Rating of health and care experiences in terms of independent living (c24)

• This measures how people who have responded to the national Health and Care Experience survey rated their health and care experience in terms of independent living.. The survey responses include the following measure:

• Independent living - % of adults supported at home who agreed they are supported to live as independently as possible.

• The Health and Care Experience survey is undertaken every two years.  It asks about people's experiences (during the previous 12 months) of accessing and using their GP practice and other local healthcare services, as well as receiving care, support, and help with everyday living, and caring responsibilities.
• The figures used in this analysis are based on a subset of the survey which includes only those respondents whose care was funded by a council or health board. This may differ from figures included in the national report, which includes all respondents regardless of how their care is funded.

Why this matter

Measuring these indicators shows how effectively local services are supporting people’s everyday wellbeing, future resilience, and longer-term life chances.

• Measuring rates of independent living provides evidence on whether support enables people with health or care needs to manage at home and retain autonomy. This helps reveal strengths and gaps in provision, guides more targeted resource allocation, and acts as an early warning for rising demand or avoidable long‑term costs.

Latest performance

Independent living - % of adults supported at home who agreed that they are supported to live as independently as possible

107,538 (out of 526,758) individuals registered with a GP practice in Scotland responded to the 2024 national survey, an overall response rate of 20% - a decrease from 24% in the 2022 survey.

The response rate in 2024 in North Lanarkshire was 18% (6,429 out of a sample of 36,443), a decrease from 20% in the 2022 survey. 

Independent living - % of adults supported at home who agreed that they are supported to live as independently as possible

• The results from the 2024 perception survey showed that 67.7% of people surveyed in North Lanarkshire agreed they were supported to live independently.
• The latest results show a decline compared to the previous survey in 2022 (79.8%) and are lower than The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline (75.4%).

North Lanarkshire’s results over the years mirror the trends that can be seen in both the national average and the comparative average for the group of similar councils.

Figure 24a shows that North Lanarkshire’s latest results are lower than the comparative average for the group of similar councils (72.9%), which is closer to the latest national average (72.4%).

Changes in the calculations nationally in 2018 for the indicator mean the data before this date is not necessarily directly comparable with the data for 2020, 2022, or 2024 so care should be taken when assessment the trends.

It is expected that the 2022 results will reflect, to some extent, individual perceptions that were acquired during the pandemic, making comparisons with this particular year less able to be made on a similar basis.

Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire

Improving these indicators would signal that more people are benefiting from support that strengthens their independence, participation, and everyday stability.  

• Independent living - when more people live independently, they are able to maintain routines, avoid unnecessary admissions, and stay active in family, work, and community life.  This reduces pressure on formal services and supports longer social and economic contributions.