Evaluations (grades)

We will provide an overall evaluation for each of the key questions we inspect, using the six-point scale from unsatisfactory (1) to excellent (6). This will be taken from the specific quality indicators that we inspect.

The evaluations for each set of quality indicators within the key question will inform an overall evaluation (using the same scale) for that particular key question. key question the indicators sit under. 

Where we inspect only one of the quality indicators under a key question, the evaluation we give the indicator will automatically be the evaluation for the key question overall.  Where we inspect more than one quality indicator per key question, the overall evaluation for the key question will be the lowest evaluation (grade) of the quality indicators for that specific key question. 

For example, if we evaluate only one quality indicator under key question two, as ‘very good’ then the overall evaluation for key question two will be ‘very good’. However, if we evaluate three quality indicators under key question two as ‘good’, ‘adequate’, and ‘good’ respectively, the overall evaluation for the key question will be ‘adequate’. This indicates that there is a key element of practice that makes the overall key question no better than the lowest evaluation (grade).

The six-point scale

We use the six-point scale to describe the quality we see:

6        Excellent Outstanding or sector leading
5 Very good Major strengths 
4 Good Important strengths, with some areas for improvement
3 Adequate  Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
2  Weak Important weaknesses - priority action required
1 Unsatisfactory Major weaknesses - urgent remedial action required 

 

An evaluation of excellent describes performance which is sector leading and supports experiences and outcomes for people which are of outstandingly high quality.  There is a demonstrable track record of innovative, effective practice and/or very high-quality performance across a wide range of its activities and from which others could learn. We can be confident that excellent performance is sustainable and that it will be maintained.

An evaluation of very good will apply to performance that demonstrates major strengths in supporting positive outcomes for people.  There are very few areas for improvement.  Those that do exist will have minimal adverse impact on people’s experiences and outcomes.  While opportunities are taken to strive for excellence within a culture of continuous improvement, performance evaluated as very good does not require significant adjustment.

An evaluation of good applies to performance where there is a number of important strengths which, taken together, clearly outweigh areas for improvement.  The strengths will have a significant positive impact on people’s experiences and outcomes.  However, improvements are required to maximise wellbeing and ensure that people consistently have experiences and outcomes which are as positive as possible.

An evaluation of adequate applies where there are some strengths but these just outweigh weaknesses.  Strengths may still have a positive impact but the likelihood of achieving positive experiences and outcomes for people is reduced significantly because key areas of performance need to improve. Performance which is evaluated as adequate may be tolerable in particular circumstances, such as where a service or partnership is not yet fully established, or in the midst of major transition.  However, continued performance at adequate level is not acceptable. Improvements must be made by building on strengths while addressing those elements that are not contributing to positive experiences and outcomes for people.

An evaluation of weak will apply to performance in which strengths can be identified but these are outweighed or compromised by significant weaknesses.  The weaknesses, either individually or when added together, substantially affect peoples’ experiences or outcomes.  Without improvement as a matter of priority, the welfare or safety of people may be compromised, or their critical needs not met.  Weak performance requires action in the form of structured and planned improvement by the provider or partnership with a mechanism to demonstrate clearly that sustainable improvements have been made.

An evaluation of unsatisfactory will apply when there are major weaknesses in critical aspects of performance which require immediate remedial action to improve experiences and outcomes for people. It is likely that people’s welfare or safety will be compromised by risks which cannot be tolerated.  Those accountable for carrying out the necessary actions for improvement must do so as a matter of urgency, to ensure that people are protected, and their wellbeing improves without delay.

While we have clarified what we mean by each evaluation to ensure a better, shared understanding of these, our evaluation scale from one to six has not changed.  This is because in the 100 test inspections we carried out, there were no significant issues that indicated a change was needed.

The Health and Social Care Standards published by the Scottish Government in 2017, significantly modernise the expectations of what people should experience from their care and support.  We must, by law, take these into account when making decisions on our inspections.


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Register a care service (other than childminding)

Care services in Scotland must, by law, register with the Care Inspectorate.  

We regulate care services using the Health and Social Care Standards and the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. 

Click here to see the definitions of the care services that must be registered with us.

Before you register a care service you should read:

You can also visit The Hub, our ‘one-stop-shop’ website which has a wide range of resources aimed at supporting improvement in social care and social work by sharing intelligence and research-led practice. 

What to expect from the registration process 

You can now apply to register a care service online, using our new, secure system.  The online application is simple to complete and only asks you questions that are relevant to your service type. 

You can manage your application easily.  You can save it as you go and return to it later so you can complete and submit at your own pace.  You can go back to previous stages to check, change and add to your application.  The new application allows you to upload supporting documents and pay your application fee.

Read our Guidance for applicants on applying to register a care service and online registration application form - user guide before applying.  

Fees

Care services must pay fees to be registered with us.  The maximum limit is set by Scottish Ministers.  The fees we collect contribute to our operating costs.

We charge a fee for registering a new service and an annual continuation fee.  The annual continuation fee licenses a care service to operate.

All application fees are non-returnable.

To find out more about our fees click here.  

Fire safety information

The Fire and Rescue Service may inspect your premises to confirm your compliance, or to enforce the legislation if necessary.  Your application will not be concluded without a completed Fire Safety Checklist.  Read our guidance notes for fire safety checklist.

You should complete the following documents and return them to relevant organisation when you are ready to do so.  As the checklist is a declaration that everything is in place you may wish to wait until later in the process to do this e.g. if you are undergoing building works.

Membership of the PVG scheme and criminal records checks

You must pay an additional fee for the cost of a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme record checks as appropriate.  We will determine from your application who this will be applicable to and be in contact with you to provide the relevant disclosure documentation.

You can find out more about the fees for PVG applications on the Disclosure Scotland website.

The Care Inspectorate must be a counter signatory to your own scheme record, and as such we require you to progress your PVG application through us.  Once we complete the first part of the PVG application, you’ll receive an email with a link to complete your section.

Please be aware that, in addition to the PVG check, the Care Inspectorate also run online searches of publicly available information.  If we have concerns about the information we find, we may contact Police Scotland.

Registering with Disclosure Scotland

For you to countersign PVG or disclosure checks for your staff or volunteers, you must be registered with Disclosure Scotland.  You can find out how to register with Disclosure Scotland on their website. You will have a number of responsibilities after your register, including:

  • following Disclosure Scotland's Code of Practice
  • referring individuals to Disclosure Scotland when harmful or potential harmful behaviour and you dismiss the person as a result (or would or might have done had they not otherwise left).

You can also use an umbrella body to countersign PVG or disclosure checks on behalf of your organisation.  A list of umbrella bodies is available on the Disclosure Scotland website.

Contact Disclosure Scotland if you need help:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 0300 020 0040
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 4pm
Friday: 9am to 3:30pm

What happens next?

Once we have received your completed application and all the documentation we have asked you for, and you have paid the fee, we will contact you.  We aim to assess applications for a childminding service within three months and all other services within six months.  However, this presumes that you supply us with a competent and fully detailed application, as well as any additional information we request.  It is in your interest to give us all the information we ask for in the application form to prevent any delays or the risk of us closing or refusing your application.

Once you have submitted your application, our national registration team will check:

  • that the information you give us in the application form is correct
  • that the correct fee has been paid
  • whether you are fit to provide and manage the service
  • if your premises (where the service is to be provided) are fit to be used for that purpose
  • that the proposed service will make all the proper provisions for the health, welfare, independence, choice, privacy and dignity of everyone using the service.

We may also check the financial viability of the service.  Any information we ask for during this process is in accordance with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Successful registration

If your registration is successful, we will confirm this and provide you with a certificate of registration (electronically via our eForm portal), detailing the conditions of registration.  You should print the certificate and display it so that anyone who uses your service can read it.  The conditions of registration are also available on our care service list.

You will also see a list of records that you must keep and a list of notifications that you must make to the Care Inspectorate within our eForms portal.  See our guidance on records that all registered care services (except childminding) must keep and guidance on notification reporting.

Decisions on an application to register a service

Following an application for registration, under Section 59(1) of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 ("the Act"), the Care Inspectorate can in terms of s 60(1):

  • grant the application unconditionally, s60(1)
  • grant the application subject to conditions, s60(2)
  • refuse the application, s60(1).

If we propose to refuse your registration, or to grant registration subject to conditions that have not been agreed in writing, we must give you notice of our proposal to do so.  Such a notice, where sent by post, is deemed (by section 101 of the Act) to be received on the third day after the day it was posted. 

If you wish to dispute any matters, you must do this in writing within 14 days.  The notice of proposal will state where these must be addressed to.

If we propose to refuse registration, or to grant registration subject to conditions that have not been agreed in writing, you have a right of appeal to the sheriff.  This right is set out at section 75 of the Act.  Any appeal must be made within 14 days (17 days if we have sent this in the post). 

Create an account to begin your application

Sign in to see an existing application

If you need the application form in an alternative format, please call our contact centre on 0345 600 9527.


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Datastore

Our datastore is an online statistics tool for professionals who need to know about care services in Scotland.  It can provide information such as the number of care homes for older people in a particular area, or how many complaints have been upheld in the last year.

The Datastore provides information about the type and quality of care services in Scotland.  All current services (as at the date of the file) are included in the datastore, services that cancelled since the last update are removed and newly registered services are added each month.

The Datastore is available to download in two formats: an excel format which contains some pre-prepared pivot tables to assist with data analysis and a csv format which only contains the data.  These files are updated monthly.  There is also a separate document available which has definitions and notes on each of the data fields and it is recommended that this is used alongside the main data file as a reference.

All content is available under the Open Government License, unless otherwise stated.  More information on this license is available here.

Our Intelligence Team compile and manage the information within the Datastore.  For help using this or any queries relating to its content or use then please email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

You can find the latest datastore here. 

 

Datastore, year-end, are available below:


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Register a childminding service

Childminders must, by law, register with the Care Inspectorate. 

The legal definition of a childminder is a person who works with children for more than two hours a day in the childminder’s own home for reward.

We regulate childminders using the Health and Social Care Standards and the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Before you apply to register as a childminder you should read: 

You can also visit The Hub, our ‘one-stop-shop’ website which has a wide range of resources aimed at supporting improvement in social care and social work by sharing intelligence and research-led practice.

What to expect from the registration process

You can now apply to register a care service online, using our new, secure system.  The online application is simple to complete and only asks you questions that are relevant to your service type.

You can manage your application easily.  You can save it as you go and return to it later so you can complete and submit at your own pace.  You can go back to previous stages to check, change and add to your application.  The new application allows you to upload supporting documents and pay your application fee.

Read our guidance for applicants on applying to register a care service and online registration application form - user guide before applying. 

Fees

The registration fee for a childminder is £28.00.  This must be paid before we can consider your application.  An annual continuation fee of £17.00 is also applied for every year that you are registered.  

All application fees are non-returnable.

Find out more about our fees.

Fire safety information

The Chief Fire Officer Association on behalf of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has produced guidance on the fire precautions childminders should take.

You should complete the following documents and return them to the relevant organisation when you are ready to do so.  As the checklist is a declaration that everything is in place you may wish to wait until later in the process to do this.

Membership of the PVG scheme and criminal records checks

You must pay an additional fee for the cost of a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme record checks as appropriate.  We will determine from your application who this will be applicable to and be in contact with you to provide the relevant disclosure documentation.

You can find out more about the fees for PVG applications on the Disclosure Scotland website.

The Care Inspectorate must be a counter signatory to your own scheme record, and as such we require you to progress your PVG application through us.  Once we complete the first part of the PVG application, you’ll receive an email with a link to complete your section.

Please be aware that, in addition to the PVG check, the Care Inspectorate also run online searches of publicly available information.  If we have concerns about the information we find, we may contact Police Scotland.

Registering with Disclosure Scotland

For you to countersign PVG or disclosure checks for your staff or volunteers, you must be registered with Disclosure Scotland.  You can find out how to register with Disclosure Scotland on their website. You will have a number of responsibilities after your register, including:

  • following Disclosure Scotland's Code of Practice
  • referring individuals to Disclosure Scotland when harmful or potential harmful behaviour and you dismiss the person as a result (or would or might have done had they not otherwise left).

You can also use an umbrella body to countersign PVG or disclosure checks on behalf of your organisation.  A list of umbrella bodies is available on the Disclosure Scotland website.

Contact Disclosure Scotland if you need help:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 0300 020 0040
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 4pm
Friday: 9am to 3:30pm

What happens next?

Once we have received your completed application and all the documentation we have asked you for, and you have paid the fee, we will contact you.  We aim to assess applications for a childminding service within three months and all other services within six months.  However, this presumes that you supply us with a competent and fully detailed application, as well as any additional information we request.  It is in your interest to give us all the information we ask for in the application form to prevent any delays or the risk of us closing or refusing your application.

Once you have submitted your application form our national registration team will assess and check:

  • that the information you give us in the application form is appropriate and comprehensive
  • that the correct fee has been paid
  • whether you are fit to provide and manage the service
  • if your premises (where the service is to be provided) is fit to be used for that purpose
  • that the proposed service will make all the proper provisions for the health, welfare, independence, choice, privacy and dignity of everyone using the service.

We may also check the financial viability of the service.  Any information we ask for during this process is in accordance with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Successful registration

If your registration is successful, we will confirm this and also provide you with a certificate of registration, (electronically via our eForm portal), detailing the conditions of registration.  You should print the certificate and display it so that anyone who uses your service can read it.  The conditions of registration are also available on our care service list.

You will also see a list of records that you must keep and a list of notifications that you must make to the Care Inspectorate within our eForms portal.  See our guidance on records childminding services must keep and guidance on notification recording.

Decisions on an application to register a service

Following an application for registration, under Section 59(1) of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 ("the Act"), the Care Inspectorate can in terms of

s60(1):

  • grant the application unconditionally, s60(1)
  • grant the application subject to conditions, s60(2)
  • refuse the application, s60(1).

If we propose to refuse your registration, or to grant registration subject to conditions that have not been agreed in writing, we must give you notice of our proposal to do so.  Such a notice, where sent by post, is deemed (by section 101 of the Act) to be received on the third day after the day it was posted. 

If you wish to dispute any matters, you must do this in writing within 14 days.  The notice of proposal will state where these must be addressed to.

If we propose to refuse registration, or to grant registration subject to conditions that have not been agreed in writing, you have a right of appeal to the sheriff.  This right is set out at section 75 of the Act.  Any appeal must be made within 14 days (17 days if we have sent this in the post). 

The Scottish Childminding Association

The Scottish Childminding Association is an organisation dedicated to supporting childminders in Scotland.  From helping you with your application to register, to offering courses to help you keep up with latest developments in childcare, you can get lots of helpful advice and information.  Visit their website or call them on 01786 445377.

Create an account to begin your application

Sign in to see an existing application 

If you need the application form in an alternative format, please call our contact centre on 0345 600 9527.


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Workforce registration with SSSC

In April 2009, the Scottish Government passed Statutory Regulations about a phased programme of compulsory registration of key groups of social services workers in: residential child care, day care services for children, adult residential care, care at home and other support services and school care accommodation.  The Regulations state that once required registration commences for any group of workers, employers/providers must only employ registered workers in relevant posts and that any new recruits to these posts must achieve registration within six months of commencing employment.

This means that service providers will be committing an offence if, after the date of required registration, they employ or continue to employ, a worker in a service who is not registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or another relevant regulatory body e.g. the General Teaching Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The Care Inspectorate has to the responsibility for enforcing required registration on behalf of Government.  Where workers are not registered appropriately, the Care Inspectorate may make requirements, reflect non-registration in inspection reports and grades and even take enforcement action that could result in the cancellation of registration for care services.  The Care Inspectorate may also take steps to report the service provider to the Procurator Fiscal if necessary.

The Care Inspectorate will contact services on an ongoing basis as SSSC registration is required for parts of the social care workforce.  In addition, providers will be asked for information about their employees’ registration status through our annual return and this will inform our scrutiny activities such as inspection with each service.

When do I need to register?

Last Application date

Date of required registration

Workers in care home services for adults

Support workers

30 September 2014

30 September 2015

Workers in day care of children services

Workers in housing support services

Managers

31 July 2013

31 January 2014

Supervisors

To be announced

2017

Support workers

To be announced

To be announced

Workers in care at home services

Supervisors

To be announced

2017

Support workers

To be announced

2020

Remember, the Care Inspectorate does not register members of the workforce.  Any questions about registration of the workforce should be directed to the SSSC (www.sssc.uk.com) or by calling their helpline on 0345 60 30 891.

Guidance for social care workers applying can be found here.

Guidance for verifying and endorsing applications can be found here. 

 


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