Plan

1. The Scotstat Network of Local Government and Public Body Analysts Survey Conference The Scottish House Condition Survey Ian Máté

2. Plan • SHCS Background • Working with Local Authorities • Future?

3. The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) • 3,000 occupied households every year; • 2-stage Survey: • Social Survey – 3,000 variables • Physical Survey – 400 variables • Random Sample of each Local Authority - unclustered • Yearly minimum of 80 surveys per Local Authority

5. What is the SHCS? • Purpose: To measure progress and inform policy; • Outcome: Measures the quality of people’s experience of housing against the quality of housing in Scotland. • SHCS can set a baseline by area (National, Urban/ rural, SIMD), Tenure and Dwelling Type etc - ANNUALLY • Provides a Local Authority picture annually but has to use 3 years worth of data so currently uses 2005/06, 2007 and 2008 survey data. • We publish an annual LA report on the web using 3 years worth of data.

6. SHCS Background • The main policy areas covered: • Scottish Housing Quality Standard • Fuel Poverty • Fuel use • Energy Efficiency • Insulation • Dwelling Amenities • Barrier-free • Age and type of stock

7. Social Data;Physical Data;Social and Physical Data • Households and Energy Efficiency; • Health and dwelling conditions; • Housing and older people; • Housing and Noise; • Barrier-free (housing and disability); • Fuel Poverty

8. Scottish Housing Quality Standard

9. The Scottish Housing Quality Standard % Failure rate of Social Housing by Local Authority

10. Fuel Poverty

11. Fuel Poverty

12. Houses are becoming more energy efficient – but still a long way to go

13. Energy efficiency of up to 2 extensions • Barrier-free – more coherent • Heating and boiler details • Insulation – more detail • Council Tax band, amount and discounts; • On or off the gas grid; New Data

14. Physical form changes • Leaded windows • Stone type • Stone technique • Shutters • Roofing materials • Traditional building materials, • Local sustainable sources, • Supporting craft courses and trades.

15. New data challenges - EPCs

16. New challenges – EPCs

17. New challenges – EPCs

18. Emulated EPC Energy Efficiency Rating

19. EPC Energy Efficiency Rating

20. EPC Energy Efficiency Rating

21. EPC Energy Efficiency Rating

22. Why I wanted to speak today • 32 Local Authorities based on historical accident and geography; • 5,000,000 people; • 2,300,000 dwellings; • Is it too difficult to have a combined Housing Survey covering all Local Authorities’ needs on an Annual basis?

23. Why I wanted to speak today • THE SHCS can give a Local Authority estimate annually but, according to our ‘rules’ has to use 3 years worth of data. • So we currently use 2005/06, 2007 and 2008 survey data.

25. Current situation • Our contractor is Ipsos_MORI • Our contract foresees Local Authority boosts • using the SHCS infrastructure • But it ties Ipsos-MORI to: • Taking a social and physical survey; and • The SHCS methods and standards • This is expensive because of: • High data quality standards and • High rates of response required involving extensive call backs.

26. Current situation 2 COUNCILS - Scottish Borders and Aberdeenshire have bought private sector boosts but extra resource management and weighting strategies and so on must be managed; it is not straight forward. On such a small scale its not of much benefit to an overall strategy of to provide annual consistent, comparable data across all local authorities.

27. Is there a better way? • We hope to be able to utilise the EPC data statistically in some way not defined as yet to provide weighted energy efficiency output on an LA basis annually. 2 Can we determine a consistent universal housing and household data requirement for all LAs ; and work from there to produce a national survey that meets Local and National Government Policy needs? Are there viable options?

28. Are there viable options? Problems: Small LAs need disproportionate boosts but have less money and expertise. Local House Condition Survey are ad hoc, with different content and varying quality and no consistency across time or between Local Authorities. Disproportionate management and training costs for LAs.

29. Are there viable options? 2 Models: • Option 1? • SG in partnership with COSLA (e.g.?) set up a survey umbrella organisation to manage consistent surveys. • Could have a predominant core social survey with some room for local modules? • About 300 surveys per year per LA?

30. Are there viable options? 2 Models: • Option 2? • Standardised survey modules provided which are mandated by a Local Authority umbrella organisation? • This would allow LAs to use local resources where they are available. • Sampling; Social interviewer recruitment, Social interviewer training; social interviewer field force; CAPI Scripts and validation; Portable laptops with CAPI scripts and validation; Physical survey appointment system; Physical Survey recruitment; Physical survey training;

31. Option 2? Sampling; Social interviewer recruitment, Social interviewer training; social interviewer field force; CAPI Scripts and validation; Portable laptops with CAPI scripts and validation. Physical survey appointment system; Physical Survey recruitment; Physical survey training; Field management; Back checking; Scanning and validation. Software training; Database quality assurance; Derived variable production. Are there viable options? 2nd Model:

32. Is there a feeling that there should be more consistency across Scotland? Is it possible for a nationally co-ordinated survey to meet local needs exactly enough to remove the need for local surveys? Would it save money, create efficiencies or is it doomed as too inflexible to meet local needs? Are there viable options? 2nd Model:

33. Ian.mate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk West Lothian sustainable, low-carbon footprint, affordable housing development.