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Review of social work governance and assurance in Scotland

Published: 09 July 2024

The Care Inspectorate has now published its final report following the review of social work governance and assurance across Scotland.

The review took place between July and December 2024 and sought to answer the following question.

How well do social work governance and assurance arrangements support leaders to:

  • Ensure statutory duties are carried out safely and effectively?
  • Enable social work staff to be supported, accountable and effective in their practice?
  • Assist social work staff to uphold core social work values?

We looked at all areas of statutory social work including adults, children and justice social work services across all local authority areas in Scotland. 

We heard from:

  • 32 chief social work officers
  • 64 senior leaders at head of service or equivalent level
  • 159 operational managers
  • 8 chief officers of health and social care partnerships
  • 8 local authority chief executives
  • 3,935 staff who responded to our survey
  • Reviewed 1032 documents

We held a national webinar on 26 June 2025 and a recording can be watched below.

Key messages

Our review found that:

  1. Overall, social work leaders and managers worked effectively within often complicated governance arrangements. In most cases these arrangements were well understood by staff.
  2. Levels of oversight and assurance were enhanced by dedicated ‘social work governance boards’ or their equivalent.
  3. Social work influence was at times more limited within health and social care partnerships where it had a less equal level of representation.
  4. The role of the chief social work officer was important in promoting and amplifying the voice of social work.
  5. Staff, managers and leaders felt confident to promote and uphold values within social work services. There was a strong belief in the importance of social work values to support ethical practice.
  6. Overall social work assurance was mostly effective.
  7. Social work services were managing significant levels of risk relating to financial and staffing resources. The impact of both of these risks was amplified in island and rural settings.
  8. Overall, staff were supported to deliver effective services.
  9. Most social work staff benefitted from appropriate professional supervision arrangements and received learning and development opportunities which supported them to deliver their role.

High level messages for national consideration

  • Scotland’s social work services were finding the ability to match supply with demand exacerbated by increased levels of complexity. This meant that social work was at risk of being unable to fulfil its statutory duties in some service areas.
  • Staff were concerned that traditional relationship-based practice was being replaced by ‘transactional’ or ‘episodic’ engagement with people and children who use services. This was particularly the case within adult social work.
  • A national approach is required to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis. Social work sustainability is particularly impacted by the enduring financial position. Change is needed to support the vital role of social work services.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the review.

Our review report was published on 6 May 2025. You can read the full report below.

 

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Safe staffing improvement programme

Published: 11 March 2022

The Care Inspectorate has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to lead on a national quality improvement programme to support care services with the enactment of the Health and Care (Staffing)(Scotland) Act 2019 

Enacted on 1 April 2024, the Act is applicable to all health and care staff in Scotland. Statutory guidance has been published alongside the Act. The aims of the Act are to enable safe and high quality care and improved outcomes for people experiencing health care or social care services through the provision of appropriate staffing. This requires the right people, in the right place, with the right skills, at the right time.

Our vision

Working in collaboration with people who experience care, relatives, representation groups and other key stakeholders, our vision of the programme is to: 

‘Ensure that in care services in Scotland there are the right people, in the right place, with the right skills at the right time working to ensure people experience the best health and care outcomes.’ 

We regularly publish programme updates and resources on The Hub. 

To find out more information about the programme or you would like to get involved email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Secure care pathway review 2022-23

Published: 26 August 2022

Our approach

We carried out a secure care pathway review between July 2022 and July 2023 to consider the impact of the Secure Care Pathway and Standards that were published in October 2020.  The review focused on young people up to the age of 18 who have been placed – or are at risk of being placed – by Scottish local authorities, in secure care accommodation.

The review centred on listening to and understanding the experiences of 30 young people across Scotland before, during and after experiencing secure care accommodation.   During the review period we tracked the journeys of these young people and this helped us to consider impact and outcomes over time.  The annual inspections of registered secure care providers continue to be carried out.  We worked jointly with the inspectors of these services to inform the review, particularly in relation to the ‘during’ stage of young people’s journeys through secure care.

Our review is now complete and you can read the report here.

More information

Information about the secure care pathway and standards can be found here.

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Self-evaluation of performance and quality assurance in justice social work

Published: 21 August 2024

This justice social work self-evaluation will focus on the current capacity of services to evidence performance, quality and outcomes in relation to community based sentences. The self-evaluation activities will be undertaken in two phases between September 2024 and March 2025. A national report will be published in May 2025.

The approach to this work will be informed by Quality Indicator 6.4 (Performance Management and Quality Assurance) which is drawn from the Care Inspectorate’s Guide to Self-Evaluation for Community Justice in Scotland. The aim is to develop a clear understanding of strengths and develop an evidence-base that informs local and national improvement initiatives.

By using a self-evaluation approach rather than a traditional inspection model, we hope to minimise the burden on local authorities whilst building capacity for improvement across the sector.

Useful links: 

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Serious Incident Reviews

Published: 09 December 2021

The national serious incident review guidance was developed in partnership with the Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland.   The guidance outlines what is expected of local authorities when a serious incident comes to their attention. 

A serious incident is defined as an incident involving: 

‘…harmful behaviour, of a violent or sexual nature, which is life threatening and/or traumatic and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological, may reasonably be expected to be difficult or impossible.’ (Framework for Risk Assessment Management and Evaluation, RMA (2011) 

The reporting of serious incidents currently pertains to people who have received a final disposal from court following conviction.  This includes people made subject to the various requirements of a community payback order or a drug treatment and testing order.  It also relates to everyone released from custody subject to statutory social work supervision.  

National guidance on the management and delivery of these orders and licences is contained within a variety of national outcomes and standards - Scottish Government collection of justice social work guidance.

When a serious incident occurs the local authority should notify the Care Inspectorate within five working days. The Care Inspectorate provides a quality assurance role in serious incident reviews, by looking at how reviews have been conducted and whether these have been carried out in a robust and meaningful way.  

A serious incident review is undertaken by following the national guidance, and using the templates below:

All notifications, submissions and queries are made through this secure email address cistrategicThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Shout out to carers

Published: 01 June 2020
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Statistics and analysis

Published: 13 March 2015

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:

Childcare Statistics

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2025/26)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2024/25)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2024/25)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2024/25)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2024/25)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2023/24)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2023/24)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2023/24)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2023/24)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2022/23)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2022/23)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2022/23)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2022/23)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2021/22)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2021/22)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2021/22)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2021/22)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2020/21)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2020/21)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2020/21)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2020/21)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2019/20)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2019/20)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2019/20)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2019/20)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2018/19)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2018/19)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2018/19)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2018/19)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2017/18)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2017/18) - Revised

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 3 (2017/18)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 2 (2017/18)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 1 (2017/18)

Care Inspectorate Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Quarter 4 (2016/17)

 

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Staying up to date and getting in touch

Published: 01 June 2020
Downloads: 5083
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