Why your annual returns are so important
Why your annual returns are so important
Every year in January and February, we ask care service providers to complete an annual return. It asks for a great deal of information about your service and the people who use it. It is important to know why you are asked for this information, and what we do with it.
First and foremost, the information you provide in the annual return helps us understand your service. This means inspectors are able to plan and prepare for effective inspections that are focused appropriately.
Not only is the annual return important for planning and focusing inspections, but the information you also give provides a national picture, which can help the us and other partner organisations in a number of ways.
Annual returns will be available between 6 January and 2 March 2025 and should be completed online through our eForms system. Services can log in to their Care Inspectorate eForms account from any computer connected to the internet. The closing date includes an extension of two weeks on our usual six-week deadline.
Even inactive services must submit an annual return.
If a service was registered on or after 1 October 2024, it should try to complete an annual return this year. Although it is not mandatory for these services, any information supplied will be used by the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Government. The information entered this year will automatically appear in the December 2025 annual return and only information that has changed will need to be entered.
Benchmarks and comparisons for inspectors
Inspectors can compare a service they are looking at with national averages to identify potential issues. For example, if the inspector is preparing to inspect a service with higher staff turnover than average, when they inspect, the inspector might look at the impact this could have had on the quality of care and outcomes for people using that service.
Publishing statistics
We also publish statistical reports of some of the annual returns data. We also use the annual return data to inform many of our other publications such as:
National policy makers (the Scottish Government) can use these summaries and publications to shape and evaluate national policies and providers can see how their service compares with other services.
Supporting improvement
The intelligence we gather through annual returns helps us target our improvement activity and support within social care. It is a great source of baseline data across a variety of health and wellbeing indicators which we use to identify, drive and track improvement, for example infection control, nutrition and the recruitment and retention of staff. The data also helps us to identify trends and topics by both geographical area or service type, so that we can see where best to focus our improvement support work, for example, improvement workshops or new resources and guidance for care services across the sector.
Reducing duplication and sharing information
We also share information with other public bodies to reduce duplication and the costs of data collection for both the taxpayer and the people providing data. For example, anonymised staffing information is shared with the Scottish Social Services Council, so they can develop intelligence about the workforce without having to collect additional data from care services.
If you need help accessing the annual return, you can call our contact centre on 0345 600 9527 or read our frequently asked questions (to follow).
Read more
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions from the briefing sessions to community justice strategic groups to the Care Inspectorate.
| Questions/Points raised | Response |
| Will the model use a 6 or 4-point evaluation scale? | From on-going discussion, we recognised that a 4-point scale might simplify the model and allow for different language but overall, it was felt a 6-point scale would be more helpful in being able to evaluate and see improvement over time. Using improvement language was viewed as being beneficial. |
| As different partnerships are at different stages in development, there was some reservation about capacity to undertake this work and what the expectations were to undertake self-evaluation. | A second phase of the project has been proposed which would focus on building capacity and confidence in partnerships in undertaking meaningful self-evaluation. Partners thought this was required and as well as support locally, there may be benefits for specific support for some partners on a national basis. The OPI Framework does not specify requirements specifically about undertaking self-evaluation. However, embarking on this work will be externally valuable for partnerships in helping strive for continuous improvement and excellence and establishing a strong sense of performance and key priority areas for action. It will also enable partners to identify key strengths. When Community Justice Scotland comes into being, they may wish to offer further views on this. |
| We sent the initial correspondence for the briefing to chairs of Community Planning Partnerships; this has not always resulted in it being passed on. | We took this approach at the end of March 2016 as we recognised strategic partnerships were at different stages in development and CPP chairs were the one constant. We then followed this up by ensuring we copied all transitions leads in to subsequent correspondence about the briefings and this proved more successful. Subsequent dialogue with local areas has resulted in the decision that we will make all chairs of strategic groups the main contact point with the transition leads copied in to all communication. This should make communication flow easier and more consistent. |
| Partners felt strongly that the language should have an improvement tone. | We agree and will endeavour to ensure the model reflects this. |
| Partners had some reservations about expectations of performance against the quality indicators within the self-evaluation model. This was based on the transition stage and the timing required to embed community justice and how this may reflect performance evaluations. |
We understand there are reservations and there are a couple of elements to consider.
|
| Are you speaking to other groups as well as statutory partners? | Yes, we have an extensive approach to engagement and involvement, which will be happening during summer 2016. This will involve a staff survey, service user focus groups and stakeholder focus groups/meetings. |
| Some partners were slightly apprehensive that the staff survey would ask questions about community justice that may still be new or unknown to many staff and were unsure how this would be interpreted and used. | The staff survey is for us to develop the self-evaluation model only. This will be to ensure that a wide range of staff have an opportunity to give their views and influence what the self-evaluation model looks like. The survey is confidential and we will not use it for any other purpose |
| Will partners be able to use the survey questions for their own use? | There is no reason why partners can’t use the content of the Care Inspectorate survey with their staff locally to help gather views and opinions about community justice. They may want to consider amending some or all of the questions to meet local needs |
| Has there been any research done in developing the model? | The proposed model is based on the EFQM framework which is widely known and used and highly regarded across a very wide range of public and private sector organisations. Frameworks based on EFQM have been used to inform scrutiny models in Scotland for many years. In developing this model we are also drawing on existing research, policy and strategy including ‘Reducing reoffending in Scotland’ and ‘Commission on Women Offenders’. |
| Whilst a self-evaluation model is helpful the demand on time was highlighted in respect of evidence. Is there any way to reduce this? | We will consider this when developing the model and plan to include some tips about approaches to gathering evidence. In all of the models we have developed, we encourage partners to use evidence they need to gather anyway, either for the purposes of routine reporting or for ongoing service improvement, rather than undertaking self-evaluation for its own sake. |
| Some partners were slightly concerned about the plans for future inspection of community justice and them being over scrutinised. | The OPI Framework states the intentions for any future inspection of community justice. The Care Inspectorate recognises the need for any scrutiny work to be proportionate, risk-based, targeted and firmly directed at supporting improvement in outcomes for people. |
Read more
Positive approach to risk in play
The Care Inspectorate is showing its support for nurseries, childminders and other early years care services that take a positive approach to risk, by setting out its position on regulating for risk in play. We launched our position statement with the support of Play Scotland at their event Playing with risk: embracing the benefits with positive regulation, held in January 2016.
The Care Inspectorate’s position statement
“The Care Inspectorate supports care service providers taking a positive approach to risk in order to achieve the best outcomes for children. This means moving away from a traditional deficit model that takes a risk-averse approach, which can unnecessarily restrict children’s experiences attending registered services, to a more holistic risk-benefit model. For example, we encourage services to use risk assessment to support children to enjoy potentially hazardous activities such as woodwork using real tools, exploring nature and playing in the mud and rain. We do not expect written risk assessments to be carried out for daily play activities.”
Context
Embracing a risk-benefit approach is part of changing our regulatory culture. For example, when we inspect we now assess the experience of the children attending and try to help services to improve. Traditionally the regulator would have just measured inputs and ensured that all services complied with the expected standards.
A positive approach to risk in play is being taken by specialist outdoor-based services for children. Since the UK’s first full-time forest nursery was registered in Fife in 2008, outdoor-based services have flourished in Scotland. At this event, the Care Inspectorate celebrated the growth of these services and their contribution to developing a proportionate approach to risk.
Play Scotland support
Cherie Morgan, Play Development Officer, Play Scotland says: “We want to see a common sense approach to risk in play, where practitioners weigh up the benefits, as well as the risks involved with activities. The opportunity to face challenges in a supportive environment helps children and young people learn to assess and manage risk for themselves, and this is vitally important for their development. We’re delighted to work with the Care Inspectorate to highlight this message to those who are responsible for the day to day care of children.”
Ministerial support
Aileen Campbell MSP and Minister for Children and Young People supports this new approach with the following statement.
“In June 2013 the Scottish Government published the Play Strategy for Scotland, which seeks to improve the play experiences of all children and young people, including those with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Strategy aims to ensure all children and young people can access play opportunities in a range of settings which offer variety, adventure and challenge. They must be able to play freely and safely while learning to manage risks and make choices about where, how and when they play according to their age, stage, ability and preference.
“A huge part of this is giving regulated services the confidence to provide good quality, challenging play opportunities for children in their care. Real life experiences for children cannot be free of risk; from the very beginning children learn from trial and error, falling and getting up, testing their own boundaries and this enables them to develop their own coping strategies and resilience.
“It is important too that children with additional support needs also have the chance to experience challenging play – and that quality play opportunities are offered to all children, according to their needs and preferences.
“Myth busting in terms of what ‘safe care’ is for our children is also important. Scotland’s children deserve to be cared for in a loving, nurturing environment that includes hugs and the comfort of touch, which is even more important now that children are in care environments from a younger age and for longer periods of time.
“I am delighted that the Care Inspectorate is supporting care service providers to adopt a more holistic risk-benefit model to help them achieve the best outcomes for children. This positive approach to risk emphasises confidence in providers using their professional judgement to support, nurture and challenge the children and young people in their care.”
Read more
Community justice in Scotland – approach to self-evaluation
On the 24 November 2016 the Scottish Government launched the national strategy for community justice alongside the Outcome, Performance and Improvement Framework (OPI Framework). These outline the vision for community justice in Scotland with the OPI Framework providing expectations and guidance for statutory partners and the third sector. The statutory partners are:
- Local authorities
- Health boards
- Police Scotland
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)
- Skills Development Scotland
- Integration joint boards (IJBs)
- Scottish courts and tribunals service
- Scottish Ministers (in practice, the Scottish Prison Service and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service)
The model for community justice came in to full effect on 1 April 2017. At the same time the new national body for community justice, Community Justice Scotland, also commenced.
The Scottish Government commissioned the Care Inspectorate to develop a guide to self-evaluation for community justice in Scotland. This guide sits within the OPI Framework and is part of the wider approach that statutory partners, third sector and others can use in striving for continuous improvement and excellence in community justice.
The self-evaluation guide was also launched as part of the OPI Framework can be downloaded by clicking on the links below
A guide to self-evaluation for community justice in Scotland
Useful information and quick tips for using the self evaluation guide
The development of the guide was undertaken in a truly collaborative way that ensured key partners, services users and other stakeholders were involved throughout the development process. We met with strategic groups to discuss self-evaluation and harness their views on different approaches to the guide. We sent a survey to staff involved in delivering community justice across Scotland to hear what they thought was important. We also met with groups of people with lived experience of community justice to gather their views and ensure the guide reflected what was important to them.
While the guide is primarily for statutory partners and the third sector to use as an approach for continuous improvement and striving for excellence, it also forms the basis of the model for scrutiny and inspection of community justice in the future.
Update briefing note July 2018
Completed supported and validated self evaluations
If you have any questions about this please contact Jane Kelly on 07468702550 or by email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Read more
eForms: Information for providers about extensions
The eForms system is now available for providers. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
In order to help providers, we have extended submission dates for annual returns and some providers' self assessments. The table below shows the new deadlines.
| Process/forms | New submission date | Information for providers |
| Annual returns | 29 February 2016 | The final submission date has been extended to reflect the system being unavailable. |
| Self assessment | 18 February 2016 | Those services that were closed over the festive period and were given an extension to the end of January have another two weeks from 4 February. |
| Draft inspection reports and error response forms | 25 February 2016 | If you have been unable to view your draft report and/or submit your error response form you now have an additional fifteen working days from 4 February. |
| Final inspection reports and actions plans | 25 February 2016 |
If you have been unable to view your final report and/or submit your action plan you now have an additional 15 working days from 4 February. If you are waiting for you report to be finalised, we shall do so once the date for the error response form has passed. |
| Notifications | 25 February 2016 |
Please use our eForms to log all notifications that occured whilst the systems were not available including any you have already contacted your inspector about. Any notifications you have already submitted online will not be lost. You will be able to see what you have previously submitted to your account.
|
| Any other eForms documents | For any other eForms documents (such as an application to inactive/active or vary your registration), we shall process your forms as quickly as possible. | |
| Scottish Care Home Census | April 2016 - date to be confirmed. | The submission period is not affected. You'll receive a message from us nearer the time to confirm the date of submission |
If you have any concerns please contact the Contact Centre helpline on 0345 600 9527
Read more