The Promise
Our commitment to The Promise
Playing our part to deliver on The Promise by 2030 is an important part of our organisation’s strategic objectives.
The Promise is the work of change that intends to strengthen Scotland’s care system to become more caring and collaborative.
It outlines the belief that, to do this, children’s services across Scotland need to transform. This process of transformation must be built on the experiences, views and voices of children and young people at its core.
As we outline in our corporate plan, we want babies, children, young people, and their families to
- experience high quality, trauma informed, compassionate care and support
- have improved holistic outcomes (enabled by the services which support them)
- feel that their voices are heard in decision making about them and that their rights have been protected, respected and realised.
We are aligning our current and future organisational activity with the messages of the Promise in how we regulate in support of babies, children and young people on the edges of care and with care experience. Our existing work in the areas of participation, equalities, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and corporate parenting is mutual and complementary to this.
In applying national best practice and upholding the Health and Social Care standards we are keeping the Promise.
We are implementing an organisational Promise Development Model across 6 workstreams (3 internally facing and 3 externally facing). This is helping each of us working on behalf of children to reflect and act, individually and collectively on ‘What does the Promise mean for me in my role in the Care Inspectorate?’ Internally we are applying Promise thinking across our methodology, participation and learning and development activities. Externally we are working to ensure that we can contribute to the evidence and influence needed to enable national transformational change through the lens of our scrutiny and assurance role and in collaboration with other scrutiny bodies.
Image: Our Promise implementation model.
As part of our Promise commitment we have signed the national trauma leadership pledge and appointed four senior leaders as internal Trauma Champions. Here is what our Trauma Champions said.
Context
We are working to fulfil our commitments to Promise Change Programme ONE. This programme of work follows on from Plan 21-24, which mapped and sequenced the calls to action from the Independent Care Review’s conclusions, identifying five priority actions.
We are a key partner in several areas of this detailed programme.
Our work with partners
The Promise has recommended comprehensive change to how care and support for children and young people is commissioned and provided. It also recommended improvements in how we regulate and inspect our current system.
It is one of the big drivers of change for us.
We are shaping our scrutiny practice across service level regulation, strategic inspection and quality improvement, to ensure that our focus is on hearing and acting on what children and their families tell us makes a positive difference to children’s experience of care.
This work involves creating a common understanding, value base and approach across scrutiny and regulation in Scotland.
We are committed to working collaboratively with our partner external regulators and other scrutiny bodies to:
- improve access to early preventative help for children on the edges of care
- improve support for care experienced children and young people
- lower barriers to employment caused by bureaucratic approaches to regulation
- counter discrimination.
For more information on #KeepingthePromise at the Care Inspectorate please contact:
Aileen Nicol
Children’s strategic inspector and Promise Lead
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Total rewards package
We offer an excellent total rewards package - it’s a comprehensive and strategic approach to employee compensation and benefits, that aligns with the Care Inspectorates’ aims. It encompasses various elements that will contribute to your overall employee experience, including compensation, benefits, work-life balance, and development.
Competitive salary
We offer competitive salaries for each job role with incremental pay progression for most roles. Salaries are reviewed annually and reward skills, qualifications and contributions to the Care Inspectorate’s success. New entrants will normally start on the minimum of the pay range.
Continuous service
Continuous service is recognised either where there are no breaks in service or if there is a break, it does not exceed 7 calendar days.
Continuous service is currently recognised with the following employers for the purpose of calculating statutory entitlements e.g. notice periods and redundancy entitlements: Local Authorities, National Health Service and all employers listed on the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government, etc) (Modification) Order 1999 (as amended).
Continuous service with the following sectors in addition to the above, is currently recognised for the purposes of calculating entitlements to occupational sick pay, maternity leave and annual leave: further and higher education sector and the voluntary and private providers of the care sector.
Hours of work
We have a standard working week of 35 hours for all employees and managers and 40 hours for senior manager roles. Inspectors work 140 hours over each 4-week period.
Flexible working
We have several policies in place that support flexible working and time off when you need it, such as flexitime, flexible hours, carers leave and special leave. Most of our people work flexibly and value how this supports their work-life balance.
Our flexitime system gives you the flexibility to temporarily change your times of work each day to meet your personal requirements. You can use or accrue up to half a day as flexi on any day without requesting time off from your manager, further time off should be planned in discussion with your manager.
Hybrid working
You’ll be able to work from home and the office, as part of our hybrid working approach. Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, that enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. We expect all staff to work in person for at least 40% of their working time. This is two days a week for those on a standard 35 or 40 hour contract.
Annual leave
You’ll receive a generous 37 days annual leave (after five years’ service) as well as six fixed public holidays. Also, our offices are closed over the Christmas period!
Family focussed
We have a family friendly policies in place including maternity, adoption and shared parental leave. We also aim to create a supportive working environment for carers in the workplace.
Wellbeing
Should you become ill or be unable to work due to an injury we will continue to pay sick pay for authorised periods of absence dependent on your level of service allowing you to focus on getting better.
We supply an employee assistance programme, supplying unlimited access to a range of specialist support and information on finances, relationships, health, legal and family care.
We also offer a wide range of wellbeing initiatives, including specialist webinars, counselling, and a listening service.
Employee development
We are committed to the development and learning of all our staff. Everyone takes part in regular supervision through our LEAD (learn, experience, achieve and development) performance and development process. We provide training and support so you’ll be the best you can be and provide opportunities to learn, develop and share your skills and experience with others.
- Secondments - Secondments help develop and nurture talent and help colleagues to reach their full potential. We offer three types of secondment opportunities: 1. Internal assignment, where existing Care Inspectorate employees undertake work for a fixed period that is not their usual job. 2. Incoming secondment, where a person comes from another organisation to fill a post. 3. Outgoing secondment, where a Care Inspectorate employee undertakes work for another organisation.
- Career Breaks - Your circumstances may change, for a variety of reasons, and you may need to take time out or take up another development opportunity. Our Career Break Policy allows eligible employees to take an unpaid break, of between six months and two years. Our career break scheme enables employees to take an extended period of unpaid leave and provides a guaranteed return to work later.
Travel expenses
We have access to a nationwide network of offices. Where your role includes travel, you will be able to claim up to 45 per mile (per the policy) and subsistence allowances where you must stay overnight. Overnight stays and public transport bookings (which are preferable) can be made and paid in advance by the organisation.
Saving schemes
My Lifestyle provides our cycle to work and childcare voucher schemes along with discounts to a huge range of retailers including supermarkets, restaurants, holiday operators, cinemas and much more.
All staff can claim a financial contribution of up to £70 towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses where needed for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) purposes.
There is also access to credit union membership (a community loans and savings organisation, an alternative to a high street bank usually with helpful terms).
Pension
We offer a defined benefit pension scheme (CARE) on a career average basis.
The scheme is administered on our behalf by the Tayside Pension Fund where you will find full details of the scheme and how benefits are calculated.
Flexible retirement
If you are age 55 (or over) and you have at least 2 years membership with the Tayside Pension Fund you can request flexible retirement. This is a choice where you can access all, or a proportion of your pension earned to date but at the same time as receiving your pension you can continue working for the Care Inspectorate. Flexible retirement is an attractive way it can help with work life balance and the transition into full retirement.
To qualify you must reduce your working hours and/or grade to the extent that your revised salary is no more than 80% of your current salary.
Transactions Assistant
Role: Transactions Assistant
Location: Flexible – Any Care Inspectorate office (Expectation to work from the Dundee office for your 40% office collaboration per week and for office-based tasks)
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £27,696 - £30,357
Contract: Temporary to 31 March 2025
About us
We are the independent scrutiny and improvement support body for social care and social work services in Scotland. We provide assurance for people who experience care services, their families, carers and the wider public, as well as supporting delivery partners to improve the quality of care for people in Scotland. Our vision is for world-class social care and social work in Scotland, where everyone in every community experience high-quality care, support and learning, tailored to their rights, needs and wishes.
We inspect individual care services, and we also work with other scrutiny bodies to inspect the social care and social work services people are experiencing in their local areas.
Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, that enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. We are moving towards the expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person, for approximately 40% of their working week.
About the role
A temporary opportunity has arisen within the Care Inspectorate team that provides services to the Scottish Social Services Council.
As a member of the team, you will undertake a range of general administrative tasks to support the Transactions Manager. Duties will include processing invoices in the financial system, raising purchase orders, providing administrative support in collating banking, receipting income, receipting payments and services and responding to enquiries received.
About you
To succeed in this role, you will:
- Understand financial controls and financial environment
- Have excellent customer service skills and telephone manner
- Provide a range of administration and clerical support to a high standard including database administration
- Organise, process, record and file information and correspondence both electronically and manually
- Be accurate and show attention to detail
- Have a thorough knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel
- Maintain high standards of confidentiality
- Work flexibly as part of a team to support the organisation
Experience of using Oracle financial system and knowledge of debt recovery is desirable.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
For an informal chat about the role, please contact the Transactions Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you believe that your expertise and motivation, make you suitable for this post, please download and complete an application form and return by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than 08.00 on Monday 15 July 2024. Please also complete the equal opportunities form and return this along with your application.
The interviews for this post will be no earlier than 23 July 2024.
Using our logo
Using our 'Registered by the Care Inspectorate' widget
Services can show people visiting their website that they are Care Inspectorate registered with our widget.
The widget is a logo that can be displayed on any website. Every service has its own unique coding behind the widget, linked directly to its service information on our website.
So, if you are a care service and you want to show your website visitors that you are registered with us, ask your website administrator to download the widget for free and display it on your website.
Find out how you can use the widget on your website.
Using our standard logo
We don’t allow services to use our standard Care Inspectorate logo as it represents our own brand identity, signifying us and our own work.
Using the Care Inspectorate logo on any document or in association with any information signifies that the document or information has been prepared or approved by the Care Inspectorate.
Using the Care Inspectorate logo without our permission infringes our copyright.
Our logo is used only on materials generated by the Care Inspectorate or where we have worked in partnership with another organisation.
If you want to use our logo you must ask our permission.
You can contact us by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Volunteering
Become a young inspection volunteer
We inspect care and social work services to make sure they are high quality and meet the needs of people who use them. We believe we can make care better by working with people who have personal experience of care.
Our involvement and equalities charter outlines how we involve people who use care services and informal carers in our work.
If you have personal experience of using a service or you have cared for someone close who has used a service, there are many ways you can get involved with us. You do not have to have any qualifications. You must be aged between 18-27 to apply.
Training dates
We are holding training on the followiung dates:
Week 1:
- Tuesday 13 August
- Wednesday 14 August
- Thursday 15 August
Week 2:
- Wednesday 21 August
- Thursday 22 August
Applicants must be available to attend all training dates.
How to apply
You can apply to become a young inspection volunteer by completing our application form:
- online (Microsoft Forms)
- by printing a paper copy (PDF) and posting it to Participation and Equalities Team, Compass House, 11 Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY
- or we can support you to submit an application.
For more information you can download our information leaflet.
Hear what some of our young inspection volunteers said below.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a young inspection volunteer, need help to complete the application form or would like us to post you an application form - please email Julie Brown at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are recruiting a new chief executive
The Care Inspectorate is recruiting a new chief executive. You can find out more about the role below and make an application here.
The Care Inspectorate is the independent scrutiny, assurance and improvement support body for social care and social work in Scotland. We provide public confidence in the quality of care delivered to people by individual services and across local communities and collaborate and take action where experiences and outcomes are not meeting individual needs.
To achieve our vision of world-class social care and social work in Scotland, where everyone, in every community, experiences high-quality care, support and learning, tailored to their rights, needs and wishes, we require an exceptional Chief Executive to lead us through the next phase of our exciting change journey and to drive us forward.
Leading the Care Inspectorate and effectively navigating and responding to the ever-changing health and social care landscape to ensure a person centred, human-rights based and outcome-focussed social care provision across Scotland, the successful candidate will effectively promote the Care Inspectorate as a high-profile, risk-based, problem-solving organisation.
The Chief Executive must act as an outstanding ambassador for the Care Inspectorate, and in response to the intensified level of public and media scrutiny, ensure the organisation’s reputation is protected and enhanced, whilst also building and sustaining credibility with the public and service providers and working in strategic and operational partnership with other scrutiny bodies.
We are seeking a strategic thinker and an experienced values-based leader who has a strong understanding of both scrutiny and improvement. Able to work effectively in a highly politicised environment, our new Chief Executive will also be able to demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, creating alliances and establishing professional credibility.
Passionate about the quality of social care and social work services in Scotland, the successful candidate should also bring direct experience of effectively managing resources and budgets, delivering long term financial sustainability and value for money and a strong commitment to best practice coupled with a drive for continual improvement.
NB: The Care Inspectorate embraces agile working and whilst our headquarters are in Dundee, the successful candidate would not necessarily need to be based in Dundee full time.
For more information on this exciting opportunity please contact Douglas Adam at Livingston James, our retained recruitment partner.
The Care Inspectorate is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.
We’ve agreed to investigate a complaint
- Introduction
- Our investigation
- Outcomes of investigations
- Post investigation review
- Outcome of the review
Introduction
This leaflet tells you how we will deal with the complaint that has been raised with us now that we have decided it meets our criteria as a complaint that requires formal investigation.
It tells how you can support our investigation and the important role you play in giving us information.
We hope you find this useful but if any of this is not clear to you, please discuss with the inspector who is investigating the complaint.
Our investigation
We aim to establish all the relevant facts and give complainants and those complained against a full, objective, and proportionate response that represents our final position.
It is important that we gather all relevant information about the complaint from the complainant and the complained against. Therefore, it is important that you give our investigating inspector all relevant information and any documents that have a bearing on the areas of the complaint.
Please tell the investigating inspector if you think you have relevant information that they have not asked for.
Where it’s appropriate, we will interview staff members and observe practice within the service. We will need a private space somewhere in the service to speak confidentially with relevant staff and we will ask the service to make this available. We will try to minimise any disruption to the service, but we do recognise that there will be some disruption of the normal day.
We aim to complete our investigation within forty working days. If this timescale needs to be extended, we will tell you why and give you an expected completion date.
Outcomes of investigations
When we have completed our investigation, we will speak to the complainant and the complained against. We will tell them our findings and the conclusion that we have reached. This is an important part of the process as it allows both parties to tell us about any issues, they feel we have not taken account of in reaching our conclusions.
We will then send a report to both the complainant and the complained against giving our findings and stating whether or not the complaint has been upheld.
There are two possible outcomes for a complaint investigation.
Upheld
We say we have upheld a complaint where we have investigated and found evidence to substantiate the allegations made. We may also uphold a complaint when we believe that on the balance of probability the issues raised in the complaint are valid. Where we have upheld a complaint, we may identify action for the service to take. We will also tell the person who has made the complaint about any requirements or areas for improvement we have made of the care service they have complained about.
Not upheld
We say we have not upheld a complaint where we have investigated and found there is a lack of evidence to validate the complaint.
Post investigation review
Once we have sent our complaint report to the complainant and the complained against, each party has ten working days from the date we sent the report to ask for a post investigation review if they have concerns about the outcome. We will not consider a request for review if we receive it after this period of ten working days has expired.
If you believe we have made a mistake in our findings or that we have come to the wrong conclusion, you can ask for a post investigation review by completing the relevant form.
You can ask for a post investigation review if you consider that:
- we made our decision based on important evidence that was inaccurate and you can show this using readily available information
- you have new and relevant information that was not previously available about the complaint we investigated, and which affects the decision we made
If you ask for a post investigation review, we will let the other party know we have received a request.
Outcome of the review
Once the ten working days are up, we will consider any request for a review.
We will decide whether to:
- investigate further
- update the report to reflect comments received
- update or change the outcomes of the complaint
- not make any changes to the outcomes.
We will write to you to explain the outcome of the review and the decision we have reached. If the complaint outcomes have changed, we will issue an amended complaint report and if no changes are made, we will confirm the report you received as final. Both the complainant and complained against will receive this information regardless of who has requested the review.
Once we have concluded our review and informed you of our final position, no further appeal or review is possible.
We aim to do this within 20 working days of the final date for submission of a post investigation review request.
Once the review has taken place, we will reach our final position and you cannot appeal the complaint outcome.
Once all the relevant steps in the processes described above are completed, and if we decide the service needs to improve, it will have to give us an action plan within fifteen working days, which details how they will improve outcomes for the people who use their service.
We may also regrade a service following a complaint. Where a complaint has been upheld, we will post a summary of the complaint and any requirements or area for improvement that we have made on our website alongside the service’s other information. You can search for individual services by clicking on the Find care tab at the top of our homepage at careinspectorate.com
Work with us
Who we are and what we do
As the scrutiny and improvement body for social care and social work in Scotland, we exist to ensure services are of the highest quality and meet people’s needs.
The Care Inspectorate is a dynamic and rewarding place to work. Our staff are passionate, talented and knowledgeable with experience from a range of different backgrounds. We share a common commitment to high-quality care and we make a real difference to people’s lives.
If you want to make a difference and champion high-quality care that meets the needs, rights and choices of people across Scotland, join us at the Care Inspectorate.
Whatever role you have, your experience and contributions are valued, and you will be a vital part of our unique and influential organisation.
Our values are at the heart of our organisation and guide everything we do. You can find more about our values in our Strategic Workforce Plan.
Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
We want future employees to understand and recognise the importance we give to equality, diversity and inclusion and we would like to attract candidates who can demonstrate this commitment too.
Please read our Equality, diversity and inclusion statement of intent.
We want to increase the diversity of our workforce. We especially welcome applications from people with disabilities, people with care experience, people from a minority ethnic background, young people, men (we currently have 79% female workforce) and people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans community. We want a workforce that reflects the wider Scottish population that we serve.
As a human rights organisation, we recognise that protected characteristic groups face multiple barriers in the employment sector. We take evidence-based positive action steps to ensure our workforce (including volunteers) is diverse, inclusive and respects human rights. This aligns with the Equality Act 2010.
We invite protected characteristic groups to explore any recruitment challenges and connect with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange a meeting.
Disability confident - guaranteed interview scheme
The Care Inspectorate has achieved Disability Confident Level 2 status (The Employer Award). We are continuing to take steps to help disabled people to fulfil their potential. 
In practical terms this means, if a candidate has a disability and meets our essential criteria for a job, they are eligible through the guaranteed interview scheme and would automatically be shortlisted for interview. It also means that we will plan for, and make reasonable adjustments to, the assessment and interview process – for example, small things such as allowing candidates to complete a written test using a computer or by giving more time can make a substantial difference to how well a candidate can perform at interview. We will also make sure that people involved in the interviewing process understand the Disability Confident commitment and know how to offer and make adjustments.
By offering an interview to an applicant who declares they have a disability may not mean that all disabled people are entitled to an interview. They must meet the minimum criteria for a job as defined by the by the Care Inspectorate. It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a job. In certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal, and high-peak times, the Care Inspectorate may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances recruiting managers, may select the disabled candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.
Our action plan will be collaborated on and shared to ensure we commit to the level 2 status. Further information about the Disability Confident Award and what this means is available on their website.
If you have a disability and require a reasonable adjustment(s) to apply for a job with us, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange a discussion. For support with the interview process and/or during employment, please note this on your application form.
Care experienced - guaranteed interview scheme
We recognise care experience as someone who has been formally looked after by a local authority, in the family home (with support from social services or a social worker), in kinship care with family, friends or relatives (including informal kinship care), foster care, residential or secure care or legally adopted.
We want to encourage applications from individuals who are care experienced, enabling access to employment, education, experiences, and volunteering opportunities.
We are committed to offering care experienced candidates an automatic interview if they meet the essential criteria detailed in the job profile. It could also mean that we will plan for, and make reasonable adjustments to, the assessment and interview process, for example, allowing candidates to see the interview questions in advance of the interview, or by asking questions in a different way. These small adjustments can make a substantial difference to how well a care experienced candidate can perform at interview, for instance help with travelling to interview, adjusting timing and format of interview. We will also make sure that people involved in the interviewing process understand our commitment to care experienced people and know how to support the adjustments, not only at the recruitment stage but during employment too.
By offering an interview to an applicant who declares they are care experienced may not mean that all care experienced applicants are entitled to an interview. They must meet the minimum criteria for a job as defined by the Care Inspectorate. It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all care experienced people who meet the minimum criteria for a job. In certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal, and high-peak times, the Care Inspectorate may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both care experienced people and non-care experienced people. In these circumstances recruiting managers, may select the care experienced candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria, as they would do for non-care experienced applicants.
Support can be provided where a care experienced candidate has given consent. Individuals can choose to disclose whether they are care experienced or not; and choose to accept additional support or not at any stage of recruitment and or employment. Where support is requested, we are able to deliver tailored support in an appropriate way.
If you are care experienced and need support prior to applying or with the application process, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For support with the interview process and/or during employment, please note this on your application form.
Minority ethnic communities
We are committed to initiatives to create organisational and cultural change around race equality and to foster an environment which encourages diversity, including anti-racism in the workplace. The Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO) Scotland and a number of staff networks (including our race equality in employment group) have helped develop our race equality in employment plan.
We are keen to receive applications from people from minority ethnic communities. If any support is needed with our application and interview process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Young people
We encourage applications from all ages and want a workforce that reflects the wider population that we serve. We especially welcome applications from young people to align with our commitment to the Young Persons Guarantee in providing opportunities for young individuals to secure employment or training. We recognise by diversifying the age demographic within our workforce this will contribute to building a stronger, more resilient workforce for the future and acknowledge our vital role in creating opportunities for Young People as they prepare for and take their first steps into the world of work.
We are committed to supporting the Young Person's Guarantee and work closely with Skills Development Scotland to offer modern apprenticeships.
If you need assistance with applications or interviews, feel free to reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Awards and charters
We are proud to have achieved a number of awards and accreditations of recognition and accomplishment. We believe that the work undertaken and time invested in attaining these awards and accreditations grows and embeds and inclusive culture within the Care Inspectorate. These also represent our commitment to embracing best practices and our responsibility to keeping our skills and knowledge up-to-date.
You can click here to view all of our awards and charters.
More than just a job
We’ve got a lot to offer and you’ll be joining a great team where you’ll be able to contribute right from the start.
We’re passionate about our work and making a difference
Our expert workforce champions high-quality care and we work collaboratively with other organisations and the care sector to share good practice and support and spread improvement and innovation across Scotland. We also use the evidence and intelligence we gather to help shape and influence local and national policy and practice.
We value and listen to our staff so we can learn together
We work hard to make sure everyone feels involved and appreciated, with a sense of belonging. Learning and improvement are at the heart of what we do. We go out of our way to listen to all of our staff and act on what they say, so we can learn and improve together.
We invest in our staff to make sure you can give your best
We know that to perform at our best we need great people. So, we provide training and support you to be the best you can be and provide opportunities to learn, develop and share your skills and experience with others. You can also participate in our coaching programme which offers access to one off or blocks of coaching with a coach of your choice.
If you’re registered with a professional body, we provide support for continuing professional development (CPD) and
re-validation. Everyone participates in regular supervision through our LEAD (learn, experience, achieve and development) performance and development process.
If you join us as an inspector, we will also offer you an accredited and highly respected professional qualification through our scrutiny and improvement practice development award.
We’ll make sure you fit right in
You will be warmly welcomed and have access to a range of activities including induction to your team, the organisation and your role. We offer a friendly and supportive place to work, where our values underpin the work we do and how we work together. Find out more about our induction process here.
We work hard to create a healthy working environment where your wellbeing is supported
We encourage a healthy work-life balance. We have a number of policies in place that support flexible working and time off when you need it, such as flexi-time, flexible hours, home/hybrid working, carers leave and special leave. The vast majority of our people work flexibly and value how this supports their work-life balance. We also offer access to a wide range of wellbeing initiatives, including specialist webinars, videos, podcasts, counselling, a listening service and access to the unmind app.
As we open up our offices again, you’ll be able to work from home and the office, as part of our hybrid working model.
Total rewards package
We offer an excellent total rewards package – it is a comprehensive and strategic approach to employee compensation and benefits, that aligns with the Care Inspectorates’ aims. It encompasses various elements that will contribute to your overall employee experience, including compensation, benefits, work-life balance, and development.
Please see our total rewards package.
Our offices
We have offices all over Scotland.
Sign up to our enewsletter and select ‘vacancies’ as a topic of interest to stay updated with our vacancies.
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Subcategories
Inspector - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)
The early learning and childcare expansion…
Role: Inspector - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)
Location: Forth Valley, Borders, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh & Glasgow
Salary: £31,083 - £39,069 plus excellent benefits
Hours: 140 hours to be worked over a 4-week period
Contract: Permanent or 2-year secondment (would be considered)
Join us and make a difference – for you, for everyone
It’s our job to ensure care for everyone, everywhere in Scotland is as good as it can be. If you are as passionate about high-quality care as we are, and you’re experienced in your field, we’d love to hear from you.
About us
As a national scrutiny body that supports improvement. We inspect care services and partnerships across Scotland, report on the quality of care people experience, and support improvements in services to facilitate improvements in outcomes for people.
We inspect care services individually. We also work with other scrutiny bodies to inspect the social care and social work services people are experiencing in local areas.
We champion high-quality care whenever we encounter it across the thousands of inspections, we carry out each year, and we work closely with all care providers to support them to improve all the time. We collaborate with other organisations too, supporting improvement across public services. Our work plays a big role in reducing health and social inequalities between people and communities.
We are looking for talented people to join us in making a difference - specialists who understand how to put people’s needs, rights and choices at the heart of delivering social services – and how to lead improvement too. Our 600 staff work with services across the public, voluntary and private sectors. We have offices across Scotland and many of our staff work from home.
About you
Whether early or established in your career, you will share our determination that care, social work and justice services should work well for people – every time. You’ll be confident about what good-quality care looks like and how to deliver it. You’ll be good at analysing information and evidence. You will have excellent writing skills for narrative inspection reports that are clear, concise and focused on outcomes. You will be confident in working with a wide range of people and at supporting and advising on improvement.
You’ll currently be working, or have significant experience in, social care, social work, health, children’s services, early learning, child protection, or community learning and development. You will be registered or eligible to register with a professional body like the SSSC, NMC or GTC.
About the role
Our care inspectors work with care services: childminders, nurseries, care homes, care at home, housing support and a host of other specialist services. A specialist in your field, you may have helped lead a service and have a strong track record in delivering quality. You’ll be adept at leading improvement and influencing others. You will work with people experiencing care, and care service providers, managers and staff.
Why join us?
We strive to be a great employer, knowing that competitive salary, leave and pension schemes are only part of that. We pride ourselves on the values we hold, person-centred; fairness; respect; efficiency and integrity - all supported with a culture of care and kindness.
We believe in collective leadership and innovation. You’ll have a lot of autonomy to manage your own work and use the professional skills you’ve honed during your career – but in new ways. Starting on day one, our learning and development support will help you become confident in the craft of scrutiny and in supporting improvement. Because a lot of your role is about sharing effective practice across Scotland, the impact you can have on experiences and outcomes for people is significant. You will draw on management and leadership skills you’ve developed in the past.
We’re proud to be a progressive, supportive employer – we’re happy to talk about flexible working with you and we’re members of the Disability Confident Scheme, aiming to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace.
New appointments will normally be placed on the minimum grade for the role; a higher starting salary may be offered in exceptional circumstances only.
ELC expansion
The Scottish Government is committed to expanding the provision of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) from 600 hours to 1140 hours per year by 2020. The expansion of ELC is aimed to support the reduction in the poverty-related attainment gap and improve long term outcomes for children and families.
Due to the ELC expansion programme we are looking for 7 further ELC Inspectors in addition to the “business as usual” Inspector campaign launched recently.
Principles and aims
The priority for the expansion to 1140 hours is to improve children's outcomes and close the poverty-related attainment gap. In addition, the expansion aims to support parents into work, study or training. The Scottish Government's four principles of the ELC expansion are: quality, flexibility, affordability, and accessibility.
The Scottish Government has stated that quality is 'at the heart' of the expansion and that achieving a high-quality ELC experience for children is a key objective.
Use and provision
A 2018 survey found that the main reason why parents use funded ELC is that they consider it beneficial for their child's learning and development. In addition, parents reported using the funded hours to either work, increase the number of hours they work, or look for work.
Funded ELC in Scotland is delivered by a wide range of providers including nurseries, crèches and playgroups, from across the public, private and third sectors. A small number of childminders also deliver funded ELC, but the Scottish Government hopes this number will increase under the expansion to 1140 hours.
Criteria to apply
- We require you to hold a relevant qualification (minimum SCQF Level 9), register with either the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or any other relevant professional body and undertake PVG checks.
- You must also be prepared to do a Professional Development Award in Scrutiny and Improvement (Social Services) at SCQF level 10 with appropriate support from the organisation.
- You will have a minimum of three years recent and demonstrable management experience in a relevant field. You must also be willing to travel with overnight stays as required.
Before you apply
- Please contact the relevant body directly to resolve any queries you have regarding registration or eligible qualifications for registration (SSSC, NMC and so on) before submitting your application.
- For an informal chat about the job role, please contact (Who?) You or Kim Connolly, Team Manager on 07766133161
- For all other queries, please contact Human Resources at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To apply
- If you are interested, please see the minimum criteria to apply as an Inspector and the specific guidance and directions to apply. Thereafter, click on the gateway questions link to apply.
- Your completed application form (campaign number C39 only forms) and equal opportunities form should be returned to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.no later than Monday, 14 October 2019 at 8.00am.
- We anticipate that selection days will take place in the week commencing Monday, 18 November 2019.