1. Data in the third sector (Health Development Officer)
Lucy McTernan
(Deputy CEO)
Ian Mathieson
(Health Development Officer)

2. Looking beyond statutory services…
Attends GP
Takes prescriptions
Admitted to hospital
Receives test results
Has care plan
Attends lunch club
Referred to specialist
Receives care assessment
Uses online self-management tool
Member of bowling club
Volunteer delivers groceries
Visited by befriender
Engagement with NHS / Local Authority
Engagement with Third Sector
Impact on health & well-being

3. Missed opportunities?
To connect people to third sector organisations and activities to improving their health and wellbeing,
To understand the extent to which different services have improved health and wellbeing for individuals
To understand the effectiveness and value-for-money of services provided by the third sector when compared to statutory services.
To simplify the process of moving between services, sharing personal data with appropriate consent

4. An important opportunity…
For statutory services to make use of data in the third sector used to make better decisions about individuals, groups, communities and whole populations.

5. What data and how could it be used?
Data type
What is it?
How might it be used?
Data on individuals
Personal information shared between statutory and third sector professionals, with the appropriate consent.
To understand what individuals need and tailor services appropriately. To track pathways and interventions.
Data on services and activities
Information on what services and activities are available to support people in their local area.
To support 'social prescribing'. To see gaps in services and throw light on why there might be better outcomes in some areas than others.
Data on service use
Administrative and survey data on number and profile of people using particular services.
To understand the demand for and use of services, as well as the profile of users.
Audit, evaluation and research
Quantitative and qualitative reports.
To understand the extent to which services meet agreed quality standards. To understand the effectiveness and impact of services.
Local knowledge and intelligence
Qualitative / informal feedback by those working with specific communities.
To interpret quantitative data and understand why things may or may not work for a specific community.

6. The potential impact More holistic care for individuals
Better decision making for communities
Improved health and wellbeing for Scotland’s people
By having a more comprehensive picture of the services and support available to, and used by, individuals, we can:
Increase choice and self-directedness for people and families;
Ensure people access services and support that best meet their needs; and
Enable professionals to tailor services appropriately.
Better integration of third sector data could support:
Better policy-making
Better service design
Better investment decisions by strategic commissioners
Having a more in depth and accurate view of the range and effectiveness of services that people engage with will enable more strategic investment in the right services. It will also encourage and support a more ‘joined up’ approach to the delivery of services, all of which will improve the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s citizens.

7. Some local examples…
Threading the Needle was a Scottish Government funded programme to support health and social care commissioners in Glasgow, Fife, North Ayrshire and Perth and Kinross to use third sector evidence to commission outcomes for health and social care.

8. Need for further work…
Develop a better understanding of opportunities within the third sector
Develop a better understanding of opportunities amongst public sector partners
Support the development of skills and capability within the third sector to record, analyse and share data appropriately – as well as use public sector data in their own planning processes
Create partnerships to develop practical action on specific strands of work.
Develop a better understanding of the opportunities related to data within the third sector itself.
Develop a better understanding of third sector data amongst public sector partners, and how this might support the planning and delivery of statutory services.
Support the development of skills and capability within the third sector to record, analyse and share data appropriately – as well as use public sector data in their own planning processes.
Create partnerships to develop practical action on specific strands of work.

9. Discussion
What do you see as the key opportunities for the use of third sector data in your work?
What might some of the challenges be?
Are there examples of existing good practice?
What might be some ‘quick wins’?