Statistics and analysis
We collect a wide range of statistical information about Scotland's care services. We collect this to help us regulate services. We also use this information to produce statistical overviews of the service types we regulate.
We include data in our annual report and accounts, annual childcare statistics and the periodic, state-of-the-nation reports we produce.
Use the following links to find the publication you are looking for:
Quarterly Statistical Summary Report
You can find our reports in our publications and statistics area.
Childcare Statistics
The Childcare Statistics detail the provision and use of registered daycare of children and childminding services in Scotland. These are updated on an annual basis. Below are links to the annual reports since 2010.
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report
The Quarterly Statistical Summary Report publication presents data on the number of registered care services, care service cancellations and registrations, quality of registered care services by Key Question, complaints about registered care services (received, investigated and completed) and enforcement notices issued to registered care services, all by care service type and/or service sector.
Full reports are available for download in Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf) and Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format. In addition, the data tables are available in non-proprietary Comma Separated Values (CSV) format, individually. The provision of the data in these formats is intended to facilitate its analysis and re-use.
All content is available under the Open Government License, unless otherwise stated. More information on this license is available at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Our Intelligence Team compile and manage the information within the Quarterly Statistical Summary Report.
For help using this or any queries relating to its content or use then please email us enquiries@careinspectorate.gov.scot
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2025/26)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2025/26) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2025/26) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2024/25)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2024/25) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2024/25) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2024/25)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2024/25) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2023/25) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2024/25)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2024/25) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2023/25) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2024/25)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2024/25) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2023/25) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2023/24)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2023/24) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2023/24) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2023/24)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2023/24) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2023/24) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2023/24)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2023/24) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2023/24) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2023/24)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2023/24) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2023/24) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2022/23)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2022/23) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2022/23) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2022/23)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2022/23) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2022/23) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2022/23)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2022/23) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2022/23) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2022/23)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2022/23) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2022/23) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2021/22)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2021/22) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2021/22) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2021/22)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2021/22) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2021/22) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2021/22)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2021/22) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2021/22) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2021/22)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2021/22) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2021/22) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2020/21)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2020/21) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2020/21) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2020/21)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2020/21) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2020/21) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2020/21)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2020/21) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2020/21) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2020/21)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2020/21) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2020/21) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2019/20)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2019/20) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2019/20) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2019/20)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2019/20) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2019/20) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2019/20)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2019/20) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2019/20) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2019/20)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2019/20) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2019/20) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2018/19)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2018/19) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2018/19) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2018/19)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2018/19) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2018/19) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2018/19)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2018/19) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2018/19) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2018/19)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2018/19) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2018/19) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description
- No. of Registered Care Services
- Service Cancellations and Registrations
- Quality of Registered Care Services
- Enforcement Notices issued
- Complaints against Registered Services
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2017/18)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2017/18) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2017/18) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
- Enforcement Notices issued (CSV)
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2017/18) - Revised
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2017/18) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2017/18) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
- Enforcemnet Notices issued (CSV)
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2017/18)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2017/18) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr3 (2017/18) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
- Enforcement Notices issued (CSV)
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2017/18)
- Statistical Summary Qtr2 (2017/18) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr 2 (2017/18) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
- Enforcement Notices issued (CSV)
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2017/18)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2017/18) All Tables (PDF)
- Statistical Summary Qtr1 (2017/18) All Tables (Excel)
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
- Enforcement Notices issued (CSV)
Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2016/17)
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2016/17) All Tables (PDF) *updated 25/09/17
- Statistical Summary Qtr4 (2016/17) All Tables (Excel) *updated 25/09/17
- Data Description (CSV)
- No. & % of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Service Cancellations & Registrations (CSV)
- Quality of Registered Care Services (CSV)
- Complaints against Registered Services (CSV)
Staying up to date and getting in touch
Strategic scrutiny and assurance
Who we are
The Care Inspectorate’s strategic inspection team sits in the Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate. We focus on the scrutiny, assurance and improvement of services provided by local authority social work services and partnerships. We look at services for children and families, adults and older people and people involved with the justice system. We explore how adults’ and children’s rights are promoted and upheld, the extent to which they are enabled to exercise choice and control in how their support is provided, and the outcomes they experience.
Click on the links below to read more.
- About our strategic inspection teams
- Our inspections
- Our quality assurance role
- Our support to local partnerships
Temporary changes to variations during Covid-19
Variation changes for care homes and care at home extended to April 2023
Social care continues to face challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we continue to support the care sector by adapting what we do, when needed.
To support services to provide support to a wider group of people, there will continue to be no requirement for providers to submit a variation for any care service type where:
- a care home for older people is caring for youngeradults or vice versa
- care at home services care for clients with different careneeds
- there is a change of operationalhours.
This will continue until April 2023.
In these circumstances, there is no requirement to submit a variation form. Instead, you should simply confirm in writing through eForms, using the notification ‘Changes to service delivery’.
Within the notification, you should note what the change is and confirm the service can meet people’s care and welfare needs.
The notification will not trigger an inspection but may trigger contact from the inspector to discuss the changes you have put in place.
For care homes that are supporting people on an interim basis until care at home is available in their area, there is no requirement to notify the Care Inspectorate. We will get this information from the oversight teams of homes being used in local areas.
Testing
Clarification on asymptomatic testing for social care staff (Added 1 April)
As soon as possible
The Scottish Government has advised that daily asymptomatic (work day) LFD testing will no longer be required and social care settings should revert back to their routine, baseline asymptomatic testing as soon as this is possible. This is either a weekly PCR or twice-weekly LFD (apart from adult care home staff who will continue to test with a weekly PCR and twice-weekly LFD).
This approach to testing in social care has been informed by clinical advice and is subject to ongoing review. LFD tests are extremely effective at picking up the virus in asymptomatic individuals, specifically when they are most infectious and therefore more likely to pass it on to others. This is considered proportionate while still offering sufficient protection to those at highest risk.
From Monday 18 April
The role of Covid-19 testing is changing from population wide testing, to targeted testing to support clinical care. The Scottish Government approach to testing in social care has been informed by clinical advice and is subject to ongoing review.
Based on this advice, regular asymptomatic testing will continue for parts of the health and care workforce. This is primarily in settings which are still considered high risk and/or where those using services are deemed to be at a higher risk of hospitalisation from Covid-19.
Testing will stop for staff groups in settings that are now deemed to be lower risk and/or in services which do not involve close personal care and contact or where clients are no longer at a higher risk of Covid-19.
For pathways/services continuing to test, we are moving away from using PCR testing (with the exception of adult care home staff) and asking staff to test twice weekly with LFD tests.
As stated, LFD tests are extremely effective at picking up the virus in asymptomatic individuals and specifically when they are most infectious and therefore more likely to pass it on to others.
Providers with excess LFD stock can pause their deliveries by calling the NSS helpline on 0800 008 6587.
For an overview of the social care asymptomatic pathways and changes in these pathways from Monday 18 April, click here.
Introduction of Test and Protect transition plan (Added 16 March 2022)
The Scottish Government published its Test and Protect Transition Plan. The Transition Plan set out the timelines for moving away from population-wide testing aimed at reducing transmission, towards a more targeted approach to testing. A notice explaining this can be found here.
Introduction of Orient Gene 7s LFD kits (Added 12 August 2021)
The Scottish Government has advised us that Orient Gene 7s LFD testing kits are being introduced. These new kits will begin to be distributed week beginning Monday 16 August when guidance and training materials will also be published here. All existing Innova 25s stock must be used up first. Please note you should enter the LOT number from the box when recording results on http://www.covidtestingportal.scot/. If you currently receive PCR kits, you will continue to do so and guidance remains unchanged.
Scottish Government update on testing (Added 16 July 2021)
The Scottish Government has updated its guidance on testing in care homes and adult social care as follows.
Care home staff
Care home staff – discretion to allow staff one LFD test per week at home using LFD test kits approved for self-test at home once available (most likely during August)
Coronavirus (Covid-19): adult care home lateral flow device testing
Care home visitors (friends/family)
Family/friend care home visitors - discretion to allow LFD testing at home where tests are collected through the community testing route.
Coronavirus (Covid-19): adult care home lateral flow device testing
Social care staff (excluding care homes but working in the services listed below)
Discretion to allow staff two LFD tests per week at home using LFD test kits approved for self-test at home once available (most likely during August). This is not applicable to staff who undertake PCR tests.
Coronavirus (Covid-19): social care and community based testing guidance
Social care staff
- short break/respite services
- Independent Living Fund Scotland assessors
- social workers
- learning disability settings
- women’s shelters
- personal assistants
- care inspectors
- care at home
- sheltered housing and housing with multiple occupancies
- adult day centres/adult day care services
LFD staff testing notifications guidance (Added 15 April 2021)
Following the introduction of regular LFD (Lateral Flow Device) testing for staff in a range of settings and services, we wanted to provide some clarification on which notifications to use following the outcome of tests:
LFD positive test for one or more staff – Please complete Covid-19: outbreak – notification of suspected case. Only one ‘notification of suspected case’ is needed even if several people have a positive LFD test. Staff who have a positive LFD test must then arrange to have a confirmatory PCR test.
If the outcome of the subsequent PCR test(s) is positive – Please complete Covid-19: outbreak – notification of confirmed case for each individual who has a positive PCR test.
If the outcome of the PCR test(s) is negative – Please complete Covid-19: outbreak – end of suspected case(s).
Weekly testing for agency staff deployed to care homes for adults and older people (Added 24 July 2020)
The Scottish Government has issued guidance to ensure that all staff deployed to care homes for adults and older people from staffing agencies are tested for Covid-19 prior to deployment. They request that agencies provide assurance that a process is in place for testing staff prior to deployment to tracy.slater@gov.scot by Friday 31 July. You can access the guidance here.
Testing staff in care homes (Added 24 July 2020)
The Scottish Government testing directorate asks care homes to complete a weekly ‘safety huddle’ template on staff testing. There have been some inconsistencies in recording of the number of staff eligible for testing and the number of staff who have declined tests. For clarity:
Recording of number of staff eligible for testing – Only staff who are at work in the care home should be included and those staff who are not at work for any reason should be excluded from this number e.g. annual leave, sick leave, days off, self-isolating or working elsewhere. Staff who have previously tested positive and have returned for work are also excluded from this number as they are currently not included in the staff testing programme
Recording of number of staff who decline testing – Only staff who are eligible for testing as defined above that have declined testing should be included. Staff who are at not work or staff who have previously tested positive should not be included in this number.
You can find further guidance and the weekly template here.
Guidance from Health Protection Scotland on Covid-19 in care homes (Added 14 July 2020)
Health Protection Scotland has published guidance for PCR testing in care homes and the management of Covid-19 PCR test positive residents and staff.
Letter to all care homes on testing from Scottish Government (Added 23 April 2020)
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman has issued a letter for care all care homes to provide further details on procedures in place for testing care home staff and residents for Covid-19. You can read the letter here.
Interim guidance on Covid-19 PCR testing in care homes (Updated 16 May 2020)
Health Protection Scotland has released Interim guidance on Covid-19 PCR testing in care homes and the management of Covid-19 PCR test positive residents and staff.
You can view the guidance here.
The focus of our joint inspection
The focus of our joint inspection - children and young people subject to compulsory orders and living at home with their parents
Over the past four years, the Care Inspectorate and scrutiny partners have undertaken 15 joint inspections of services for children and young people at risk of harm. We will shortly be publishing an overview report. Aside from joint inspections, we also undertook a series of thematic reviews on specific topics including secure care; cross border placements; services for disabled children and young people and services for care experienced young people.
The last time that we carried out joint inspections of services for children who are looked after was between 2018 and 2020, in our joint inspections of services for children in need of care and protection. In our overview report we noted that:
- Children and young people subject to compulsory supervision orders and living at home with parents experienced the least improvement in their wellbeing, when compared to children looked after away from home in kinship, foster or residential care.
- Partnerships struggled to find the evidence to demonstrate tangible improvements in the wellbeing of looked after children and young people and in understanding performance trends concerning different looked after groups.
- There had been some progress in narrowing the educational attainment gap between looked after children and their peers, however, it remained too great.
- Not all care experienced children and young people had the same opportunities to share their views and meaningfully influence service delivery.
- The collaborative leadership of child protection was much more robust and embedded than that for corporate parenting.
There are also a range of other evidence sources that indicate there is a need for further exploration of the impact of services for children and young people subject to compulsory supervision orders and living at home with parents. In particular, Scottish Government’s publication, Educational Outcomes for looked after children 2022/23, evidences lower school attendance rates, higher school exclusion rates, lower positive destination rates and poorer attainment rates for children looked after at home, when compared to the wider group of looked after children.
By considering the experiences of children who are subject to compulsory supervision orders and living at home with their parents, we aim to better understand what is helping to improve outcomes for children and young people and what is getting in the way.
Our three key lines of enquiry are:
- Children and young people are well supported to live with their families. This support helps to keep them safe, overcome difficulties and makes a positive difference in their lives.
- The services children and young people receive are well planned and delivered in a way which is compassionate and by staff who put children and young people at the heart of decision-making. People in the workforce ensure that children, young people and parents are meaningfully listened to, heard and included.
- Leaders and managers work well together to create and maintain a joined-up system of care which delivers the right services to each child at the right time. This provides children and young people, their parents and the workforce with help, support and accountability.
The Guide
The Guide provides information for community planning partnerships (CPP) about the process for the joint inspection of services for children and young people at risk of harm. This includes services for children under the age of 18 years at the point of involvement with services. It should be read in conjunction with the quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection (QIF).
The Guide contains a number of hyperlinks. These may be to references within the guide itself or to external sources. If partnerships being inspected have any queries about any part of The Guide they should consult with their inspection lead, or with their link inspector if not being currently inspected.
The Guide - introduction
A. Background
The Guide is aimed at community planning partners (CPP) and staff participating in joint inspections. It is complementary to a quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection (QIF) which supports joint self-evaluation and continuous improvement.
Joint inspections include representatives from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), Education Scotland (ES) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS), as well as young inspection volunteers. They take account of the full range of work within a CPP area including services provided by social workers, health visitors, police officers, teachers and the third sector.
Whilst details of the approach to each joint inspection may vary in response to local circumstances, the core elements of the process remain consistent and comparable.
Embedded in our approach is a strong emphasis on listening to, and taking account of, the views of children and young people as well as their parents and carers. The young inspection volunteers, who have relevant experience of services and are trained and supported to be members of joint inspection teams, play a key role in this. These inspections provide public assurance on the quality and effectiveness of services for children and young people and seek to assist partnerships in continuous improvement.
The methodology for joint inspections, as well as our quality framework, is informed by the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. It looks at:
- key outcomes
- stakeholder’s needs
- delivery of services
- management
- leadership
- capacity for improvement.
Our quality framework outlined in the diagram below contains 22 quality indicators.
B. Joint inspection focus
Since July 2021, the remit of the joint inspections is to consider the effectiveness of services for children and young people at risk of harm. The inspections take account of the difference community planning partnerships are making to the lives of children and young people at risk of harm.
Looking ahead to the implementation of The Promise and the changes that will be required in both practice and scrutiny, the intention of these inspections is to achieve assurance about how children and young people at risk of harm are being kept safe. We are keen to establish how well protection processes to identify, assess and plan for the management of risk are enabling children and young people to experience sustained loving and nurturing relationships, to keep them safe from further harm and promote their wellbeing.
Evidence gathered under the quality indicators of our quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection (QIF) will enable inspectors to address the four following aims:
- Children and young people are safer because risks have been identified early and responded to effectively.
- Children and young people’s lives improve with high quality planning and support, ensuring they experience sustained loving and nurturing relationships to keep them safe from further harm.
- Children, young people, and families are meaningfully and appropriately involved in decisions about their lives. They influence service planning, delivery and improvement.
- Collaborative strategic leadership, planning and operational management ensure high standards of service delivery.
These will, in turn, form the basis of the published report, which will include key messages, strengths and areas for development for the partnership.
In addition, we will evaluate Indicator 2.1 (Impact on children and young people) using the six point scale.
C. Joint inspection process
Our inspection activity is divided into two phases, followed by a reporting phase.
Key inspection tasks include:
- A review of children’s records
- A staff survey
- Children, young people and parent/kinship carer surveys
- Review of position statement and written evidence
- Focus groups for staff
- Meetings with children, young people and families
- Three meetings with service leaders (partnership discussions)
We then publish a report on our website and produce a video report.
For more information refer to resources and documents section.
Our joint inspections last for around 25 weeks from the point of notification to publication. The actual timespan may be longer if the period of the inspection includes school or public holidays.
There are two phases to the inspection, followed by a reporting phase, outlined in the chart below.
D. Children and young people’s participation and involvement
During the inspection it is important that we hear as much as possible from children and young people using services. Consequently, we have developed our methodology to enable their views to be prominent. We have produced a survey specifically to hear feedback from children and young people, as well as a separate survey for parents and carers.
We want to hear about how children and young people are involved in all the stages of protection process and the impact that this has had. We are interested to see how children and young people are enabled to take part in discussions about service delivery and improvement and how partners respond to their views. We want to know about information sharing and complaints processes and will be seeking assurance that these are accessible and actively promoted. We will be looking at how partners comply with the broader remit of the UNCRC and their response to children’s rights issues.
We will work closely with trained young inspection volunteers who themselves have had experience of services for children and young people. They will lead much of our direct contact with children and young people during the inspection.
We are particularly keen to hear the views of children and young people about:
- Their personal well-being and outcomes. Perceived well-being is increasingly viewed as the most important element of feedback from service users and can be used for: identifying the needs of groups; evaluating the impact of a specific intervention; or obtaining a snapshot of needs and strengths in communities.
- The staff working with them and their families. We know the importance of children and young people being enabled to experience sincere human contact and enduring relationships. We will therefore explore the extent to which they have confidence in the people who support and care for them.
- Their experiences of the processes that they have encountered – assessment, planning, intervention, review. We are interested in the experience that children and young people have of the processes which are designed to recognise and respond to child protection concerns and keep them safe and well.
- How well services have involved them. We are not only interested in the headline care standard “I am involved in all decisions about my care and support”, but also in the ways that services are involving children and young people in reviewing and improving the work that they do. We want to know how services have sought their views and hear how these views have been used to make changes as necessary.