How we recruit
How we recruit
Our recruitment process is based on a five-stage model designed to give you the best opportunity to demonstrate your experience and skills.
Stage 1: Apply
If you meet the minimum criteria for the job role, apply as per the method described on the advert. This could be to complete our application form or to submit your CV and personal statement and/or to include a cover letter. If you are an external candidate we will also ask you to complete our equal opportunities form. We’ll send you an automatic email to confirm we’ve received your application.
Where a person specification asks for an appropriate professional qualification as an essential requirement for the role, we are asking for a qualification in addition to the qualifying educational qualification for the role. For example, a postgraduate course, a leadership or quality management qualification or another qualification relevant to the job role.
To assist us to monitor the effectiveness of our equality and diversity practices, we would encourage you to complete our equal opportunities monitoring form as part of our application process.
Application Form Tips
CV Guidance for Applicants
Cover Letter Guidance for Applicants
Personal Statement Guidance for Applicants
Stage 2: Shortlist
We’ll review your application against the person specification and shortlist it against the qualification, experience, skill and competency requirements for the role. If you meet our essential criteria and are eligible through either of our guaranteed interview schemes we’ll automatically shortlist you.
Stage 3: Interview, assessment and selection
If you’re shortlisted, we’ll invite you to attend an interview and other skills assessments relevant to the role. If you’re successful we’ll let you know that you’re the preferred candidate.
Stage 4: Selection and conditional offer of employment
As the preferred candidate, we’ll send you a conditional offer of employment setting out your main terms and conditions of employment. Your conditional offer will be subject to pre-employment checks and satisfactory references.
Stage 5: Pre-employment checks and confirmed offer of employment
We’ll carry out pre-employment checks so we can confirm your offer of employment. These include:
- proof of ID / right to work in the UK
- two successful references, where one is from your current or most recent employer
- a standard disclosure check
- occupational health questionnaire and referrals, where appropriate
- registration and qualifications check, where relevant.
Once all checks are complete, we’ll agree a start date and formally confirm your offer of employment by providing you with a contract outlining your terms and conditions.
How we recruit inspectors
Our inspector recruitment process also follows the same model with the addition of a two-step selection stage.
Selection assessment 1
If you’re shortlisted, we’ll invite you to complete our online selection assessment. This is a written exercise designed to test your potential to be an inspector.
Selection assessment 2
If you successfully complete the online assessment, you’ll be invited to attend an interview and complete an exercise.
If you’re successful at this stage, we’ll let you know and confirm next steps. We’ll either confirm you’re the preferred candidate for a suitable vacancy (based on your specialism and location) or you’ll be invited to join our talent pool for future vacancies.
For more information about our talent pool please see the FAQs here.
How we recruit inspectors
We are currently recruiting inspectors for adult services and early learning and childcare servies. Find out more from the job adverts here.
How we recruit inspectors
Our inspector recruitment process also follows the same model as our other roles with the addition of a two-step selection stage, detailed below.
Selection assessment 1
If you’re shortlisted, we’ll invite you to complete our online selection assessment. This is a written exercise designed to test your potential to be an inspector.
Selection assessment 2
If you successfully complete the online assessment, you’ll be invited to attend an interview and to speak to your written exercise response on how you would give feedback.
If you’re successful at this stage, we’ll let you know and confirm next steps. We’ll either confirm you’re the preferred candidate for a suitable vacancy (based on your specialism and location) or you’ll be invited to join our talent pool for future vacancies.
For more information about our talent pool please see the FAQs below.
FAQs about inspector recruitment
What qualifications do I need to become an inspector?
To become an inspector, you must be registered with, or able to register, and hold a qualification that meets the registration requirements of one of these regulatory bodies:
- Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
- General Teaching Council (Scotland) (GTC)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- General Medical Council (GMC) Health and Care Professions Council (applies to the following roles only: occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and practitioner psychologists)
- Other equivalent professional bodies for the UK nations
Inspectors eligible to apply for registration with the SSSC must hold a suitable practice qualification at SCQF level 9. For more information on the list of suitable qualifications please see the section below.
Inspectors must also hold or undertake one of these appropriate regulator's awards:
- Regulation of Care Award
- PDA Scrutiny and Improvement Practice (Social Services) SCQF level 10
Qualifications that meet the Scottish Social Service Council’s (SSSC) registration requirements
SCSWIS authorised officer – Care Inspectorate inspector (primary and secondary officer)
There are two qualification requirements
1. Practice
2. Regulatory
Practice qualifications
BA Childhood Practice
Postgraduate Diploma in Childhood Practice
BA Social Pedagogy (University of Aberdeen)
BA (Hons) Social Work (or equivalent)
PDA Childhood Practice at SCQF Level 9
SVQ Social Services and Healthcare at SCQF Level 9
SVQ Social Services (Children and Young People) at SCQF Level 9
Regulatory qualifications
PDA Scrutiny and Improvement Practice (Social Services)
Regulation of Care Award (ROCA)
European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)
Practice qualifications we also accept
SVQ 4 Children's Care Learning and Development at SCQF Level 9
SVQ 4 Health and Social Care at SCQF Level 9
Qualification meeting requirements of other regulatory bodies (practice requirement)
A qualification meeting the registration requirements for the following professional groups regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council:
• occupational therapists
• physiotherapists
• speech and language therapists
• practitioner psychologists.
A qualification meeting the registration requirements of the General Teaching Council (Scotland), Nursing and Midwifery Council or the General Medical Council
Degree/Diploma in Community Education as recognised by the Standards Council for Community Learning and Development for Scotland Approvals Committee
Qualifications which are no longer available, but we continue to accept (regulatory requirement)
Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF)
If you have not found the information you need about your qualification and SSSC registration, please contact the SSSC using the web form on their contact us page.
What experience do I need to become an inspector
To become an inspector, we need you to have senior professional experience, expertise and knowledge of adult social care or health care, early learning and childcare or children and young people sectors.
You should also have experience of lead responsibility for complex professional practice through case management, managing people, projects or resources. We welcome applications from candidates with these professional backgrounds.
What support will I get to maintain my professional registration?
Maintaining your registration with your professional body is a core requirement for all inspectors. To support this, we’ll provide you with access to a range of learning activities for your continuing professional and personal development. Our learning management system automatically records all of your learning and we’ll support your re-validation with your professional body. You’ll also participate in regular supervision and peer learning activities through our LEAD (learn, experience, achieve and development) performance and development process.
All inspectors are also expected to undertake our Professional Development Award in Scrutiny and Improvement (Social Services) at SCQF level 10.
What is the salary and grade for the role of inspector?
The role is on an Inspector grade 7. Starting salaries are non-negotiable and all new staff start on the grade minimum for their role. Please see the current starting salary on the advert for the current recruitment campaign.
Following six months service, you will receive an annual increment on 1 April each year until you reach the top of the grade.
How much flexibility is there in terms of working hours and location?
Our inspectors work flexibly and you’ll work 140 hours over each four week period. This equates to 35 hours per week.
We have offices across Scotland and we support a range of flexible working arrangements including homeworking and hybrid working.
Once I apply, how long will it be before my application is considered?
We accept applications from prospective inspectors all throughout the year. We have two recruitment periods each year and your application will be considered during the next recruitment period, following your application submission.
How long does the selection process take?
Our selection process is based on a two-stage assessment. Depending on the volume of applications we receive, we aim to complete each recruitment period within three months of the adverts closing date. Our recruitment team will communicate regularly throughout the recruitment period to ensure you’re up to date on the status of your application and you have all of the information you need to participate in our selection process.
What happens after I've been offered a role?
We’ll carry out pre-employment checks so we can confirm your offer of employment. These include:
- proof of ID / right to work in the UK
- two successful references, where one is from your current or most recent employer
- a PVG check
- occupational health questionnaire and referrals where appropriate
- registration and qualifications check
Once all checks are complete, we’ll agree a start date and formally confirm your offer of employment by providing you with a contract outlining your terms and conditions.
I've been invited to join the inspector talent pool. What does this mean?
If you successfully complete our selection process, we’ll either confirm you’re the preferred candidate for a suitable vacancy (based on your specialism and location) or you’ll be invited to join our talent pool for future vacancies.
Our talent pool is our bank of candidates who have successfully completed the inspector selection process and are available to be appointed to suitable vacancies, based on their specialism and location.
As a member of our talent pool, you’ll be a valued candidate and we’ll:
- monitor and identify suitable vacancies that we can offer you based on your specialism and location
- share regular updates about our vacancies, recruitment plans and other relevant Care Inspectorate news.
You don’t need to reapply for future inspector vacancies for up to two years.
Unfortunately, depending on our vacancies, we may not always be in a position to offer a role to all talent pool candidates.
If you would like to chat to us about our recruitment process or a particular job, please get in touch with our HR team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
HR Adviser
Job title: Human Resources Adviser
Salary: £38,553 to £42,597
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 an expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person, for approximately 40% of their working week. The Care Inspectorate employs approximately 600 employees.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to work with a dynamic HR team on a hybrid basis. Reporting to the Senior HR Business Partner, you will support managers and staff across the organisation to provide expert advice and guidance on a wide range of HR related matters.
The HR Adviser will play a crucial role in fostering a positive work environment, advising on employee relations matters including absence management, performance management and disciplinary and grievance cases. You will also play an active role in the development and review of our people management policies continually seeking feedback from our managers, unions and stakeholders across the organisation.
About you
You will be an experienced HR generalist with a strong track record of managing complex employee relations matters. You will bring extensive knowledge of employment legislation and its practical application, coupled with hands-on experience in developing and implementing people management policies and designing and delivering HR related training for managers and staff.
You will be educated to SCQF Level 9 or have equivalent experience and be a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). It is essential that you are comfortable working with managers at all levels across the organisation to provide a high-quality advisory service. You will have the ability to foster good working relations within the wider HR team, your business partnering areas and with our trade unions through your positive interpersonal, communication and influencing skills.
The application process
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an applicant form and equal opportunities form and submit both by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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 Louise Maxwell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - please include a contact telephone number that would be best to reach you on in your email.
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an application form and equal opportunities 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 13 May 2024.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held on Monday 27 May 20024 at our Dundee Headquarters office.
Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Job title: Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Salary: £49,227 - £54,441
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary until 31 August 2025 (possible extension pending funding)
About the role
The Improvement Adviser (digital social care) is an exciting new role, aimed at strengthening the use of technology to improve outcomes for people. Working alongside the senior improvement adviser (Digital social care), the post sits within the Care Inspectorate’s Quality Improvement Support team (QIST). The role is funded until the end of August 25 with the possibility of an extension. The role can also be taken as a secondment from your substantive post.
About you
You will be educated to SCQF Level 9, and ideally have the NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) programme (or working towards or willing to work towards) or an equivalent improvement science qualification. You will have excellent communication skills, adept at developing relationships with a wide range of people both internal and external to the Care Inspectorate. You will be passionate about improving outcomes for people, and able to demonstrate your experience of leading quality improvement projects and evaluating their impact. You will have a strong interest in digital technology, understanding its role in supporting people’s rights in a social care context.
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 work with the expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person (in an office or other work locations such as at an inspection), for 40% of their working week.
Our Headquarters are located in Dundee and due to the nature of delivery, it may be required to travel to Dundee or other Care Inspectorate offices.
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please include a contact telephone number and times that would be best to reach you in your email.
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please complete the application form and submit it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08:00 on Monday 9 September 2024.
To assist us to monitor the effectiveness of our equality and diversity practices, we would encourage you to complete our equal opportunities monitoring form as part of our application process.
The interviews will preferably take place in person on the 26 September in our Stirling office.
Improvement Support Officer – Quality Improvement Support Team
Job Title: Improvement Support Officer – Quality Improvement Support Team
Salary: £30,495 - £31,740
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary to 17 March 2026
About us
We are the independent scrutiny and improvement support body for social care and social work services in Scotland. We provide assurance 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 for world-class social care and social work in Scotland, where everyone in every community experience high-quality care, support, and learning, tailored to their rights, needs, and wishes.
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, which 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
To backfill a secondment, we are looking for an Improvement Support Officer to join the Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST).
The QIST team provides specialist quality improvement knowledge and skills to the social care workforce, provider groups and Care Inspectorate colleagues. We support, educate, and enable others to improve how they help people who experience care in Scotland. Working collaboratively is key to how we work, whether that work is universal, targeted or specialist.
Our wide-ranging experience of quality improvement helps us to have meaningful conversations with all partners. Using the Model for Improvement, including PDSA cycles, we enable services to develop, implement and reflect on their change projects.
We work collaboratively with our Scrutiny and Assurance colleagues to ensure that improvements are made alongside existing inspection frameworks and services’ own self-evaluation processes.
This role requires a high level of engagement with the Health and Social Care Improvement team and other associated improvement projects, our inspectors, service providers, external partners as well as stakeholders from across the organisation.
The purpose of the role is to provide effective high-quality projects and business support to the QIST team. The role supports the implementation of improvement approaches to support the Care Inspectorate’s improvement strategy, which is aligned to the Corporate Plan. Also, to support the delivery and implementation of QIST improvement work, ensuring the needs of all customers are met in a consistent, efficient, and effective manner.
About you
The successful candidate will be educated to SCQF level 5 (for example, credit standard grade, national 5, skills for work national 5, national certificate, national progression award, modern apprenticeship or SVQ) or have relevant skills and experience in administration or business support. The ideal candidate will have a suitable qualification in administration and business studies at SCQF level 6 or greater.
You’ll be an excellent communicator, highly organised and able to plan and manage your time and work streams efficiently and effectively. In addition, you’ll understand that priorities and deadlines can change quickly, and you’ll respond flexibly and effectively. You’ll be confident in using your own initiative and keen to support the QIST team to continually improve. Your attention to detail is meticulous and you’ll have a clear commitment to maintaining high standards.
The preferred candidate will be a great team worker and nurture good working relationships. Excellent word processing and IT skills with experience of Microsoft applications are needed as well as diary management and minute taking.
This post will give the opportunity for the post holder to learn more about quality improvement methodology and support the wider quality improvement activities of the team, such as improvement workshops, webinars, and projects. There will also be the opportunity to undertake a quality improvement qualification appropriate to the role.
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: Louise Kelly Senior Improvement Adviser on 078 258 42156 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you believe that your skills, experience and motivation make you a suitable candidate for this post, please complete an application form and return it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08.00 on Monday 24 June 2024. Potential candidates must also fill in this equal opportunities monitoring survey.
The selection for this post will include an interview and a skills exercise. It will be held online using Teams on Thursday 11 July 2024.
Information Analyst
Role: Information Analyst
Location: Flexible – any Care Inspectorate office
Salary: £38,553 to £42,597
Hours:35 hours per week
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.
Starting salary
Please bear in mind that new entrants start on the grade minimum for the role. However, we have a generous benefits package which you will find on our website.
About the role
This is a national role, and an opportunity to use your analytical and data skills and experience to make a real difference for people using care services across Scotland. This might include analysing data from numerous internal and external sources to produce insightful intelligence that in turn helps our inspectors target their work; setting up and automating dashboards of management information; or preparing major statistical publications in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. You will be confident manipulating and interrogating large volumes of raw data, using a variety of software and analytical techniques, and have an eye for detail when it comes to data quality.
About you
You should be educated to SCQF Level 9 (with a subject that includes a significant numerical component). You will ideally have a background in business intelligence, data science, data analysis, operational research, intelligence analysis or data analysis. You will be familiar with business intelligence software (Power BI, Tableau etc.) and proficient in a relevant programming language (SAS, SQL, Python or R etc.). You will be expected to work with colleagues at all levels in the Care Inspectorate therefore must have good interpersonal skills and be capable of conveying complex findings clearly both verbally and in writing. Excellent IT and analytical skills are a pre-requisite, enabling you to manage and analyse large amounts of data and present complex information in a meaningful way.
To apply
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.t or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
If you believe that your skills, experience and motivation make you a suitable candidate for this post, please download and complete an application form and equal opportunities form and return both to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08:00 Monday 26 August 2024.
Interviews and assessments will take place at our Dundee office no earlier than 6 September 2024.
Information Governance Lead
Job title: Information Governance Lead
Salary: £55,530 to 61,314
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.
Inspection Planning Manager - Workforce Planning and Data
Job title: Inspection Planning Manager – Workforce Planning and Data
Salary: £38,553 - £42,597
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary for up to 12 months
About the role
Due to a period of absence, a temporary vacancy has arisen within our Planning Team. In this demanding and challenging role, you will manage and co-ordinate 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.
This will include the management, co-ordination of inspection activities and national and team plans for the current year and draft plans for subsequent years, ensuring inspection planning activities are consistent with the Care Inspectorate’s objectives and targets.
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 an expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person, for approximately 40% of their working week.
About you
The successful applicant will have an operational background in workforce planning activities, systems and processes, together with workload planning and prioritisation knowledge.
You will be educated to SCQF Level 5 and, ideally hold a relevant qualification at SCQF Level 6 or 7. You will have excellent communication skills and be able to demonstrate a broad level of knowledge of working within inspection/regulation of care and associated IT systems, such as Work Management Tools, Microsoft Excel and Power BI, alongside the ability to translate plans into action.
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 Deborah Holyroyd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include a contact telephone number and times that would be best to reach you in your email.
If you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please complete our online application form by 08:00 on Monday 17 June 2024*.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held at either our Dundee or Stirling office on 26 June 2024.
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.