The Scottish Government

Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Blog

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Welcome to the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics ScotStat User Group Forum.

This blog section allows SNS users to comment on the site, its contents, use and future direction.

We would appreciate any comments on this new forum and its contents.

More blogs on specific issues such as low level crime statistics and updated access to services data will be added over the next few weeks.

If there are any specific issues you would like to see discussed on this site, please let us know.

Thanks
SNS Team

Comments

• 1. Paul Davison - Stirling

  Tuesday, December 11, 2007 11:05

  I'll kick things off and say that it would be extremely useful to be able directly link to reports. e.g. this should be a ward report for dunblane and bridge of allan but doesn't work: http://www.sns.gov.uk/Reports/Report.aspx?ReportId=2&AreaTypeId=MW&AreaId=42
  
  This would enable us to generate much wider use, awareness and understanding of the SNS site (and small area statistics generally) amongst colleages, and also links to our documents and web pages.
  
  Am I alone in this thought?

• 2. Bob Stead - West Lothian Council

  Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:53

  I think that the expanding database now represents an invaluable common portal to a wide range of neighbourhood statistics, and is a great help in identifying areas where partnership working is required.
  
  However, with the advent of the Scottish Government Outcome Indicators there will be a need for standard tailored reports focussing on the full range of topics as if we’re seeking to improve outcomes it will be necessary to have small area data for the full range of indicators (in order to identify local areas for improvement).
  
  I’d suggest that there should now be a consultation about establishing a fixed set of core data, the continuity of which will be guaranteed (unfortunately some indicators adopted for local reporting are no longer available). Work can then be undertaken to create a set of core reports around key themes which will be of increasing interest to all.
  
  It should then be possible to transfer this data easily intro local systems using standard protocols based on an agreed inter-operability process, as has been developed e.g. by ScotXed.
  

• 3. Bob Stead - West Lothian Council

  Wednesday, January 9, 2008 23:15

  I thought I'd post a link to a tool we've had created which allows users to select the postcodes matching any datazone, ward or postcode sector.
  
  We've had a lot of discussion locally about this sort of matching esp. around the authority borders, so I thought it would be helpful to commission Intrepidata to produce a user-friendly tool using the SNS lookup tables (as in their raw format these text files aren't exactly user friendly).
  
  Note: The file is very large (30MB) so will only load slowly. It also won't load unless macro security is set to medium on the Excel tools menu.
  
  Run the file, save the output with a different file name, and then just delete the columns which are not required. For example, some columns will be empty e.g. in West Lothian the datazones are named & matched to settlements & school catchments but these columns will not be filled for other authorities
  
  For file - see right hand menu at:
  http://www.wlinfo.org.uk/Geog1.html
  
  
  
  

• 4. John Palmer - Edinburgh

  Friday, April 18, 2008 17:22

  Does anyone else find it bizarre that report downloads jumble up the fields, so that Males are mixed with females and 5-9 year olds come after 60-64 year olds etc?
  
  Also, could the format of the report downloads be re-examined so that they are easier to form into pivot tables in Excel. As they are, for a basic user like me, I find I need to do a lot of copying and pasting.

• 5. Jennifer Boag - Falkirk Council

  Tuesday, May 6, 2008 08:39

  I totally agree with John's previous comment. It makes the data very difficult to use.