How to use the CSV files
Published 23 October 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/adult-social-care-activity-report-england-2024-to-2025/how-to-use-the-csv-files
Introduction
This document provides guidance on how to use the comma-separated value (CSV) files that contain the full set of local authority activity statistics produced from the client level data (CLD) collection covering 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The CSV files provide a structured machine-readable presentation of the activity data in a long table format, with some features to make it usable and searchable with the use of a spreadsheet application. It also provides some additional data (breakdowns) that is not presented in the Excel tables.
The 5 CSV files contain all the data for the 9 measures included in this year’s publication and are published on the Adult social care activity report, England: 2024 to 2025 page.
Similarities with the former activity publication SALT
If you are familiar with the previous short and long term (SALT) activity data publication, these CSVs follow a similar layout but with some changes.
For example, the data is now split into 5 separate CSV files:
- requests for support (STS001)
- short-term support to maximise independence (STS002) - this includes STS002a and STS002b
- long-term support (LTS001) - this includes LTS001a, LTS001b and LTS001c data
- reviews of long-term care and support plans (LTS002) - this includes for LTS002a and LTS002b
- accommodation and employment status of people receiving long-term support (LTS004)
In the former SALT CSV files, the list of metrics was in the column labelled ‘Sheet’. In these CSV files, metrics names are in the column labelled ‘Measures’.
In the former SALT CSV files, the list of tables within each metric was in the column labelled ‘Table’. In these CSV files, they are in the column labelled ‘Views’.
The views are not always direct copies of the former SALT tables. More information about each measure and view is available at the end of this document.
Measures and views
Each CSV file contains cross-sections of the data relating to a specific measure called views. A view shows cross-sections of the data for only a subset of the variables in that measure. We use views because full tables that include every breakdown across all measures and variables would be too large to handle using standard spreadsheet applications.
The first 11 column names in each CSV file are identical, as follows:
- FYEnding - the financial year
- Measure - the ‘metric’ name previously used in SALT
- View - the views follow a similar structure to what were previously ‘tables’ in SALT
- GeographyLevel - the 6 geography columns are used to identify local authority, region and national England level data
- CASSRCode
- GeographyCode
- DHGeographyName
- RegionGOCode
- GeographyName
- UID - the data item’s unique identifier
- AggregationLevel - this shows the combinations of variables used to produce a final value (see below for more information)
The remaining columns in the CSV are the variables in the metric, and the column ITEMVALUE, which contains the data (either counts of events, or episodes or people, depending on the view or measure).
Aggregation level
The aggregation level column helps you navigate the CSV.
A data item with AggregationLevel detail means no extra aggregation has been applied in that view (other than the aggregation needed to create the view itself).
Other values of AggregationLevel show that one or more variables in the view have been aggregated.
The value of AggregationLevel describes which variables have not been aggregated.
For example, the AggregationLevel ‘Age band and support setting total’ means all variables in the view, except for age band and support setting, have been aggregated.
When variables are aggregated, the value 99 will appear in the relevant columns to show this.
CSV style example
This example shows a data item for people aged 18 to 64 in long-term residential care.
In this view, the variable PrimarySupportReason is included but the data is aggregated across all Primary Support Reason categories. The Aggregation Level shows this.
The AggregationLevel is ‘Age band and support setting total’, which means that the data is broken down only by age band and support setting.
The value 99 in PrimarySupportReason shows that this variable has been aggregated.
The ITEMVALUE is 256, which is the total for this group.
| AggregationLevel | AgeBand | SupportSetting | PrimarySupportReason | ITEMVALUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age band and support setting total | 18 to 64 | Long term support: residential care | 99 | 256 |
Description of the views
The available data and breakdowns in the CSV files are listed below grouped by measure and view.
| Measure | View | What is counted | Variables |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTS001a | 1 | Clients | Age band, service type, delivery mechanism, primary support reason |
| LTS001a | 4 (Funding status) | Clients | Age band, service type, client funding status |
| LTS001b | 1 | Clients | Age band, service type, delivery mechanism, primary support reason |
| LTS001b | 2 | Clients | Age band, service type, delivery mechanism, has unpaid carer |
| LTS001b | 3 | Clients | Service type, delivery mechanism, gender, ethnicity |
| LTS001b | 4 (Funding status) | Clients | Age band, service type, client funding status |
| LTS001c | 1 | Clients | Age band, service type, delivery mechanism, primary support reason |
| LTS001c | 4 (Funding status) | Clients | Age band, service type, client funding status |
| LTS002a | 1 - Clients | Clients receiving unplanned reviews | Age band, support setting, significant event, sequel |
| LTS002a | 1 - Reviews | Reviews - unplanned | Age band, support setting, significant event, sequel |
| LTS002a | 2 - Clients | Clients receiving planned reviews | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002a | 2 - Reviews | Reviews - planned | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002a | 3 - Clients | Clients receiving both planned and unplanned reviews | Age band |
| LTS002a | 4 - Clients | Clients receiving reviews of unknown type | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002a | 4 - Reviews | Reviews - unknown | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002a | 5 - Clients | Clients receiving reviews of any type | Age band |
| LTS002b | 1 - Clients | Clients receiving unplanned reviews | Age band, support setting, significant event, sequel |
| LTS002b | 1 - Reviews | Reviews - unplanned | Age band, support setting, significant event, sequel |
| LTS002b | 2 - Clients | Clients receiving planned reviews | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002b | 2 - Reviews | Reviews - planned | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002b | 3 - Clients | Clients receiving both planned and unplanned reviews | Age band |
| LTS002b | 4 - Clients | Clients receiving reviews of unknown type | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002b | 4 - Reviews | Reviews - unknown | Age band, support setting, sequel |
| LTS002b | 5 - Clients | Clients receiving reviews of any type | Age band |
| LTS004 | 1 | Clients | Age band, primary support reason, gender, employment status |
| LTS004 | 2 | Clients | Age band, primary support reason, gender, accommodation status |
| STS001 | 1 - 18 to 64 | Requests, and total clients | Age band, route of access, sequel |
| STS001 | 2 - 65 and over | Requests, and total clients | Age band, route of access, sequel |
| STS001 | 3 - Unknown age | Requests, and total clients | Age band, route of access, sequel |
| STS001 | 4 - Total | Requests | Age band, route of access, sequel |
| STS002a | 1 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, Route of access |
| STS002a | 2 | ST-Max episodes | Age band, sequel, primary support reason |
| STS002a | 3 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, has unpaid carer |
| STS002a | 4 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, ethnicity |
| STS002b | 1 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, Route of access |
| STS002b | 2 | ST-Max episodes | Age band, sequel, primary support reason |
| STS002b | 3 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, has unpaid carer |
| STS002b | 4 | ST-Max episodes | Sequel, ethnicity |
| STS002a and STS002b | 5 (Client numbers) | Clients | Age band, client type |