Best Start Foods: evaluation

Findings from the evaluation of Best Start Foods.


Annex A: Additional statistical information

Notes which apply to more than one statistical table are presented at the beginning of Annex A, as can be seen below. Notes which apply to only one statistical table are presented underneath the relevant table.

Notes – all tables

  • Figures are rounded for disclosure control and may not sum due to rounding.
  • Figures have been rounded to the nearest one percent – figures may not sum due to rounding.
  • Most results are presented to zero decimal places. '0%' should therefore be interpreted to mean less than 0.5%. If no responses were given then this is denoted by '-'.

Notes – tables 1-9

Notes – tables 10-13

Notes – tables 11-13

  • Financial Year 2019-2020 includes the months from 12 August 2019 to March 2020. Financial Year 2020-2021 includes the months from April 2020 to March 2021. Financial Year 2021-2022 includes the months from April 2021 to February 2022.
1. Number of approved applications by age-group, December 2020 to May 2021
Age-group Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
16-24 3,005 21%
25-34 7,970 55%
35-44 3,200 22%
45-64 285 2%
65 and over 5 0%
Unknown - -
Total 14,460 100%
2. Number of approved applications by Gender, December 2020 to May 2021
Gender Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Man 915 6%
Woman 13,235 92%
In another way 5 0%
Prefer not to say 305 2%
Unknown - -
Total 14,460 100%
3. Number of approved applications by Physical or Mental Health Condition, December 2020 to May 2021
Physical or Mental Health Condition Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Yes 2,415 17%
No 11,060 76%
Prefer not to say 985 7%
Unknown - -
Total 14,460 100%
4. Number of approved applications by Ethnicity, December 2020 to May 2021
Ethnicity Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
White 13,060 90%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 100 1%
Asian 520 4%
African 225 2%
Caribbean or Black 15 0%
Other ethnic group 130 1%
Prefer not to say 415 3%
Unknown 5 0%
Total 14,460 100%
5. Number of approved applications by Sexual orientation, December 2020 to May 2021
Sexual orientation Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Heterosexual 13,260 92%
Gay & Lesbian 45 0%
Bisexual 285 2%
In another way 50 0%
Prefer not to say 820 6%
Unknown 5 0%
Total 14,460 100%
6. Number of approved applications by Transgender, December 2020 to May 2021
Transgender Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Yes 35 0%
No 14,015 97%
Prefer not to say 410 3%
Unknown 5 0%
Total 14,460 100%
7. Number of approved applications by Urban Rural, December 2020 to May 2021
Urban Rural Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
1 -Large Urban Areas 5,080 35%
2 -Other Urban Area 5,875 41%
3 -Accessible Small Town 1,080 7%
4 -Remote Small Town 495 3%
5 -Accessible Rural Area 1,315 9%
6 -Remote Rural Area 575 4%
Unknown - Scottish 30 0%
Unknown - Other 10 0%
Total 14,460 100%

Notes – table 7

  • In Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis Urban Rural data is presented based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, 8-fold. In Table 7 it is based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, 6-fold. The 6-fold data in Table 6 has been calculated by aggregating the following items from the 8-fold data:
    • '4 - Remote Small Town', and '5 - Very Remote Small Town'
    • '7 - Remote Rural Area', and '8 - Very Remote Rural Area'
8. Number of approved applications by SIMD Quintile, December 2020 to May 2021
SIMD quintile Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
1 6,020 42%
2 3,810 26%
3 2,305 16%
4 1,585 11%
5 705 5%
Unknown – Scottish 30 0%
Unknown – Other 10 0%
Total 14,460 100%

Notes – table 8

  • In Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis SIMD data is presented based on SIMD Deciles. In Table 8 it is based on SIMD Quintiles. SIMD Quintiles data in Table 8 has been calculated by aggregating the following from the SIMD Deciles data:
    • Deciles 1 and 2 data, for Quintile 1
    • Deciles 3 and 4 data, for Quintile 2
    • Deciles 5 and 6 data, for Quintile 3
    • Deciles 7 and 8 data, for Quintile 4
    • Deciles 9 and 10 data, for Quintile 5
9. Number of approved applications by Islands, December 2020 to May 2021
Islands Total number of approved applications Total percentage of approved applications
Scotland – Island 160 1%
Scotland – Mainland 14,260 99%
Scotland – Unknown 30 0%
Other 10 0%
Total 14,460 100%
10. Number of approved applications by whether an applicant is a lone parent or not, all time – up to 28 February 2022
Lone parent status Total number of approved applications Total percentage of applications
Assumed lone parent 69,710 63%
Assumed partnership 40,505 37%
Total 110,220 100%

Notes – table 10

  • Whether an applicant is assumed to be lone parent or not is based on the presence (or absence) of a data field called "Partner Flag". Since it is possible for applicants to not fill in information about their partners, overestimation of lone parents can occur and thus caution is needed when interpreting these figures.
  • Whilst the vast majority of applications are from parents of children, some of the applications counted in these tables are from applicants with a different relationship to the child (e.g. grandparent, kinship carer etc.)

11. Number of approved applications for kinship carers, per financial year (rounded)

Kinship carer Total number of approved applications
2019-20 315
2020-21 690
2021-22 440
All time 1,445

Notes – table 11

  • An applicant is considered to be a kinship carer if at least one child attached to their application has a kinship relationship status. Data regarding relationship status was missing for roughly 2% of children and thus these figures may slightly undercount total number of kinship applicants
12. Number of approved applications by application channel, per financial year (Best Start Foods decision date)
  Online Paper Phone Unknown Total
2019-20 95,395 2,180 12,495 150 110,220
2020-21 25,810 265 4,215 70 30,360
2021-22 42,070 1,055 3,310 35 46,475
All time 27,510 865 4,970 40 33,385

Notes – table 12

  • Where application channel has been manually entered incorrectly, application channel has been classed as 'unknown'.
13. Processing times for approved applications, per financial year
Financial year 0-10 working days 11-20 working days 21 or more working days Average (median) processing time in working days
2019-20 7,750 14,375 8,015 14
2020-21 11,800 15,405 19,010 18
2021-22 8,145 8,085 17,110 21
All time 27,695 37,865 44,135 18

Notes – table 13

  • Processing time is calculated in working days, and public holidays are excluded, even if applications were processed by staff working overtime on these days. Processing time is only calculated for applications that were decided by 28 February 2022, and does not include any applications that are flagged as having had a redetermination request. The number of applications processed in this table is therefore lower than the number of decisions shown in other tables. Both Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant applications are being processed at the same time.
  • Median average has been used. The median is the middle value of an ordered dataset, or the point at which half of the values are higher and half of the values are lower.

How to access background or source data

The data collected for this social research publication:

☐ are available in more detail through Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics

☐ are available via an alternative route

☒ may be made available on request, subject to consideration of legal and ethical factors. Please contact social_research@gov.scot for further information.

☐ cannot be made available by Scottish Government for further analysis as Scottish Government is not the data controller.

Contact

Email: socialresearch@gov.scot

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