collection and considering how we can improve the data quality, better meet user needs and increase impact. This project will play a vital role in this development.

Adult Support and Protection – Data and Evidence Review

The ASP dataset has been revised to provide more robust data to inform improvement both at local and national level. Iriss worked with 5 ASP Learning Partners to review the previous ASP annual data return and develop a revised ASP minimum dataset. This has been approached in 2 phases, with Phase 1 indicators commenced in April 2023 largely mirroring indicators from the previous annual return. Phase 2 indicators were developed and tested by learning partners throughout 2023. The Phase 2 subset of the ASP minimum dataset was rolled out across all local authorities in April 2024.

Developing the evidence base on childcare for families most at risk of poverty

Scottish Government has committed to better understanding and testing how to deliver high-quality, local, affordable and accessible childcare which supports family wellbeing and employment and helps lift families out of poverty. We are working to build our evidence base in this area and are seeking an intern to help us with this. The project will involve gathering, critically evaluating and summarising evidence from a range of sources to fill identified evidence gaps.

Linking data to provide insights on variations in Cardiovascular Disease Prescribing in Scotland

The internship will contribute to the work of Administrative Data Research Scotland which combines the expertise of academic researchers with specialists in the Scottish Governments Office of the Chief Statistician to transform how de-identified public sector administrative data in Scotland is utilized for public benefit. ADR Scotland is one of the four national partners that make up ADR UK, alongside the Office for National Statistics. The programme has developed a new model with the creation of linkable datasets to help answer new and different policy relevant questions to enrich the evidence.