MAPPA review
The Care Inspectorate and HMICS gave a commitment to work collaboratively with other scrutiny bodies to undertake a proportionate, risk-based and intelligence led review of the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) in Scotland. The joint review foccused on Category 1 offenders subject to the Sex Offender Notification Requirements.
The review was published on Thursday 26 November 2015.
The purpose of the joint thematic review was be to assess the state, efficiency and effectiveness of the MAPPA in Scotland, in terms of keeping people safe and reducing the potential risk of serious harm by registered sex offenders in our communities.
The review objectives were to:
- assess how effective the responsible authorities are in the discharge of their statutory duties, under terms of the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005, including adherence to national guidance and good practice.
- assess how effective the processes are in relation to MAPPA Significant Case Reviews AND the arrangements that are in place to promote organisational learning and development across the responsible authorities.
While the report notes that the number of registered sex offenders in Scotland continues to rise, it also highlights key strengths in the way they are managed by organisations including the police, social work services and the prison service
You can download a copy of the report here and read the press release in our news archive.
A progress review was published in June 2017. You can find the report here.
Medicine waste in care homes
The Care Inspectorate worked with colleagues in NHS Tayside, Scottish Care, Community Pharmacy Tayside and other Pharmacy organisations to reduce inappropriate medicine waste in care homes. Co-production between these organisations resulted in all agreeing a new protocol to ensure only appropriate waste was collected. The project has been successful and we have received positive qualitative feedback from care home managers and pharmacy staff.
Letter sent to care homes in September 2016
Watch our clip below to find out more.
If you need any help or advice in relation to this project please feel free to contact either your community pharmacist or any one of the following individuals:
More information
Background
Phase 1 of our programme of joint inspections of adult support and protection services has now concluded, having taken place during 2020-23. The purpose of Phase 1 of the programme was to provide baseline information across the 26 adult protection partnerships not previously inspected in 2017/18. The intention was to follow this programme of inspections with a second phase of scrutiny and/or improvement activity, informed fully by Phase 1 findings.
We are now undertaking further scrutiny across Scotland, at the request of Scottish Ministers and in line with the Scottish Government-led improvement plan.
Phase 2 commenced on 1 August 2023 and will last two years. This phase of the programme will blend scrutiny activity with improvement support and include close collaboration with adult protection partnerships.
Scrutiny approach
Phase 2, first year
The programme provides assurance on the ongoing protection and risk management for adults at risk of harm. The first year of Phase 2 will include revisiting the six adult protection partnerships that were subject to adult support and protection inspections in 2017/18. We will use the inspection methodology we employed in Phase 1. These inspections will focus on key processes and leadership (see our quality indicator framework).
The first year of Phase 2 will also involve further development of the adult support and protection quality improvement framework by inspection partners, with input from stakeholders across the sector.
Phase 2, second year
Activity in the second year of Phase 2 will provide assurance of improvement and will include those partnerships that received inspection reports during Phase 1 where areas of weakness outweighed strengths. Some additional partnerships may also be revisited to provide assurance of improvement.
Additionally in this second year, indicators related to early identification of risk, early intervention and a trauma-informed approach will be applied on a voluntary basis with a select group of partnerships, which will augment their planned self-evaluation processes.
Scrutiny partners
The inspection programme will be led by Care Inspectorate in collaboration with His Majesties’ Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) and Healthcare improvement Scotland (HIS). Each scrutiny agency has identified dedicated staff with appropriate levels of experience and expertise in adult support and protection. This scrutiny and assurance will be undertaken in the context of health and social care integration.
Phase 2 inspection focus
The focus of our joint inspection will be on:
- independent scrutiny and assurance of how partnerships ensure that adults at risk of harm are kept safe, protected, and supported
- providing assurance to Scottish Ministers about how effectively partnerships have implemented the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007
- taking the opportunity to identify good practice and support improvement more broadly across Scotland
- providing a quality assurance framework for the adult support and protection community to use for multi-agency audit, self-evaluation and improvement activity.
Purpose of activity
The purpose of this programme of joint inspections is to seek assurance that adults at risk of harm in Scotland are supported and protected by existing national and local adult support and protection arrangements. The programme is one element of the Scottish Government-led improvement plan.
The partnership briefing document relating to phase two, first year inspections was prepared by the inspection team to give you an overview of the joint inspection programme and is available on our website. The documents below are referenced within the partnership briefing document.
- Definition of adult protection partnerships
- The public services reform (joint inspections) Scotland regulations 2011
- ASP Quality Indicator Framework
- Case File Sample Guidance
- Pre inspection return FAQs
- Position Statement template
- Supporting Evidence List
- Local authority notification letter
The joint inspection team has made a number of other documents available to support partnerships. Each partnership will receive the relevant documents at the appropriate time.
- ASP overview for staff
- Staff Briefing Focus Groups
- Guidance for remote access to files
- Key processes and timescales
- Pre inspection return March 2021 (.xlsx)
- Phase 1 main sample file reading guidance
- Phase 1 main sample file reading tool
Our inspections take account of the adult support and protection code of practice. For us to understand the degree to which partnerships were progressing with implementation we issued a single question survey. The survey was shared with Chief Social Work Officers, adult protection committee conveners and lead officers. The question was 'Please briefly describe your partnership’s approach to key processes, including the role of the Council Officer, around inquiries/investigations in light of the revised Code of Practice'. Please find our summary findings from that survey.
A communication and engagement strategy is available in relation to our Phase 2, first year quality improvement framework (QIF). The QIF is being designed in collaboration with the National Implementation Group and other stakeholders. Key elements of this will be used to inform our supported self-evaluation activity in Phase 2, second year.
We are at the very early stages of developing Phase 2, second year methodologies and will aim to include any relevant updates and material here when it is appropriate to do so.
Please email any enquiries to the joint inspection team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More information about the review
Exploring the delivery, experience and impact of services when young people are planning to leave care and after they have moved on.
We have now completed a thematic review of the experiences of young people leaving care in Scotland and the extent to which their rights are upheld. The review was started in April 2024 and a final report was published on the 5 November 2024.
In 2021, the A Way Home Coalition published Youth Homeless Prevention Pathway: Improving Care Leavers Housing Pathways. This paper highlighted the need for equality in provision of aftercare services, the importance of pathway planning and of reducing risks and crises for young people in Scotland. The following recommendation was made:
The Scottish Government should work with the Care Inspectorate to develop and undertake robust thematic integrated reviews of ‘transition services’ involving key stakeholders and providers (such as housing and accommodation and further and higher education) and Aftercare engagement up to 26.
Purpose of the review
The review focussed on the experiences of young people aged between 16 and 26 who are, or have been, formally looked after and accommodated in foster care or care homes for children and young people. We were committed to seeking the views of young people about how they felt their rights were being upheld. It was carried out under Section 53 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.
The review aimed to establish the following:
- The extent to which young people and their families are actively and meaningfully involved in all decisions about their continued care and have effective opportunities to influence service design and development.
- The extent to which young people’s lives are improving through high quality assessment, planning and support which enables them to live in stable and suitable accommodation which is right for them.
- How leaders ensure the effective delivery of services for young people who are either continuing to be cared for or are leaving care.
Although the statutory duties rest with the local authorities, the review took account of the roles of children’s services planning partners.
We have conducted the review in two phases.
Phase 1
- was based on self-reported information (through a ‘national survey’) provided by leaders and staff with responsibility for corporate parenting, and the local champions’ boards (or equivalent) of all 32 local authorities.
- we undertook a literature review, including national research and publications, and additional published reports.
- we gathered feedback from focus groups with scrutiny partners, a professional interest group and regulated care service inspectors.
- we also took account of relevant national data.
Phase 2
We offered children’s services partnerships in four local authority areas the opportunity to take part in phase two to support their development in this part of their work and help us better understand the experiences of young people in their area. Our intention was that these four areas would support our work in phase two which was made up of the following key elements:
- a focused meeting with the lead professionals for five selected young people in each area: combining a case discussion with access to records.
- individual meetings with the five young people
- focus groups of senior leaders, champions boards and corporate parenting boards.
- a review of relevant local documentation.
Reporting
The thematic review concluded with the publication of a single national overview report, with individual feedback also given to each of the four participating areas. While we were not evaluating partnerships on their performance, we have reported on what is working well across Scotland. We have also reported on the current challenges for transition services; drawing on the perspectives of young people, families, and staff supporting care experienced young people.
- Final report
- Key messages (press release)
The lead for this review was Jackie Deas, supported by Elena Mills, Strategic Support Officer.
More information about the review
What will we do?
Between July 2024 and December 2024 we will carry out a review that will focus on social work governance and assurance in Scotland. We will answer the following question.
How well do social work governance and assurance arrangements support leaders to:
- Ensure statutory duties are carried out safely and effectively?
- Enable social work staff to be supported, accountable and effective in their practice?
- Assist social work staff to uphold core social work values?
What is the purpose of the review?
The purpose of the review is to add to the understanding of the role, remit, effectiveness and the current challenges facing social work services. We will do this by exploring the impact of governance and assurance arrangements. The review will:
- highlight the areas of influence for chief social worker officers, principal social workers and other key social work leaders as they provide governance and assurance
- explore the support and assistance provided by leaders and managers to encourage staff to uphold social work values in practice
- identify and disseminate information about what is working well
- recognise the challenges faced by local leaders and staff across the country and identify areas where improvement is required.
How will we do this?
A team of strategic inspectors from the Care Inspectorate will carry out the review. The scope of the review is relative to the current pressures currently being experienced by the sector. It is designed to be mindful of the impact on those leading and working in social work services. We will take a collaborative, flexible and supportive approach when working with local areas. Each area is asked to nominate a co-ordinator to act as a main point of contact for the review. The timeline below (figure 1) illustrates the core tasks being undertaken through the review. The key dates are outlined below.
How will we report our findings?
The review will conclude in December 2024. Using the principles of the European Framework for Quality Management (EFQM) model, we will analyse all of the information gathered systematically and will draw together messages for the sector. A national report will be published on our website in March 2025. We will also use other methods, such as webinars, to share the learning from the review.
For more information, please visit our website here.
Review timeline
Figure 1: Review timeline
Details about the review timeline
Date |
Type of activity |
More details |
| 15 July 2024 | Notification | Local authorities and HSCPs formally notified and asked to nominate a co-ordinator to act as a single point of contact by 19 July 2024.The following week co-ordinators receive detailed guidance about the review. |
| 5 - 16 August 2024 | Briefing sessions for co-ordinators | Co-ordinators invited to attend a virtual briefing session with the review team from the Care Inspectorate.Information about the review will be shared and there will be opportunities for co-ordinators to ask questions. |
| 19 August - 4 October 2024 | Staff survey | Local authority areas/HSCPs asked to share a staff survey for all frontline social work staff and first line managers. |
| 27 August 2024 | Document return | Co-ordinators asked to return a short list of documents to the partnership by this date. |
| 30 September - 1 November 2024 |
Interviews with leaders and focus groups | Structured interviews with Chief Social Work Officers and a maximum of two other people during this period.Middle/senior managers (e.g. operations managers, service managers) from each local authority invited to participate in themed virtual focus groups. |
| 17 March 2025 | National review report publication | National review report published on the Care Inspectorate website. A local staff survey report will be provided to each area after publication.Further opportunities to discuss findings will be arranged, including webinars. |
Key definitions
Some definitions to clarify the remit of the review:
By governance and assurance we mean: A robust system for assuring high standards in the delivery of safe, personalised and effective social work services [adapted from the definition in “Governance for quality social care in Scotland” SWS 2018]
By statutory duties we mean: those outlined in the “Role of the registered social worker in statutory interventions: guidance for Local Authorities” in relation to the wide range of statutory duties across children’s, adults and justice social work services [source: Role of registered social worker in statutory interventions: guidance for Local Authorities SG 2010].
By social work staff we mean: social workers and other staff employed to fulfil or support the delivery of statutory social work duties such as occupational therapists, paraprofessionals (social work assistants and justice assistants). For the purposes of this review, we will not involve staff who work in registered services (such as residential care home staff, housing support staff or similar), because they are already involved in inspections of regulated services.
By core social work values we mean: those outlined in the SSSC code of practice (May 2024) underpinned by the ethical principles of human rights and dignity, social justice and professional integrity [source: BASW Code of Ethics 2021]
More information about this self-evaluation
We will undertake this self-evaluation in two phases.
Phase 1: National self-evaluation – 2 September to 20 November 2024
All local authorities will be asked to undertake a self-evaluation against Quality Indicator 6.4: Performance Management and Quality Assurance, using a specially developed tool. The below online briefing provides an overview of the approach, the templates and the submission process.
The Care Inspectorate team will analyse the responses to identify key strengths and challenges emerging from the evaluations.
Phase 2 – Validation activity – 20 January to 24 February 2024
The Care Inspectorate will select four local authority areas and will work with them to validate their self-evaluation. This will include review of documentary evidence and focus groups with staff and people who use services.
Participating local authorities will receive a validation letter and feedback on their self-evaluation.
A final thematic report will be prepared summarising the findings of the national self-evaluation and the key messages emerging from the validation activity. This will reflect national messages and share information about examples of innovative practice – findings will not be attributed to individual local authorities.
What you will need
We have developed a blank template, with guidance, to support you to undertake the self-evaluation. This template is available in word to allow you to develop your responses over time and share it with colleagues. However, final submission of the self-evaluation will be via the smart survey. If you have used the word version of the template to compile your responses, please paste your answers in to our smart survey using the link below.
This is the link to the smart survey for submission. This link will go live on Monday 2 September. Please make your final submission on or before Wednesday 20 November.
We have provided an exemplar of what a completed self-evaluation template may look like for your reference and guidance. We have also provided a Quality Indicator 6.4 illustration.
For further information on privacy in relation to how this review is conducted please see our privacy statement.
National Preventive Mechanism
The Care Inspectorate is a member of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), a group of organisations designated to monitor the treatment and conditions of those people who have been deprived of their liberty.
The NPM’s Eighth Annual Report was published on 20 February 2018. It gives an overview of members’ work monitoring detention across the UK from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 and the NPM’s joint, thematic work on transitions and pathways between different detention settings.
The NPM was established pursuant to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). OPCAT is an international human rights treaty designed to strengthen the protection of people deprived of their liberty, including requiring each state party to set up a national level body (known as a National Preventive Mechanism) that can support efforts to prevent their ill treatment. The aim of an NPM is to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment from taking place.
Central to OPCAT is the idea that a system of regular, independent visits to places of detention can serve as an important safeguard against abuses, and prevent torture and ill-treatment in places that by their very nature fall outside the public gaze.
Specific requirements of an NPM
To comply with OPCAT, members of the National Preventive Mechanism, such as the Care Inspectorate, must have certain powers. These include the power to:
- inspect all places of detention
- access all information relating to detainees
- interview detainees in private
- choose where to visit and who to speak to
- make recommendations based on human rights norms to relevant authorities
- make proposals and observations on existing or draft legislation.
The Care Inspectorate has these powers in respect of secure care for children. We also work closely with HM Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland and support some of their inspections.
They recently published Isolation in Detention guidance. The guidance provides a framework that NPM members will apply when examining the issue and making recommendations, and aims to improve consistency of approach. It allows NPM members to identify and promote good and improved practice.
The UK’s National Preventive Mechanism
The UK ratified OPCAT in 2003, expressing its commitment to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places of detention.
The UK’s National Preventive Mechanism was formally designated in 2009 and is now made up of 21 member organisations whose official functions include monitoring and inspecting places of detention.
Across the UK, different detention settings are visited or inspected by different NPM members. The UK NPM is coordinated by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and decision-making is guided by a steering group, which is made up of representatives from NPM members in the four nations.
Each NPM member has a different mandate, powers and geographical remit, and sets its own priorities for detention monitoring as well as contributing to joint NPM priorities.
The Care Inspectorate is actively involved in the UK NPM work, including involvement in three of its four sub-groups:
- Mental Health Network
- Children and Young People’s sub-group
- Scottish sub-group.
Scotland
The Scottish members of NPM are:
- Care Inspectorate
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
- Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland
- Independent Custody Visitors Scotland
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- Scottish Human Rights Commission
The Scottish sub-group coordinates NPM activities in Scotland, provides support to NPM members, raises the profile of the work of the NPM and improves liaison with the Scottish Government. It is chaired by the Scottish member of the Steering Group, currently the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.
Near Me video calls
Near Me Video calls
The Care Inspectorate now use video calls as one of the ways to engage with care providers, those who receive care and carers. This has now become a regular means of communication along with telephone call and site visits. All you need is a device for making video calls such as a smartphone or a tablet and an internet connection.
Near Me is the one of the platforms that we use.
Near Me handy guide
We have produced a handy guide for service providers using the Near Me video consulting tool. We have produced it as a PDF file so you can easily download it and share with colleagues. Download the guide here.
Participating in a Near Me call
We use Near Me for prearranged appointments. You may already have been sent a link but, if you know the correct waiting area for your meeting, you can also click on the appropriate link below. Please be aware you need to be using either a Google Chrome, Google Edge or Safari web browser.
Guidance on using Near Me (Added 11 May 2020)
Near Me is a secure form of video consulting approved for use by the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland.
Visit the Near Me website and watch a demo on YouTube to find out how you can use it.
The NHS Attend Anywhere website tells all you need to know to set up including advice on browsers, bandwidth and more.
Technology Enabled Care’s website has lots of useful information including guidance on gaining consent to use Near Me and implementation guidance including for care homes, and for police custody, which may be useful for secure units.
Further guidance is also available for implementing Near Me on the TEC covid 19 implementation site here.
New report tells how Near Me worked in lockdown (Added 17 July 2020)
During the pandemic, we scaled up our use of Near Me video consulting to stay in touch with services. In partnership with Technology Enabled Care (TEC) we have been monitoring how this has been working for users. Our new, short report Near Me and Care Homes gives insight into services’ experiences of it including what worked well and what challenges they met.