Overview of key data sources: Scottish House Condition Survey

Organisation Responsible: Communities Scotland (formerly Scottish Homes).

Background and purpose: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) is the largest single housing survey undertaken in Scotland and the only national study to look at the physical condition of dwellings as well as interviewing occupiers. The aims of the survey are as follows:

• to monitor the physical quality of Scotland's housing stock at a national level over time,
• to contribute to the understanding of the factors which influence the physical condition of the housing stock,
• to provide a benchmark against which outputs from local surveys can be measured,
• to supplement the system of resource allocation within the Scottish Executive and Communities Scotland,
• to explore relationships between investment and stock condition both at a local and national level,
• to provide information for policy development in all areas of housing and community regeneration.

Survey years / frequency: The survey was previously conducted every 5 or 6 years with series in 1991, 1996 and 2002. In 2003, the survey moved to a format of continuous fieldwork and key estimates will be available annually. The first report from the continuous model covers the period October 2003-September 2004.

Survey content: The 2003/04 survey consisted of two parts: a social interview (conducted with the Highest Income Householder or his/her spouse/partner) and a subsequent physical inspection carried out by a trained building professional. The social interview covered a range of topics, including household composition; tenure, previous moves and intention to move; self-reported health status and respiratory health; work done to the dwelling; heating arrangements, their use and costs; housing costs; satisfaction with the home and the local environment; existing adaptations and the need for others; employment status and income.

The physical inspection focused on the basic description of the dwelling; the material used in construction; the state of repair of the internal, external and common parts; the remaining life of external and common elements; amenities and services present; heating systems and insulation; whether or not the dwelling complied with the Barrier Free Standard; whether or not the dwelling complied with the Tolerable Standard.

Target population: All types of housing, whether owned or rented, flats and houses, in urban, rural and island locations across the whole of Scotland.

Sample size: Stratified random sample from the Postcode Address File, plus a longitudinal sample from a proportion of those previously surveyed. In 2003/04, the SHCS gathered data from almost 4,000 households and dwellings, with paired social and physical data available for around 3,000 of these.

Response rate: In 2003/04, a full social interview was achieved at 70% of eligible addresses. Eighty one percent of dwellings with a full social interview also had a full physical inspection giving paired cases (full social and physical survey) in 56% of all eligible addresses in the original sample.

Method of data collection: Interviewers undertake face-to-face Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing interviews with householders. Where consent is given, surveyors conduct a physical inspection of the premises.

Smallest geographical unit reported: Local authority.

Availability of results and further information: Further details on the survey can be obtained from the SHCS website or by contacting the survey office within Communities Scotland (tel: 0131 479 5263, email: shcs@communitiesscotland.gov.uk). The complete datasets can be obtained from the UK Data Archive.