The 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland

ELCID is only as useful as the data behind it. The dashboard draws on several sources:

• Care Inspectorate inspection data for quality gradings
• Local authority returns through the biannual IS data return
• The Scottish Government ELC census
• Contextual data on deprivation and rurality

Local authorities complete the IS data return twice a year. It was introduced to support assurance during the expansion to 1140 hours. With that expansion complete, we’re reviewing the return so it serves its current purpose: supporting local planning and improvement.

We’re working with a group of co-design councils to review the return section by section and agree what data is genuinely useful to collect, and why. The aim is a redesigned return for the April 2027 collection, shaped by the people who complete it and tested with all local authorities before any changes are made.

ELCID data is handled under governance arrangements agreed with the Scottish Government and COSLA, so decisions about what data is shared, and with whom, sit with the right people.

Councils can help shape the data behind ELCID. To find out about the co-design work, or to share a view on the current return, contact the ELC team.