Safe staffing improvement programme
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.
Deaths of young people in continuing care
Deaths of young people in continuing care
Local authorities must notify the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Government of the death of a young person in receipt of continuing care as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Local authorities must:
- complete the attached DCC1 form and send this to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- send a copy of the completed DCC1 form to the Scottish Government at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please note, this is separate from the duty of a registered care service to notify us of the death of a service user. These should be submitted via our eforms system.
More information about notification and reporting arrangements can be found here.
Please submit all relevant forms/reports through secure email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The main contact for this work is Karen McCormack, strategic inspector or Sharon Telfer, strategic inspector, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Unannounced inspections
Unannounced inspections
Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors
The Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors is available on the Education Scotland website.
It is important to note that the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will begin to use the new framework for inspection from September 2025.
This will allow settings to become familiar with its content and structure. The final version of the framework will be formally launched in autumn 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) we have compiled with help from stakeholders to accompany the framework. These address some of the key points raised with us so far. We will keep these FAQs updated as new questions arise.
Where can I access the Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors?
The Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors is available on the Education Scotland website. PDF versions of the new framework are available to download from the links below:
- Quality improvement framework for ELC
- Quality improvement framework for childminders
- Quality improvement framework for school aged childcare
Will it be clear which quality indicators Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will focus on?
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland have worked together to minimise the burden on settings by reducing the number of quality indicators (QIs) from 28 in the current frameworks to 11 in the new framework.
Both inspectorates have made it clear within the framework which QIs relate to the Care Inspectorate and which relate to Education Scotland. Each organisation will determine how these QIs will be used during their inspections and on shared inspections.
Why are there not weak illustrations for all QIs?
In response to stakeholder feedback, the inspectorates are developing weak illustrations for all QIs and these will be included in the next version of the framework.
Why is there no separate transitions QI?
Both inspectorates recognise the importance of transitions at all stages of development and learning.
Planning, managing and supporting children’s transitions is key to all areas of the framework and should therefore be considered in each QI rather than separately in isolation.
We will provide further support on how this is exemplified in the framework in future engagement sessions with practitioners to support reflection on transitions as part of self-evaluation and during future approaches to inspection.
Can the QIs be numbered for ease of reference?
Our focus is on the quality of children’s experiences across all areas of the framework. In order to meet user accessibility requirements, QIs have not been numbered and we would encourage the use of their full titles. For ease of reference, services should focus on the wording of the QI, for example ‘play and learning’.
We understand the framework may still feel unfamiliar, making it challenging to understand initially. To assist, we have created visual table of the framework's headings and quality indicators. We hope the visuals of the framework support you in seeing the holistic nature of the framework and all the different quality indicators that contribute to quality practice.
Early learning and childcare
Heading |
Leadership |
Children thrive and develop in quality spaces |
Children play and learn |
Children are supported to achieve |
| Quality indicators |
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Childminding
Heading |
Leadership |
Children thrive and develop in quality spaces |
Children play and learn |
Children are supported to achieve |
| Quality indicators |
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School-aged childcare
Heading |
Leadership |
Children thrive and develop in quality spaces |
Children play and learn |
Children are supported to achieve |
| Quality indicators |
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Will the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland use shared grading criteria?
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland worked together to develop shared grading criteria.
This will be considered during the pilot phase and further discussion will take place between the two bodies regarding a consistent approach to the evaluation of adequate/satisfactory.
The Care Inspectorate will retain the term ‘adequate’ for the time being, in order to align with the National Standard, and Education Scotland will retain the term ‘satisfactory’.
Will the framework be tested and is there an opportunity to provide feedback to inform any further refinement?
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will test content of the framework in a number of settings during the next pilot phase of the project. This piloting will be undertaken both separately and jointly.
During the pilot phase, both the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will ask for feedback from settings about the QIs to inform any further refinements needed.
What are the arrangements for settings involved in the pilot phase?
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland invited settings to volunteer to be part of the pilot phase to test the new framework. We had a great response with more than 200 settings offering to participate.
We will reflect on the best way to involve as many settings as possible while also ensuring a balanced sample of visits. We will notify those settings that have been selected to participate in advance. Participants will be provided with guidance and information to support them during the pilot so that they know what to expect.
What is the timeframe for full implementation the framework?
The Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors was released online on January 14 2025. This will allow settings to become familiar with its content and structure. The final version of the framework will be formally launched in autumn 2025.
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will begin to use the new framework for inspection from September 2025. Our inspections will continue to focus on the experiences and outcomes for children and young people.
What happens to How good is our early learning and childcare and A quality framework for daycare of children, childminding and school-aged childcare?
The current frameworks will continue to be used for inspections until implementation of the new framework.
From September 2025, the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will begin inspections using the new the Quality improvement framework for the early learning and childcare sectors only. This framework replaces both How good is our early learning and childcare and A quality framework for daycare of children, childminding and school-aged childcare.
When do we need to start using the new framework?
We understand that settings will adopt the new quality improvement framework when it best suits them, and that there will be a transition period as settings move away from using the existing frameworks.
You may want to continue to use the existing framework until you are ready to adopt the new framework fully.
Both inspectorates will engage with settings to support them to become familiar and confident in using the new framework for self-evaluation.
Will there be support for settings with their own self-evaluation using the new framework?
The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland will deliver sessions on self-evaluation using the new framework from spring 2025. We will provide further detail of these sessions in due course.
Will there still be separate inspections? If yes, will they have their own frameworks?
Both inspection bodies will use the new framework for separate and shared inspections from September 2025. There will be no other frameworks used for inspection from that point on.
The QIs that each inspectorate body may use in the final inspection methodology will be confirmed when the new approach to inspections has been developed and agreed. In the framework, we have made it clear which QIs relate to the Care Inspectorate and which relate to Education Scotland.
How will childminders who offer funded ELC be inspected?
Both inspectorates have agreed that the childminding-specific content in the new framework is appropriate for the requirements of the National Standard and that the Care Inspectorate will continue to inspect childminders (including those delivering funded places).
Childminders do not need to self-evaluate using any other QIs from the framework. Education Scotland do not have any plans to inspect childminders.
Is there a Gaelic version of the new framework?
The new framework for the early learning and childcare sectors will continue to be developed and refined as we move through the pilot phase. We will ensure a Gaelic version of the framework is available when the framework is launched in autumn 2025.
Link inspectors and relationship managers
The Care Inspectorate provides a designated link team for local authorities and strategic partnerships. This is because there are multiple services of different types and a need for regular planned contact to discuss emerging issues across the breadth of their work. Link teams consist of a strategic inspector, who is responsible for scrutiny carried out at authority or strategic partnership level; a relationship manager for adult care services and complaints about care services; and a relationship manager for children’s care services and registration.
Relationship managers also provide a designated point of contact for larger providers who operate multiple services.
Managers responsible for services for children also link to each of the six regional collaboratives that have now been established across the country.
Named strategic link inspectors and relationship managers can be found here.
Find information on the link inspector role for council and partnership staff here.
You can get information about the link inspector for a particular local authority area by e-mailing the strategic support team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Archived updates
Archived Updates
- Covid-19 FAQ's
- Covid-19 notifications
- Inspection during Covid-19
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Near Me video calls
- Registrations
- Operating your care service
- Information for people and their carers
You can find older updates by clicking the relevant year below:
Cancelling your registration
Cancelling your registration
Strategic scrutiny and assurance
Who we are
The Care Inspectorate’s strategic inspection team sits in the Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate. We focus on the scrutiny, assurance and improvement of services provided by local authority social work services and partnerships. We look at services for children and families, adults and older people and people involved with the justice system. We explore how adults’ and children’s rights are promoted and upheld, the extent to which they are enabled to exercise choice and control in how their support is provided, and the outcomes they experience.
Click on the links below to read more.
- About our strategic inspection teams
- Our inspections
- Our quality assurance role
- Our support to local partnerships