Notification on controlled drugs
Notification on controlled drugs
Providers should notify the Care Inspectorate to any adverse events and concerns involving schedule 2, 3, 4, and 5 controlled drugs used in care settings, when they occur, and while the service user is receiving care in the care service.
Please note, it is a legal requirement for care services to notify the Care Inspectorate of the matters listed in this document. Where the requirement is limited to a specific type of care service, this is detailed in the guidance.
Care services and local authorities must use our eForms system to make these notifications.
Secure care pathway review 2022-23
Our approach
We carried out a secure care pathway review between July 2022 and July 2023 to consider the impact of the Secure Care Pathway and Standards that were published in October 2020. The review focused on young people up to the age of 18 who have been placed – or are at risk of being placed – by Scottish local authorities, in secure care accommodation.
The review centred on listening to and understanding the experiences of 30 young people across Scotland before, during and after experiencing secure care accommodation. During the review period we tracked the journeys of these young people and this helped us to consider impact and outcomes over time. The annual inspections of registered secure care providers continue to be carried out. We worked jointly with the inspectors of these services to inform the review, particularly in relation to the ‘during’ stage of young people’s journeys through secure care.
Our review is now complete and you can read the report here.
More information
Information about the secure care pathway and standards can be found here.
Changes to notifications of deaths of looked after children and deaths of young people in continuing care or receiving aftercare provision
Changes to notifications of deaths of looked after children and deaths of young people in continuing care or receiving aftercare provision
New arrangements for reviewing and learning from the deaths of children and young people came into force on 1 October 2021.
The establishment of the National hub for reviewing and learning from the deaths of children and young people and recently published national guidance for child protection committees undertaking learning reviews will require changes to the ways in which local authorities review the deaths of looked after children and young people experiencing care.
More information about these changes can be found here.
Deaths of Looked After Children
Deaths of Looked After Children
Local authorities are required to submit written notification within 24 hours of any death of a looked after child to the Care Inspectorate.
Please complete attached form – DLC1
Please note this is separate from the duty of a registered care service to notify us of the death of a service user. These are submitted separately via the registered services eForms.
More information about notification and reporting arrangements can be found here.
Please submit all relevant forms/reports through secure email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The main contact for this work is:
Karen McCormack, Strategic Inspector or Sharon Telfer, Strategic Inspector Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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.
Podcasts
Boxset 1 - Meaningful Connection
The Anne’s Law project advisers speak with real-life people about real-life stories that will resonate with all of us. People like Jenny, manager at Glennie House; Ken, a care home resident; Natasha, from Care Homes Relatives Scotland; professionals from across the sector and many more. Packed with insightful, thought-provoking ideas and tips to stay connected with your loved ones, these podcasts have something for everyone.
David Marshall, Senior Improvement Adviser (Pharmacy) and Katy Jenks, HC One Dementia Care Manager, Scotland discuss improving dementia care and reducing inappropriate use of psychoactive medicines in care homes.
Listen anywhere, anytime to the episodes that interest you. Listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, wherever you get your podcasts. Alternatively, you can listen on Podbean.
Our quality assurance role
Our quality assurance role
The strategic inspection team supports learning and improvement in social work services and partnerships by providing an additional level of scrutiny to reviews which they carry out. The review processes which we quality assure are:
You can find more information in the links below:
- Deaths of Looked After Children
- Deaths of young people receiving aftercare provision
- Deaths of young people in continuing care
- Learning reviews (children and young people)
- Initial Case Reviews (ICRS) & Significant Case Reviews (SCRS) – Adults
- Serious Incident Reviews
Deaths of young people receiving aftercare provision
Deaths of young people receiving aftercare provision
Local authorities are required to submit written notification to the Care Inspectorate of any death of a young person in receipt of aftercare provision as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Please complete attached form - DAC1
Please note this is separate from the duty of a registered care service to notify us of the death of a service user. These are submitted separately via the registered services eforms.
More information about notification and reporting arrangements can be found here.
Please submit all relevant forms/reports through secure email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The main contact for this work is:
Karen McCormack, Strategic Inspector or Sharon Telfer, Strategic Inspector Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.