Person specification
Job title: Communications Co-ordinator
Attributes
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrates a successful record of accomplishment within a relevant role.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential
- Qualifications or skills and experience at SCQF Level 9 or above.
Desirable
- Membership of a relevant professional body such as Chartered Institute of Public relations or Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent literacy skills.
- Consistently delivers creative solutions.
- Manages conflicting priorities and works to tight deadlines.
- Flexible and responsive, reacting positively to rapidly changing priorities and demands.
- Works on own initiative and prioritises workload.
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
- Excellent understanding of social media in an organisational setting.
- Up-to-date knowledge, understanding and experience of the range of today’s communications disciplines and channels.
- Understands how to monitor, measure and demonstrate success through analytics and appropriate performance measures.
Desirable
- Experience using Joomla, Wordpress, Umbraco and other content management software. Knowledge of the social care sector.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential
- Expresses ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences.
- Produces written and verbal communication which is clear and concise.
- Listens actively to people, questions and checks understanding.
- Develops and maintains positive working relationships at all levels.
Desirable
- Plain English training or qualification.
- Copywriting or proofing training or qualification.
Objective decision making
Essential
- Understands the limits of their knowledge and experience and when to refer decisions to others.
- Acts consistently with the Care Inspectorate values to achieve the desired outcomes.
- Keeps aims and objectives consistently at the heart of decision making.
Planning and organisation
Essential
- Plans workload effectively in the short, medium and long term in conjunction with their line manager and work to strict deadlines.
- Demonstrates attention to detail in all areas.
- Shows initiative and proactively works without close supervision.
Team working
Essential
- Tolerant and fair towards others, values diversity and is non-discriminatory in their actions.
- Values and makes use of the skills, knowledge and experience of others.
- Cooperates with and supports others.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential
- Takes responsibility for actions.
- Maintains a high standard of work and actively looks for opportunities to improve their work.
- Demonstrates initiative within own areas of expertise.
- Ambitious and positive in quality assuring their work.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
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
Job profile
Job title: Planning Coordinator
Responsible to: Planning Manager
Principal Working Contacts
- Head of Business Change
- Executive Director of IT, Transformation & Digital
- Chief Inspector (Strategic Scrutiny, Children’s, and Adults)
- Chief Inspector (Children’s Services)
- Chief Inspector (Adult Services)
- Executive Director of Scrutiny & Assurance
- Chief Inspector (Registration and Complaints)
- Executive Director of Strategy and Improvement
- Service Managers
- Planning Manager
- Inspectors / Strategic Inspectors
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External agencies/service providers/service users and carers
- Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
Job purpose
To coordinate the delivery of national inspection planning across a wide range of social care services and services for children and adults to ensure that the care inspectorate makes the best use of its resources and performs effectively and efficiently as an independent scrutiny and improvement body.
Key responsibilities
Strategic management
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, develop and manage systems and processes to support effective national inspection planning to meet corporate aims and objectives.
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, develop and manage systems and processes to support effective and efficient deployment of resources for all the Care Inspectorate’s scrutiny and improvement functions.
- Maintain effective partnerships with Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and other scrutiny and improvement partners to support effective and efficient joint inspection planning.
- Support the Planning Manager in formulating objectives, strategies, action plans and targets for inspection planning activity to ensure that these are achieved.
Operational management
- Support and coordinate the efficient and effective delivery of scrutiny and improvement planning activity.
- Support the management and maintenance of scrutiny plans for the current year and draft plans for subsequent years.
- Promote continuous improvement in all aspects of inspection and capacity planning.
- Support the Planning Manager with the preparation and presentation of reports for other senior managers.
- Plan, coordinate, and maintain regulated care and strategic inspection plans and provide information as required to Care Inspectorate colleagues and scrutiny partners.
- Deputise for the Planning Manager and undertake such other duties as may be required by the Planning Manager.
People management
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, manage and coordinate the work of the Planning Assistants on a day-to day basis and ensure they are deployed effectively and efficiently to meet the aims, objectives, and target of the Care Inspectorate.
- Provide advice, guidance, and support to Planning Assistants through regular one-to-one supervision, performance development reviews and personal development plans to ensure continuous improvement in their work and to support their personal and professional development.
- Promote consistent, high quality practice amongst staff, and manage the performance and monitor standards and consistency of practice of all employees delivering inspection planning activity.
- Create and sustain a learning culture which promotes the development of employees to maximise their potential and contribution to meeting the organisation’s objectives.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices, and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Relationship management
- Develop strong professional relationships with managers and staff across the organisation ensuring effective collaborative and cross directorate working.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with partner scrutiny and improvement bodies and other key stakeholders.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision, and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives, and advocates.
Other duties
This job may require some travel and may involve some overnight stays and unsocial hours.
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Equality impact assessments
2020
- Maximising Attendance Policy May 2020
- Learning & Development Policy May 2020
- Dignity at Work Policy May 2020
- Capability Policy May 2020
- Proposed changes to the senior inspector role November 2020
- Job Evaluation (Inspector, Senior Inspector & Team Manager) September 2020
- Involvement Policy Suite November 2020
2019
2018
- Partnership Agreement
- Further Study Policy March 2018
- LEAD/ Performance Development & Management System June 2018
2017
2016
- Grievance Policy February 2016
- Corporate Health and Safety Policy February 2016
- Zero Tolerance Policy February 2016
- Salary Protection Policy February 2016
- Workforce Change Policy February 2016
2015
Information Governance Lead (permanent)
Job Title: Information Governance Lead
Salary: £49,227 to £54,441
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Permanent
About us
We are the national regulator and scrutiny body responsible for providing assurance and protection 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 that people across Scotland experience high quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.
We are a scrutiny body that supports improvement. 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
We are looking for a talented and experienced person to provide leadership in information governance and assurance, both internally and externally, ensuring our data protection, records management and wider information governance work is of high quality.
The post holder will provide the Care Inspectorate with leadership in information governance and assurance, internally & externally. They will be the prime source of expert advice and policy development, to create and maintain high level awareness, profile and understanding of the strategic and operational importance of information governance.
About you
You will play a key role in ensuring that the Care Inspectorate meets its statutory and legal obligations and be the prime source of expert advice and policy development to create and maintain high level awareness, profile and understanding of the strategic and operational importance of information governance. You will be capable of acting as a Data Protection Officer as defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and Data Protection Act 2018.
You will be responsible for overseeing important change programmes in how we manage, use and share information. We need applicants who are ambitious and motivated with a “can do” attitude.
You will be able to demonstrate considerable working experience in Information Governance. You will have excellent communication skills and an ability to engage with and understand the information needs of different audience types.
You’ll be able to support, develop and line manage staff, and have experience in data analysis, interpretation and management reporting.
We would welcome someone qualified as a solicitor, but that’s certainly not essential: your core skill may be in data protection or records management. Either way, you will have a detailed understanding of the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation, Freedom of Information Act and other information-related legislation and regulations, with practical experience of helping organisations meet these requirements.
You will have the ability to liaise with internal groups, external partners and system suppliers to ensure IG requirements of projects, information systems and day-to-day operations are met.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Ewan Stewart at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an application form and submit it by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08:00 on Monday 29 July 2024.
Please also complete the equal opportunities form and submit along with your application.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held in person at our Dundee Office during week of 12 August 2024. https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/our-offices
Person specification
Job title: Transactions Assistant
Attributes
Experience
Essential
- Previous administrative experience.
- Operating within a busy environment.
- Experience of communicating with the general public by telephone, letter and email.
- Experience of working effectively to meet deadlines and achieve objectives.
- Experience of managing and prioritising own workload.
Desirable
- Experience of working with finance software.
- Experience of working with internal and external contacts at all levels.
- Demonstrate a successful track record within a similar role.
- Advanced knowledge of all Microsoft Office applications.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential
- Educated to Standard Grade level or equivalent (SCQF level 4/5).
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word.
- Understanding of financial controls and financial environment.
- Use of office systems and procedures.
- Concise and clear oral and written skills.
- Excellent customer services skills.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of attention to detail.
- Effective organisational skills and time management, able to meet deadlines.
- Effective administrative skills.
- Excellent numeracy and communication skills.
- Prioritise own workload under broad guidance.
Desirable
- Ability to understand the limits of their knowledge and experience and when decisions need to be referred to others.
- Database administration.
- Advanced knowledge of all Microsoft Office applications.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential
- Portrays a positive image of the Care Inspectorate/SSSC when communicating both inside the organisation and externally.
- Selects appropriate communication, style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Listens actively to people, questions and checks understanding.
Planning and organisation
Essential
- Uses a systematic approach to make efficient use of time and manage workload.
- Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
- Prioritises work effectively to meet deadlines and objectives.
Flexibility
Essential
- Demonstrates a flexible, positive approach to work.
- Listens to feedback and ideas from people and will take appropriate and considered action.
- Adapts well to change, adjusting priorities as required.
- Understands where a flexible approach is required.
Team working
Essential
- Remains tolerant and fair towards others, values diversity and is non-discriminatory in their actions.
- Values and makes use of the skills, knowledge and experience of others.
- Works co-operatively and supportively with others.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential
- Takes responsibility for decisions and actions taken.
- Maintains a high standard of work and actively seeks out continuous improvement.
- Demonstrates initiative within own area of expertise.
- Takes responsibility for identifying and addressing areas of personal and professional development.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Transactions Assistant
Job location: HQ, Dundee
Responsible to: Transactions Manager
Principal working contacts
- Head of Finance & Corporate Governance (Care Inspectorate)
- Finance and Procurement Manager (Care Inspectorate)
- Transactions Manager
- Care Inspectorate and SSSC finance staff
- Care Inspectorate and SSSC departmental staff
- External stakeholders
- General public
Job purpose
To carry out a range of general administrative and clerical tasks which support the transactions section within the finance team, in line with the Care Inspectorate and SSSC policies and procedures.
Operational management
- Input and issue sales invoices.
- Input purchase invoices.
- Respond to regular purchase and sales invoice queries.
- Ensure ledger codes attached to purchase and sales invoices are consistent and accurate.
- Assist with processing payments and making sure all income is properly banked and receipted.
- Ensure receipting of good and services is carried out timeously.
- Reconcile supplier statements to the financial system.
- Review and ensure the accuracy of scheduled payments.
- Collate and reconcile income returns.
- Work with departmental staff on reconciling our internal systems.
- Follow established transaction control procedures and provide suggestions for improvement.
- Respond to sales invoice and purchase invoice queries by phone, email, letter and face to face.
- Assist with year end procedures within the timescales agreed with the Transactions Manager.
- Provide day to day guidance to end users on the use of the transactions systems.
- Assist with developing and implanting improvements to the transaction systems.
- Provide training to new users of the purchasing system.
- Maintain a purchasing and payment tracking system to ensure the proper control of cheques.
- Preparation of journals.
- Assist with reconciliation of income received to information recorded on our internal systems.
- Create and maintain debtor and creditor records within the financial system.
- Communicate with Care Inspectorate and SSSC staff, and customers in the pursuit of debt recovery, logging all correspondence in the relevant customer account.
- Responding to purchase invoice queries while providing excellent customer service.
- Carry out any appropriate work to assist within the department as and when required Complete ad hoc reconciliations as required.
- Assist the finance team with ad hoc administration tasks as required.
Relationship management
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives and advocates.
- Ensure effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Organisational Development, Finance & Corporate Governance, ICT and Operations function.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Other duties
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time.
Consequently, this is not a contractual document and post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Job profile
Job Title: Information Governance Lead
Responsible to: Head of Intelligence
Principal Working Contacts
Internal
Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO)
Deputy SIRO
Executive Directors and senior managers
Information Asset Owners and Administrators
Internal subject matter experts in related disciplines
Head of IT Service Delivery, Organisation and Workforce Development, Legal
Services and Customer Services
Information Governance Team
Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
External
UK Information Commissioner
Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC)
National Records of Scotland
Care Inspectorate strategic partners
Care service providers and people experiencing care
Members of the public
Job Purpose
The post holder will provide the Care Inspectorate with leadership in information governance and assurance, internally & externally. They will be the prime source of expert advice and policy development, to create and maintain high level awareness, profile and understanding of the strategic and operational importance of information governance. They will also assure the Care Inspectorate that it is meeting its statutory and legal obligations and be capable of acting as Data Protection Officer as defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and Data Protection Act 2018.
The post holder will lead on delivering information governance support across the Care Inspectorate, supported by the Deputy SIRO and the Information Governance team, and will bear responsibility for performance and/or service delivery. The post holder will be responsible for managing their own and their team’s workload ensuring that work is completed to the required high standard in a timely fashion. The post holder must possess highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience.
Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities
Operational Management
• Develop and implement corporate strategy, policies and procedures to support IG and effective use of information, in line with business and legal requirements and ensure that they are kept up to date and in line with changes to the Care Inspectorate’s internal and external operating environment.
• Coordinate the identification, assessment, reporting and management of risk in relation to all aspects of information governance (IG) within the Care Inspectorate, including regular review of the Information Risk Register and reporting to the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) and Senior Management Team.
• Monitor and report on compliance and performance as required by Care Inspectorate governance arrangements and lead on creating and implementing improvement plans.
• Be capable of acting as Data Protection Officer for the Care Inspectorate and acting as key contact with the supervisory authority and leading on preparations for and on-going compliance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation and revised UK Data Protection Act.
• Support the proportionate, lawful and secure use and sharing of personal data, implementing, monitoring, auditing and reviewing the Data Processing Contracts, Information Sharing Protocols, Privacy notices, Data Protection Impact Assessments and Compliance Checks.
• Develop, oversee and monitor IG training for staff, implement clear and robust information and data handling standards and procedures, raise awareness of IG responsibilities, and promote awareness and best practice.
• Coordinate and manage the organisation’s response to information security vulnerabilities and incidents.
• Coordinate and manage responses to all statutory requests for information received by the organisation, including Subject Access Requests and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act requests.
• Develop and maintain corporate information governance tools and standards, for example, business and security classifications, metadata schemes, lifecycle retention schedules and information asset registers and ensure local implementation and compliance.
• Manage delivery of the Care Inspectorate’s Records Management.
• Improvement Plan and act as the statutory contact for Records Management, as required under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.
• Support improvement of current record creation and record keeping standards to ensure that the Care Inspectorate is holding adequate records of business activity and decision making to meet statutory and legal requirements and as evidence of its accountability and transparency.
• Ensure that information governance requirements are integrated into business processes, standard operating procedures and organisational change.
• Advance the “digital by default” agenda and exploit opportunities to automate information governance through technology solutions and tools electronic record-keeping within Care Inspectorate systems.
• Observe the provisions of and adhere to all Care Inspectorate policies and procedures.
• Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Relationship Management
• Demonstrate a commitment to Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision, values and overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
• Prepare and deliver briefings, reports and presentations on IG to colleagues within and outside the Care Inspectorate in a manner that is informative, contextual and easily understood.
• Provide advice and guidance to staff on IG issues, including statutory and regulatory compliance.
• Act as a subject matter expert and staff mentor on all aspects of information governance.
• Liaise with and build professional working relationships with partner organisations on IG matters.
• Monitor individual and service performance.
• Line manage and motivates staff.
• Conduct staff appraisals.
• Ensuring that the team deliver the information governance service to the required high standard.
Other Duties
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
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.