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.
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