Job profile
Job title: Planning Coordinator
Responsible to: Planning Manager
Principal Working Contacts
- Head of Business Change
- Executive Director of IT, Transformation & Digital
- Chief Inspector (Strategic Scrutiny, Children’s, and Adults)
- Chief Inspector (Children’s Services)
- Chief Inspector (Adult Services)
- Executive Director of Scrutiny & Assurance
- Chief Inspector (Registration and Complaints)
- Executive Director of Strategy and Improvement
- Service Managers
- Planning Manager
- Inspectors / Strategic Inspectors
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External agencies/service providers/service users and carers
- Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
Job purpose
To coordinate 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.
Key responsibilities
Strategic management
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, develop and manage systems and processes to support effective national inspection planning to meet corporate aims and objectives.
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, develop and manage systems and processes to support effective and efficient deployment of resources for all the Care Inspectorate’s scrutiny and improvement functions.
- Maintain effective partnerships with Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and other scrutiny and improvement partners to support effective and efficient joint inspection planning.
- Support the Planning Manager in formulating objectives, strategies, action plans and targets for inspection planning activity to ensure that these are achieved.
Operational management
- Support and coordinate the efficient and effective delivery of scrutiny and improvement planning activity.
- Support the management and maintenance of scrutiny plans for the current year and draft plans for subsequent years.
- Promote continuous improvement in all aspects of inspection and capacity planning.
- Support the Planning Manager with the preparation and presentation of reports for other senior managers.
- Plan, coordinate, and maintain regulated care and strategic inspection plans and provide information as required to Care Inspectorate colleagues and scrutiny partners.
- Deputise for the Planning Manager and undertake such other duties as may be required by the Planning Manager.
People management
- In conjunction with the Planning Manager, manage and coordinate the work of the Planning Assistants on a day-to day basis and ensure they are deployed effectively and efficiently to meet the aims, objectives, and target of the Care Inspectorate.
- Provide advice, guidance, and support to Planning Assistants through regular one-to-one supervision, performance development reviews and personal development plans to ensure continuous improvement in their work and to support their personal and professional development.
- Promote consistent, high quality practice amongst staff, and manage the performance and monitor standards and consistency of practice of all employees delivering inspection planning activity.
- Create and sustain a learning culture which promotes the development of employees to maximise their potential and contribution to meeting the organisation’s objectives.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices, and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Relationship management
- Develop strong professional relationships with managers and staff across the organisation ensuring effective collaborative and cross directorate working.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with partner scrutiny and improvement bodies and other key stakeholders.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision, and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives, and advocates.
Other duties
This job may require some travel and may involve some overnight stays and unsocial hours.
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Person specification
Attributes |
Essential |
Desirable |
Experience |
|
Experience of collaborative/ partnership working.
|
Education, qualifications and training |
|
3 Higher Grades or equivalent. HNC or equivalent. |
Skills and knowledge |
|
Understanding of project management
|
Key performance outcomes |
Essential |
Desirable |
Leading others |
|
Demonstrates experience of delivering change and improvement at an operational level. |
Management of resources |
|
|
Effective communication |
|
Good public speaking skills with ability to represent the Care Inspectorate at conferences, events.
|
Impact and influence |
|
Ability to take account of wider political and organisational sensitivities to deliver strategic objectives. |
Objective decision making |
|
|
Person specification
Job title: Improvement Adviser
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating Quality Improvement work.
- Experience of developing and delivering learning to a variety of staff groups and care providers.
- Significant experience of successfully leading innovation across health and social care.
Desirable:
- Research experience.
- Experience of working in or supporting Quality Improvement in Social Care.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Qualifications or skills and experience at SCQF level 9 (e.g. degree, graduate diploma).
- NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) or equivalent qualification in QI science / methodology or willingness to work toward this as a priority.
- Commitment to own CPD.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an emphasis on support, negotiation, influence and diplomacy.
- Ability to network and work together with key health and social care professionals in areas including Scottish Government, health boards, integration joint boards, health and social care partnerships and service providers in the statutory, independent and voluntary sector.
- Understanding of the importance of the involvement of people experiencing care in the co-design and co-production of quality improvement initiatives.
- Knowledge and experience in quality improvement in health and/ or social care.
- Knowledgeable and skilled at using appropriate improvement approaches.
- Good understanding of the social and political environment in which care services are provided to achieve change.
- Self-motivation, confidence and ability to meet tight deadlines.
- IT literate with the ability to analyse and interpret complex information.
Desirable:
- Evidence of involvement and impact in work at a Scotland wide level including membership of national working groups.
- Knowledge and experience of social care quality improvement.
Key performance outcomes
Quality improvement focus
Essential:
- Have a proven track record in leading and/or supporting quality improvement projects/programmes and evaluating their impact.
- Demonstrate an understanding of national quality improvement work across Scotland.
Desirable:
- Research active.
- Policy development.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Evidence of ability to prioritise effectively and achieve deadlines.
- Ability to amend approaches in reaction to changing priorities, circumstances and conflicting demands.
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Demonstrates initiative, drive and determination to complete tasks and achieve objectives.
- Work is self-generated, planned and prioritised, identifying key issues, anticipating problems and initiating appropriate action to resolve them.
- Able to work autonomously and independently.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to achieve results through relationships, negotiation, persuasion, and influence.
- Ability to give credible and realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Ability to lead change and bring people with you.
Effective communication
Essential:
- Excellent oral, public speaking / presentation, and written communication skills.
- Ability to support service providers to define, measure and achieve outcomes.
- Ability to write clear reports and guidance documents.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the emphasis on support, negotiation, influence, and diplomacy.
- Experience in devising and delivering development sessions.
Desirable:
- Experience of speaking/presenting to small and large groups of people at all levels.
Working in partnership
Essential:
- Work nationally and locally with a range of stakeholders.
- Experience in working with others to devise and deliver development sessions.
- Ability to lead or participate in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working groups.
- Ability to work co-operatively to achieve success.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Improvement Adviser - (Grade 7) – Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST)
Job location: National (based from any Care Inspectorate Office)
Reporting to: Senior Improvement Adviser/Quality Improvement Manager
Principal working contacts
Internal:
- Senior Improvement Adviser
- Quality Improvement Support Team Manager
- Head of Quality Improvement Support & Participation
- Quality Improvement Support Team
- Chief Inspectors, Service Managers, Team Managers and Inspectors
- Policy Team
- Participation and Equalities Team
- Internal and External Communications Team
- Organisational and Workforce Team
External:
- Scottish Government policy leads
- Service providers and care service staff
- Other regulatory, scrutiny and improvement bodies
- NHS boards, staff and agencies, local authorities, and integrated joint boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships
- Members of the public and other stakeholders
Job purpose
Working with the Senior Improvement Adviser, as part of the Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST), the post holder will develop and embed quality improvement methodology within the Care Inspectorate and externally with providers of social care organisations. This will be in line with the Quality Improvement and Participation Strategy, the yearly Quality Improvement Plan and collective and individual workplan priorities, which support improved outcomes for people experiencing care and services commissioned by community planning partnerships.
The post holder will provide internal and external professional leadership and expert consultancy on all aspects of quality improvement, developing and maintaining networks of specialist quality improvement advice and knowledge with access to specific subject matter expertise.
Key responsibilities
- To link into the Care Inspectorate’s, Quality Improvement and Participation Strategy and Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST) to advise and upskill staff on quality improvement methodology, quality improvement science, quality improvement tools and delivery of improvement support across the organisation and directorates and externally in the care sector.
- To develop quality improvement support resources and materials for use by inspectors and in care services and support further development and implementation of national strategies and initiatives using the Model for Improvement. For example, in areas such as falls prevention and management, Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and Children and Young People (CYP), Adult Services and others as required.
- To be an active member of the team that deliver the Care Home Improvement Programme (CHIP).
- To develop and maintain the relationships with improvement bodies to co-create developments in quality improvement support relevant to social care, sharing effective practice and avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort for the benefits of people experiencing social care services.
- To provide expert advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders on quality improvement including participating in expert groups related to the work of the Care Inspectorate.
- To ensure that internal and external quality improvement support advice is sector specific.
- To develop effective quality improvement support interventions and materials for use by inspectors and care services.
- To ensure that lessons learned in the wider health and social care arena that avoid harm and improve outcomes for people are learned.
- To keep up to date with current research and share evidence from research, quality improvement methodologies and expert advice with providers and partnerships in order to improve practice and achieve good outcomes for people experiencing care.
- To analyse data to identify trends that may have an impact on the outcome for people experiencing care to focus quality improvement support activity.
- To contribute to delivering the Care Inspectorate’s Corporate Plan.
- To carry out any other reasonable tasks necessary to support the Care Inspectorate’s business.
Relationship management
- Work with the Senior Improvement Adviser, QIST Manager and senior managers to develop and facilitate a comprehensive approach to relationship management between the Care Inspectorate and various parts of the Health and Social Care sectors. Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s quality improvement support offer in social care to practitioners and managers in the health sector.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Other duties
This job may require extensive travel and involve overnight stays. This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
The post holder will be expected to work autonomously in the main but also within a group, with agreed priorities and objectives. Objectives for this post will be agreed jointly with the relevant line manager and director and will be reviewed on a regular basis.
Person specification
Job title: Recruitment Assistant (internally known as HR Assistant within recruitment team)
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Working in a customer facing role (internal or external customers) as the first point of contact (telephone, email or face to face)
- Prioritising and managing workload under broad guidance
Desirable:
- Working in an administrative/office-based environment
- Working in a local authority or public body setting
- Working with large quantities of electronic records, particularly numerical data
- Coordinating and designing processes
- Working with payroll
- Working with ResourceLink or a similar HR/payroll system
- Working in Corporate Services (HR, Finance or IT) in a public sector setting
- Use of SharePoint and Office 365 in a workplace setting – particularly to assist with day to day processes.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF level 6 or above (e.g. SQA Higher grade)
Desirable:
- A qualification at SCQF level 7 or above (e.g. SQA Higher grade) in a numerical, business, office administration, or IT related subject (e.g. accountancy, HR, payroll).
- ECDL or a similar qualification demonstrating that the candidate can use IT and Microsoft Office effectively, particularly Office 365.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Ability to transfer knowledge or skills to others through a variety of different methods (eg demonstrations, producing guidance materials)
- IT literate – particularly with Excel
- Excellent numeracy skills for use with payroll and basic statistical analysis (e.g. compare month to month variances, calculate averages)
- Able to present information logically and concisely using.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365
- Able to use IT effectively to analyse, compare and present data (e.g., make use of Excel functions, produce charts)
- Knowledge of the LGPS
- Knowledge of HR policies and procedures
- Basic knowledge of typical employment related payments and deductions (e.g. salaries, pensions taxes, statutory payments such as maternity pay)
- Basic knowledge of accounting procedures.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Demonstrate clear and concise verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to select appropriate communication style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience
- Listens actively and questions to check understanding.
Team working
Essential:
- Ability to contribute to and support the work and decisions of the team
- Ability to work co-operatively and supportively with others
- Values and makes use of skills, knowledge and experience of others.
Improvement focus
Essential:
- Contributes to the development of new ideas, policies & procedures where appropriate
- Aware of trends and changes in processes and procedures and keeps own knowledge and skills up to date
- Seeks opportunities for learning and personal development.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential:
- Maintains a high standard of work, ensuring attention to detail, actively seeking out continuous improvement
- Demonstrates initiative within own area of expertise
- Takes responsibility for own actions and decisions.
Working in partnership
Essential:
- Openly shares information as and when appropriate, maintaining confidentiality as appropriate
- Respects others recognises and values differences & diversity
- Keeps others information of progress of work plan, targets, etc.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Person specification
Job title: Planning Assistant
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Planning activities
- Data quality
- Data management
- Data reporting
Desirable:
- Regulatory environment experience
- Developing process guidance documents
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF Level 4 or Level 5 (e.g. National 4/5, Standard Grade General/Credit, etc.)
- Commitment to own CPD.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Some level of data management and manipulation skills.
- Effective written and oral communicator.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Good IT skills, in particular MS Excel (including use of pivot tables and macros) and a keen interest in IT skill development. Understanding of data quality issues and validation techniques.
- An awareness of data management and manipulation skills.
- Effective written and oral communicator
- Well developed interpersonal skills
- Analytical skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Ability to work autonomously.
Desirable:
- Sound knowledge of all Care Inspectorate ICT systems and inspection processes.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication
Essential:
- Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups.
- Portrays a positive image of the Care Inspectorate when communicating both inside the organisation and externally.
- Selects appropriate communication, style and methods depending on the needs and abilities of the audience.
- Listens actively to people, questions and checks understanding.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
- Uses a systematic approach to make efficient use of time and manage workload.
- Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
- Prioritises work effectively to meet deadlines and objectives.
Objective decision making
Essential:
- Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on professional expertise, relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Ability to analyse complex information.
Team working
Essential:
- Remains tolerant and fair towards others, values diversity and is non-discriminatory in their actions.
- Values and makes use of the skills, knowledge and experience of others.
- Works co-operatively and supportively with others.
Personal accountability and responsibility
Essential:
- Takes responsibility for decisions and actions taken.
- Maintains a high standard of work and actively seeks out continuous improvement.
- Demonstrates initiative within own area of expertise.
- Takes responsibility for identifying and addressing areas of personal and professional development.
Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role. Successful applicants will be assessed against all the performance indicators used in the Performance Development Review System once established in the role.
Job profile
Job title: Planning Assistant
Responsible to: Planning Co-ordinator
Principal working contacts
- Planning Coordinator
- Planning Manager
- Team Managers
- Service Managers
- Inspectors
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External agencies/service providers/service users and carers
- Members of the public
Job purpose
To provide comprehensive support in the delivery of all inspection planning activity to ensure that the Care Inspectorate performs effectively and efficiently as an independent, scrutiny and improvement body, for the whole range of care, social work and children’s services, to provide assurance and protection for people who use services; support improvement.
To provide a key role in the development of the Care Inspectorate’s planning resources and to work with colleagues, internal and external to devise and implement a range of initiatives, ensuring the Care Inspectorate develops sound policies, procedures and practices in relation to its planning activities.
Key responsibilities
Operational management
To provide support to the business planning of the Care Inspectorate through the development and maintenance of a dynamic inspection plan, including:
- Providing a link between local inspection staff and the Planning Team.
- Understand and use all the Care Inspectorate’s planning processes and provide support to local inspection staff with their implementation.
- To collate / record / implement and manage all changes to the National Inspection Plan and individual inspection plans, ensuring all changes are communicated appropriately.
- To develop and maintain a national capacity recording / monitoring system and support service managers and team managers with capacity monitoring to ensure effective deployment of inspection staff.
- To support the analysis of performance against the national inspection plan and the production of any required management reports.
- Maintenance / validation / analysis of WMT data to support national inspection plan
- Assist in the development of relationships with other agencies involved in the collaborative inspection of regulated care services.
- Manage large amounts of data, using a range of software tools and your data manipulation skills to create useful analysis files.
- Work with inspection data and use a variety of software, to clean and validate data and identify opportunities to improve data quality.
Relationship management
- Develop strong professional links with staff in the Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate and across the Care Inspectorate ensuring a consistent approach to national inspection planning.
- Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate’s work with people who use care services, carers, relatives and advocates.
- Ensure effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT and Operations function.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.
- Promote the principles of partnership working throughout the organisation and in all working practices.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Other duties
This job description is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
Job profile
Job title: Recruitment Assistant (internally known as HR Assistant within recruitment team)
Location: Dundee
Responsible to: Senior Human Resources Adviser
Principal working contacts:
- All Human Resources staff
- Finance Assistants/Officers
- Other staff within Corporate and Customer Services Directorate (eg Estates,
- Health and Safety, ICT)
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate & SSSC
- Third party service providers
Job purpose
To assist in the provision of a human resources advisory and support service for the Care Inspectorate and provide services to Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
Key responsibilities
Act as the first point of contact for HR and payroll queries, taking ownership of any issues and referring/escalating these to others where necessary. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Pay, pensions and expenses.
- HR policies, processes or procedures
- Use of HR systems
- Recruitment
Gather and maintain up to date and accurate workforce information (eg staff records), including but not limited to:
- All information required for the monthly payroll (eg post/hours changes, starter details, leaver details)
- Core employee details (names, contact details, bank details, emergency contacts, etc)
- Right to work and background information (identity checks, disclosure checks, references, employment medical information)
- Contractual details (core employment details such as hours of work, post holdings, salaries, pensions)
- Attendance and absence details (work patterns, overtime, sickness, annual leave, special leave, flexi time)
- Equality and diversity information
- Other relevant employee information (qualifications, training, skills)
- Assist in the provision of a recruitment service.
- Working with members of the accounting team, coordinate monthly payroll and pension processing activities, liaising with third party providers where necessary (e.g. payroll services provider, pensions administrators).
- Assist with the gathering of information for benchmarking and workforce analysis.
- Produce management information for reporting purposes. This will include presenting the information in a variety of formats (eg tables, charts, graphs) making sure it is meaningful and relevant for the audience.
- Assist with the development of HR systems including:
- Design
- Data clean-up and data migration
- Testing
- Training staff
- Development of guidance and procedure manuals
- Assist in the development of new processes and procedures, making full use of information technology where appropriate.
- Produce standard contracts, letters and general HR correspondence.
- Assist in the provision of an advisory service to managers and employees on a comprehensive range of HR policies and procedures, including recruitment, conditions of service, absence and performance management.
- Provide support for HR projects and improvement work.
- Participate in working groups and attend associated meetings, as and when required.
- Undertake any other duties and/or responsibilities commensurate with the nature of the job.
- Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
Other duties
This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.
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.