Person specification
Job title: Health and Safety Officer
Attributes
Experience
Essential
- Considerable experience in a similar role.
- Experience of maintaining statutory H&S information, preparing performance information and case management.
- Delivery of a high standard of customer support.
- Communication with all stakeholders including Executive Team, Partnership Forum representatives and staff.
- Completion of DSE Assessments, risk assessments and initial incident investigation.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential
- NEBOSH Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health or be willing to undertake this.
- Full UK driving license with less than six penalty points.
Desirable
- IOSH membership.
- Fire Door Visual Inspector.
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Excellent working knowledge of all MS Office 365 applications.
- You will have good communication skills with an excellent attitude towards delivering a high standard of customer support to our internal and external customers.
- A general knowledge of health, safety and fire regulations and requirements, as well as data protection.
- Ability to manage conflicting priorities and work to tight deadlines.
- Aptitude for developing effective solutions to health and safety issues.
Desirable
- Working knowledge of MS Teams, Sharepoint
- Experience of MS Forms, Power Automate, Power BI, providing H&S training to others.
Key Performance Outcomes
Effective communication
Essential
- Ability to select appropriate communication, style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Demonstrate clear and concise verbal and written communication skills.
- Listens actively and questions to check understanding.
Partnership working
Essential
- Respect others, recognise and value difference and diversity and be aware of the impact of your views on others.
- Ability to quickly build rapport and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Objective decision-making
Essential
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Understands the limits of their knowledge and experience and when decisions need to be referred to others.
- Ability to act consistently with Care Inspectorate values to achieve the desired outcomes.
Planning and organising
Essential
- Ability to plan workload effectively in the short, medium and long term in conjunction with others.
- Ability to forward think and be innovative in developing solutions.
- Ability to prioritise effectively and achieve deadlines in a changing environment.
- Demonstrates initiative, drive, and determination to complete tasks and achieve objectives.
Team working
Essential
- Works collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate and SSSC.
- Demonstrates personal commitment when working with colleagues.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential
- Maintains a high standard of work, ensuring attention to detail, actively seeking out continuous improvement.
- Demonstrates initiative within own area of expertise.
- Takes responsibility for own actions and decisions.
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.
Person specification
Job title: Finance Officer
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Minimum of two years relevant financial experience.
- Demonstrable successful track record in a similar role.
- Experience of working with internal and external contacts at all levels.
Desirable:
- Experience of working in a public sector environment
- Oracle financial systems experience including developing financial statements.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Finance qualification eg HNC / Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) qualification.
- Candidates without minimum qualification criteria who have significant experience may be considered.
Desirable:
- Degree in a relevant discipline.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel and Word.
- A thorough knowledge of integrated financial accounting systems.
- Understanding of financial controls and financial environment.
- Able to work collaboratively.
- Experience of supporting budget managers in the development and management of their budgets.
- Uses systematic approach to make efficient use of time and manage workload, prioritising own work effectively to meet deadlines and objectives.
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills. § Good judgement and decision-making skills.
- Ability to analyse numerical and written information and present results in a clear and concise format.
- Ability to understand the limits of their knowledge and experience and knowing when decisions need to be referred to others.
Desirable:
- Analytical experience of providing statistical data.
- Awareness of sustainability and climate change.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Demonstrate clear and concise verbal and written communication skills.
- Selects appropriate communication style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Portrays a positive image of the organisation when communicating both inside the organisation and externally.
- Ability to explain complex financial information to a range of audiences including non-specialists.
- Listens to feedback and ideas from others and takes appropriate and considered action.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
Improvement focus
Essential:
- Identifies gaps in process and performance and makes appropriate suggestions for improvements.
- Aware of trends and changes and maintains professional knowledge and skills.
- Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.
Objective decision-making
Essential:
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on professional expertise, relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Ability to analyse complex information.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
- Regularly reviews joint goals and targets and reprioritises where necessary.
- Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
Team working
Essential:
- Contributes to and supports the work and decisions of the team.
- Contributes to the shared vision and purpose and shares this effectively.
- Able to work independently as well as collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate.
- Develops good working relationships at all levels.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role.
Person specification
Job title: Strategic Data Officer
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Working with large datasets
- Experience in some of the following
- Working with large datasets
- Statistical analysis and reporting
- Data management
- Identifying and resolving data quality issues
- Performance measurement and reporting
- Experience of working with external/internal contacts at all levels
Desirable:
- Experience of working within the social care sector.
- Experience of working with confidential and sensitive data.
- Knowledge of and experience in using the Care Inspectorate’s ICT systems (especially in a strategic context).
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to HNC level or equivalent.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Competent and experienced in the use of MS office packages, particularly in the use of Excel and Word.
- Experienced in working with data to produce accurate, meaningful and well-presented tables and charts of data.
- Effective written and oral communicator.
- Well developed interpersonal skills.
- Good literacy skills.
- Understanding of data quality issues.
Desirable:
- Experience in the use of Excel functions such as lookup formulas and pivot tables.
- Experience of sampling and survey design.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups of all levels both within and external to the organisation.
- Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences.
Impact and influence
Essential:
Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
Improvement focus
Essential:
- Identifies gaps in performance and makes appropriate suggestions for improvements.
- Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.
- The ability and willingness to learn new skills quickly.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- The ability to manage workloads under pressure to tight deadlines.
- The ability to work autonomously with the minimum of supervision
- Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
- Regularly reviews joint goals and targets and reprioritises where necessary.
- Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
Flexibility
Essential:
- Demonstrates a flexible, positive approach to work.
- Listens to feedback and ideas from people and takes appropriate and considered action.
- Adapts quickly in a fast-paced environment, adjusting priorities as required.
- Understand where a flexible approach is required.
Team working
Essential:
- Contributes to and supports the work and decisions of the team.
- Contributes to the shared vision and purpose and shares this effectively.
- Works collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate and external agencies.
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.
Person specification
Job title: Solicitor
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Minimum of two years relevant post qualifying experience, including recent Sheriff Court experience.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Pracitising Certificate issued by the Law Society of Scotland.
- Commitment to own CPD.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent communication skills - both written and oral.
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
- Understanding of Equality and Diversity issues.
- IT literate, demonstrating experience with IT language and processes, using the most effective methods to communicate and manage information.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Clear and concise oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to select appropriate communication style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Addresses difficult issues so people are kept well informed.
Desirable:
- Articulate and positive communicator.
Flexibility
Essential:
- Is open-minded to suggestions about how to improve processes within the Care Inspectorate.
- Applies regulation and standards sensibly and understands where a flexible approach may be required.
- Exercises professional judgement when considering options and outcomes.
Improvement focus
Essential:
- Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.
- Aware of trends and changes and maintains professional knowledge and skills.
- Encourages and promotes new ideas.
Desirable:
- Rethinks traditional ways of doing things to create opportunities to improve.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Uses evidence to influence others towards a course of action.
- Builds a network of contracts to increase circle of influence.
- Influences others by example and acts as a professional role model.
- Focuses on key benefits to get message across.
Desirable:
- Anticipates likely objections and builds responses in to arguement/approach.
Objective decision making
Essential:
- Balances the need for careful decision making with the need for action.
- Ensures all options are considered in order to make the right decisions.
- Makes effective decisions based on critical evaluation of all relevant facts and evidence.
- Considers Care Inspectorate values in relation to impact of their decisions.
Please note - these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role.
Person specification
Job title: Planning Assistant
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Planning activities
- Data quality
- Data management
- Data reporting
Desirable:
- Regulatory environment experience
- Developing process guidance documents
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF Level 4 or Level 5 (e.g. National 4/5, Standard Grade General/Credit, etc.)
- Commitment to own CPD.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Some level of data management and manipulation skills.
- Effective written and oral communicator.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Good IT skills, in particular MS Excel (including use of pivot tables and macros) and a keen interest in IT skill development. Understanding of data quality issues and validation techniques.
- An awareness of data management and manipulation skills.
- Effective written and oral communicator
- Well developed interpersonal skills
- Analytical skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Ability to work autonomously.
Desirable:
- Sound knowledge of all Care Inspectorate ICT systems and inspection processes.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups.
- Portrays a positive image of the Care Inspectorate 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.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
- 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.
Objective decision making
Essential:
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on professional expertise, relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Ability to analyse complex information.
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.
Person specification
Job title: Recruitment Assistant (internally known as HR Assistant within recruitment team)
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Working in a customer facing role (internal or external customers) as the first point of contact (telephone, email or face to face)
- Prioritising and managing workload under broad guidance
Desirable:
- Working in an administrative/office-based environment
- Working in a local authority or public body setting
- Working with large quantities of electronic records, particularly numerical data
- Coordinating and designing processes
- Working with payroll
- Working with ResourceLink or a similar HR/payroll system
- Working in Corporate Services (HR, Finance or IT) in a public sector setting
- Use of SharePoint and Office 365 in a workplace setting – particularly to assist with day to day processes.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF level 6 or above (e.g. SQA Higher grade)
Desirable:
- A qualification at SCQF level 7 or above (e.g. SQA Higher grade) in a numerical, business, office administration, or IT related subject (e.g. accountancy, HR, payroll).
- ECDL or a similar qualification demonstrating that the candidate can use IT and Microsoft Office effectively, particularly Office 365.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Ability to transfer knowledge or skills to others through a variety of different methods (eg demonstrations, producing guidance materials)
- IT literate – particularly with Excel
- Excellent numeracy skills for use with payroll and basic statistical analysis (e.g. compare month to month variances, calculate averages)
- Able to present information logically and concisely using.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365
- Able to use IT effectively to analyse, compare and present data (e.g., make use of Excel functions, produce charts)
- Knowledge of the LGPS
- Knowledge of HR policies and procedures
- Basic knowledge of typical employment related payments and deductions (e.g. salaries, pensions taxes, statutory payments such as maternity pay)
- Basic knowledge of accounting procedures.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Demonstrate clear and concise verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to select appropriate communication style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience
- Listens actively and questions to check understanding.
Team working
Essential:
- Ability to contribute to and support the work and decisions of the team
- Ability to work co-operatively and supportively with others
- Values and makes use of skills, knowledge and experience of others.
Improvement focus
Essential:
- Contributes to the development of new ideas, policies & procedures where appropriate
- Aware of trends and changes in processes and procedures and keeps own knowledge and skills up to date
- Seeks opportunities for learning and personal development.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential:
- Maintains a high standard of work, ensuring attention to detail, actively seeking out continuous improvement
- Demonstrates initiative within own area of expertise
- Takes responsibility for own actions and decisions.
Working in partnership
Essential:
- Openly shares information as and when appropriate, maintaining confidentiality as appropriate
- Respects others recognises and values differences & diversity
- Keeps others information of progress of work plan, targets, etc.
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.
Person specification
Job title: Improvement Adviser
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating Quality Improvement work.
- Experience of developing and delivering learning to a variety of staff groups and care providers.
- Significant experience of successfully leading innovation across health and social care.
Desirable:
- Research experience.
- Experience of working in or supporting Quality Improvement in Social Care.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Qualifications or skills and experience at SCQF level 9 (e.g. degree, graduate diploma).
- NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) or equivalent qualification in QI science / methodology or willingness to work toward this as a priority.
- Commitment to own CPD.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an emphasis on support, negotiation, influence and diplomacy.
- Ability to network and work together with key health and social care professionals in areas including Scottish Government, health boards, integration joint boards, health and social care partnerships and service providers in the statutory, independent and voluntary sector.
- Understanding of the importance of the involvement of people experiencing care in the co-design and co-production of quality improvement initiatives.
- Knowledge and experience in quality improvement in health and/ or social care.
- Knowledgeable and skilled at using appropriate improvement approaches.
- Good understanding of the social and political environment in which care services are provided to achieve change.
- Self-motivation, confidence and ability to meet tight deadlines.
- IT literate with the ability to analyse and interpret complex information.
Desirable:
- Evidence of involvement and impact in work at a Scotland wide level including membership of national working groups.
- Knowledge and experience of social care quality improvement.
Key performance outcomes
Quality improvement focus
Essential:
- Have a proven track record in leading and/or supporting quality improvement projects/programmes and evaluating their impact.
- Demonstrate an understanding of national quality improvement work across Scotland.
Desirable:
- Research active.
- Policy development.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Evidence of ability to prioritise effectively and achieve deadlines.
- Ability to amend approaches in reaction to changing priorities, circumstances and conflicting demands.
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Demonstrates initiative, drive and determination to complete tasks and achieve objectives.
- Work is self-generated, planned and prioritised, identifying key issues, anticipating problems and initiating appropriate action to resolve them.
- Able to work autonomously and independently.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to achieve results through relationships, negotiation, persuasion, and influence.
- Ability to give credible and realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Ability to lead change and bring people with you.
Effective communication
Essential:
- Excellent oral, public speaking / presentation, and written communication skills.
- Ability to support service providers to define, measure and achieve outcomes.
- Ability to write clear reports and guidance documents.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the emphasis on support, negotiation, influence, and diplomacy.
- Experience in devising and delivering development sessions.
Desirable:
- Experience of speaking/presenting to small and large groups of people at all levels.
Working in partnership
Essential:
- Work nationally and locally with a range of stakeholders.
- Experience in working with others to devise and deliver development sessions.
- Ability to lead or participate in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working groups.
- Ability to work co-operatively to achieve success.
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.
Person specification
Job title: Information Governance Analyst
Attributes
Experience
Essential
• Demonstrate a successful track record in a similar role
• Experience of analysing information, drafting and responding to enquiries relating to Freedom of Information Scotland Act (FOISA), Information Rights (DPA 2018) and other information requests.
Desirable
• Experience of working with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting key transformational project work providing advice and guidance on Data protection and Records & Information Management
• Data Protection Impact Assessments
• Experience of line managing staff.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential
• Educated to degree level (SCQF Level 9) in a related subject such as Law, or at least two years positive demonstrable experience in a similar role
• Data Protection training
• Freedom of Information training.
Desirable
• GDPR/DPA 2018 Practitioners Certificate
• Freedom of Information(Scotland) Act 2002 Practitioners Certificate.
Skills and knowledge
Essential
• Excellent communication and organisational skills with an ability to remain calm under pressure
• Excellent IT skills and practical experience in using Excel and database management
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• Knowledge and understanding of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Data Protection Act 2018 and best practice
• Ability to work on own initiative.
Desirable
• O365 & SharePoint
• Experience of using information governance specific software e.g One Trust
Key Performance Outcomes
Effective Communication
Essential
• Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences.
Impact and influence
Essential
• Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels
• Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information
• Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
Improvement focus
Essential
• Identifies gaps in process and performance and makes appropriate suggestions for improvements
• Aware of trends and changes and maintains professional knowledge and skills
• Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.
Objective decision-making
Essential
• Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving
• Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on professional expertise, relevant, up to date and verifiable information
• Ability to analyse complex information.
Planning and organising
Essential
• Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results
• Regularly reviews joint goals and targets and reprioritises where necessary
• Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
Team working
Essential
• Contributes to and supports the work and decisions of the team
• Contributes to the shared vision and purpose and shares this effectively
• Works collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate.
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.
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.