Job profile
Job title: Improvement Support Officer – Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST)
Responsible to: Senior Improvement Advisor – Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST)
Principal working contacts
• Quality Improvement Manager – QIST
• Quality Improvement Support Team / improvement programmes and leads
• Improvement support officer / assistants
• Health and Social Care Improvement Team
• AHP Consultant / Chief Nurse
• Equalities and Involvement Team manager and team
• Care Inspectorate scrutiny teams / senior colleagues
• Intelligence Team / Communication Team / policy analysts
• External partners and agencies
Job purpose
• To provide effective high quality project and business support to the Quality Improvement Support Team
• To support the implementation of the quality improvement and involvement strategy and Improvement and participation yearly Plan, aligned to the Corporate Plan, which is delivery focused, ensuring the needs of all users are met in a consistent, efficient and effective manner.
Key responsibilities
• Organise and plan work appropriately to ensure the provision of efficient business and project support to the Quality Improvement Support Team which supports the implementation of the Quality Improvement and Involvement Strategy and the delivery and implementation of their Quality Improvement work.
• Maintain appropriate systems for supporting the Quality Improvement Support Team’s work and activity.
• Undertake specialist activities, in accordance with procedures or instructions, to support the Quality Improvement Support Team.
• Prepare agenda and paperwork for meetings as required.
• Organise, attend and participate in quality improvement workshops, events and meetings as required to take attendance, evaluations, notes, actions from meetings, prepare minutes/feedback and distribute.
• Arrange local / national improvement visits / workshops / webinars and other visit arrangements, liaising with service providers and other external agencies to agree arrangements.
• Update computerised information systems, extracting and collating information from manual files and other records as required.
• Distribute information within the Care Inspectorate to the Quality Improvement Support Team, Scrutiny & Assurance colleagues and external agencies as required.
• Obtain information from the team and/or other external agencies as required.
• Act as the initial point of contact for the team, including assessing priorities, managing time, diaries, arranging meetings, managing enquiries and requests as necessary.
• Organise and communicate project timelines appropriately to ensure the smooth running of quality improvement workshops / team projects, other activities.
• Provide and maintain high quality statistical information and data analysis from workshops, projects and other records as required together with distribution of information to the team.
• Update the Quality Improvement Support Teams’ Hub and intranet pages.
• Promote the team’s work using social media and the intranet.
People management
• 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.
• Promote diversity, equality of opportunity, fairness, dignity and trust, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of service delivery.
Relationship management
• Establish and maintain good working relationships the Quality Improvement Support Team and all internal and external stakeholders associated with the team to ensure effective and efficient business and project support.
• Establish good working relationships with service providers and other external agencies and promote the role and function of the Quality Improvement Support Team.
• Promote the principles of partnership working throughout the organisation and embrace this as the agreed way of working.
• Ensure effective communication of the Care Inspectorate's work with people who use care services, carers, relatives and advocates.
• 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.
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 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.
Strategic Data Officer
Job title: Strategic Data Officer
Salary: £30,495 – £31,740
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary until 31st July 2025
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. Our hybrid working policy gives you the flexibility to mix working from home with attendance at your base office and other work locations, spending no more than 60% of your working time working from home, measured over a 4-week period.
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 exciting opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic individual to use their current IT skills and develop new analytical and data skills to make a real difference for people experiencing care across Scotland. You will support the Intelligence team in delivering key analytical support to our strategic inspection programmes, working closely with a multi-disciplinary team of Care Inspectorate colleagues and those from external agencies.
You will support the Intelligence team in providing an analytical function throughout the inspection process through the improvement and maintenance of data collection tools and by identifying and summarising key inspection findings and preparing accurate statistical reports for a range of internal and external audiences.
About you
You should be educated to SCQF level 7.
The Intelligence Team will offer training and support for the specialist software and skills required for this role. However, you will need to be confident working with raw data and comfortable working with Microsoft Excel. The successful candidate will pay close attention to detail in order to clean and validate data and identify opportunities to improve data quality.
As well as having good literacy skills, you will have an aptitude for working with facts and figures to a high degree of accuracy. Excellent IT skills are a pre-requisite, enabling you to present complex information in a meaningful way.
You will be expected to work with colleagues across the Care Inspectorate and other external organisations, and so must have excellent interpersonal skills and be prepared to develop a sound understanding of the inspection data to respond effectively to the requirements of the role.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
For an informal discussion about the above posts, please contact Francesca Colaco by email at 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 the online application form by 08:00 on Monday 9 December 2024. CVs will not be accepted.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held Wednesday 18 December 2024 at our Dundee office.
Planning Coordinator
Role: Planning Coordinator
Salary: £31,938 - £35,328
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible – Any Care Inspectorate office across Scotland
Contract: Temporary for 12 months (potential for further extension)
About the role
The Care Inspectorate's role is to regulate and inspect care and support services, carry out scrutiny of social work services and conduct joint inspections with other scrutiny partners of services for adults and children. We have a significant role in providing assurance and protection for people who use services, their families and carers and the wider public as well as supporting delivery partners to improve the quality of care for people in Scotland.
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. This role ensures 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 and delivery of scrutiny and improvement planning activities and plans for the current year. As well as draft plans for subsequent years, ensuring inspection planning activities are consistent with the Care Inspectorate’s objectives and targets.
About you
You will have a strong operational background in planning activities, together with workload planning, prioritisation and allocation experience.
You will be educated to SCQF level 7 (e.g., Advanced Higher, Higher National Certificate (HNC), Professional Development Award, Certificate of Higher Education, Modern Apprenticeship, SVQ, etc.) or have relevant skills and experience in planning coordination.
You will also have supervisory experience and demonstrate a broad level of knowledge of working within inspection/regulation of care and associated IT systems. In addition, you will have excellent communication skills and the ability to translate plans into action.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
For an informal discussion about the above post, please contact Deborah Holroyd, Head of Business Change 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 download and complete an application form and an 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 29 April 2024.
It is anticipated that the assessment for this post will be held in person around 8 May 2024. The assessment will be a competency based interview and a skills exercise.
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.
Senior Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Lead
Role: Senior Communications and Engagement Lead
Contract: Temporary or Secondment for up to 18 months
Salary: £49,227 - £54,551
Hours: Full time (35 hours a week)
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
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 the role
We are looking to recruit a Senior Communications and Engagement Lead to deliver against the Digital Transformation communications and stakeholder engagement plan to inform, generate interest and enthusiasm about an ambitious, complex and critical digital transformation project in line with the Care Inspectorate’s corporate plan 2022-2025. The digital transformation project aims to replace inflexible legacy systems, that are based on now outdated technologies, with an updated platform and build upon our essential risk-led scrutiny model.
You will identify and build high quality relationships internally and with external organisations, and advise on innovative communication methods to engage with stakeholders and employees, while promoting work of the Digital Transformation Project.
You will be at the forefront of developing innovative content, ideas, and concepts to drive key communications and engagement activities for the digital transformation project.
You will work closely with colleagues to support significant cultural change, consolidate excellence in the Care Inspectorate’s activities and continue to invest in our competent, confident workforce in a way that puts collaboration at the core of our work.
You will be an articulate and positive communicator, both verbally and in written form, with the ability to engage, influence and lead the development of a wide range of key stakeholder relationships, both internally and externally.
To apply
You will 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 Jodie Hogg (Operational Transformation Lead) 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.
IIf you believe that you are a suitable candidate for this post, please download the application form and an equal opportunities form 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 26 August 2024
It is anticipated that interviews will take place on the 10 September 2024.
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..
Tester
Role: Tester
Location: Flexible (any Care Inspectorate office)
Salary: £40,608 - £43,962
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 an expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person for a minimum number of days each week.
About the role
Our vision for IT and Digital Transformation is: Our stakeholders have access to the digital services they need to enable them to improve care service outcomes for every person in the community in Scotland. We are looking to recruit a number of roles that can support our organisation's business applications, working within a dedicated IT and transformation team.
We want your skills to help us develop and enhance our existing services which support operational colleagues. This is an exciting time as we aim to develop and enhance these existing services through and blended agile and traditional approach to delivery. When you join us in this important role you’ll support the Digital Transformation team by contributing towards the overall planning, control and delivery of testing, test data, resources and tools. For example, you might work on the review of observation records, monitor the status and resolution of any defects raised, manage test coverage and traceability, and contribute to test readiness reviews. You’ll also oversee the delivery of end-to-end test plans, managing all activities in the plans to ensure that the acceptance criteria of new feature development is of the highest quality.
This is an exciting opportunity to work with a great team delivering digital services which will improve how we support scrutiny, assurance and improvement for people who experience care in Scotland.
About you
You will have strong exploratory testing experience using test charters to focus test sessions. You will also have experience of testing web applications including aspects such as SQL skills, automated testing, multi-browser, accessibility, regression and usability testing.
You will be educated to degree level or hold equivalent relevant experience. You will also have strong analytical and trouble shooting skills, excellent communication skills and the ability to work under pressure and meet targets.
We are looking for the right candidate who is Scotland based due to collaboration and wellbeing support as part of the delivery process.
Next steps
You’ll find more information in the job profile and person specification.
For an informal discussion, please contact Stuart MacKenzie, Head of Transformation, by email in the first instance 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 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 29 January 2024.
It is anticipated that interviews will take place at our Stirling office no sooner than Tuesday 6 February.
We are recruiting a new chief executive
The Care Inspectorate is recruiting a new chief executive. You can find out more about the role below and make an application here.
The Care Inspectorate is the independent scrutiny, assurance and improvement support body for social care and social work in Scotland. We provide public confidence in the quality of care delivered to people by individual services and across local communities and collaborate and take action where experiences and outcomes are not meeting individual needs.
To achieve our vision of world-class social care and social work in Scotland, where everyone, in every community, experiences high-quality care, support and learning, tailored to their rights, needs and wishes, we require an exceptional Chief Executive to lead us through the next phase of our exciting change journey and to drive us forward.
Leading the Care Inspectorate and effectively navigating and responding to the ever-changing health and social care landscape to ensure a person centred, human-rights based and outcome-focussed social care provision across Scotland, the successful candidate will effectively promote the Care Inspectorate as a high-profile, risk-based, problem-solving organisation.
The Chief Executive must act as an outstanding ambassador for the Care Inspectorate, and in response to the intensified level of public and media scrutiny, ensure the organisation’s reputation is protected and enhanced, whilst also building and sustaining credibility with the public and service providers and working in strategic and operational partnership with other scrutiny bodies.
We are seeking a strategic thinker and an experienced values-based leader who has a strong understanding of both scrutiny and improvement. Able to work effectively in a highly politicised environment, our new Chief Executive will also be able to demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, creating alliances and establishing professional credibility.
Passionate about the quality of social care and social work services in Scotland, the successful candidate should also bring direct experience of effectively managing resources and budgets, delivering long term financial sustainability and value for money and a strong commitment to best practice coupled with a drive for continual improvement.
NB: The Care Inspectorate embraces agile working and whilst our headquarters are in Dundee, the successful candidate would not necessarily need to be based in Dundee full time.
For more information on this exciting opportunity please contact Douglas Adam at Livingston James, our retained recruitment partner.
The Care Inspectorate is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.
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.