Person specification
Job title: Service Manager Early Learning and Childcare
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Experience of managing and delivering scrutiny and assurance activity.
- Experience of managing scrutiny and assurance teams operationally.
- Direct experience of supporting improvement and building capacity through self-evaluation.
- Highly skilled and experienced in the ‘art of inspection’.
- Experience of planning scrutiny and assurance programmes, including those delivered in partnership with others.
- Significant experience in social work/social care in children’s services.
- Experience of stakeholder engagement at both a strategic and operational level, particularly during the inspection process, delivering feedback and dealing with challenges to the inspection processes and findings.
- Experience in quality assurance, self-evaluation, performance management and the recruitment, training, development and support of staff.
- Significant experience operational scrutiny activity and professional regulatory practice within the health and social care, or other relevant sectors.
- Demonstrable evidence of embedding sustainable transformational change.
Desirable:
- Direct experience of developing and applying quality frameworks to support self-evaluation, scrutiny and improvement.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Appropriate professional qualification.
- Commitment to own CPD.
- A qualification in quality management/ scrutiny and improvement such as EFQM and PSIF.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- The ability to provide leadership and direction to a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of professional staff.
- Demonstrate significant knowledge and direct first hand experience of inspection/regulation of care in a children’s setting.
- Demonstrate significant skills and knowledge of quality assuring inspection processes and reports.
- Demonstrate commitment to the principles of the Public Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and the principles of better regulation.
- Be adept at challenging traditional thinking in a positive and constructive way.
- Excellent communicator, both verbally and in written form.
- Politically astute.
- Ability to translate plans into action.
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
- Demonstrate broad knowledge of working with inspection/regulation of care.
- Knowledge of trends and changes within social work and social care with an understanding of Equality and Diversity issues.
- IT literate, using the most effective methods to communicate and manage information.
Desirable:
- Knowledge and understanding of health/social care practice, theory, policy and research.
- Demonstrate understanding of corporate social responsibility, whereby social and environmental concerns are voluntarily integrated to business operations and stakeholder interaction.
- Understanding of, and ability to demonstrate, the management of complex projects.
Key performance outcomes
Leading others
Essential:
- Ability to provide credible and authentic professional leadership, with a clear sense of purpose and direction to effectively lead a key professional function within the Care Inspectorate.
- Ability to effectively deploy staff and other resources to achieve performance objectives.
- Ensure that staff working in inspection in respect of children’s services conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of integrity, probity and openness through the implementation of robust corporate governance.
- Demonstrate ability to provide leadership and strategic management direction for multi disciplinary, professional teams and bring together groups from different disciplines/bodies.
Management of resources
Essential:
- Ability to bring together the overall work of a multi-disciplinary team of staff.
- Ability to manage resources in achievement of the Care Inspectorate’s objectives.
- Ability to bring together the overall work of a team of staff, determining the “tone” for a significant area of the organisation’s work and promoting a corporate vision.
- Ability to manage resources in achievement of the Care Inspectorate’s objectives.
Desirable:
- Ability to drive continuous improvement and manage business planning and performance processes.
Effective communication
Essential:
- Articulate and positive communicator both in verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to engage, influence and lead the development of a wide range of key stakeholder relationships, both internally and externally.
Desirable:
- The ability to build and guide key stakeholder strategies and manage relationships to secure or improve delivery of key programme or service outputs.
Impact and influence
Essential:
- Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
- Demonstrate personal resilience, being able to work flexibly under to deliver tangible results.
- Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
- Ability to promote, lead and implement strategies and change programmes to improve the development and quality of services.
- Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.
- Demonstrates personal resilience, being able to work flexibly under pressure with stamina and tenacity to deliver results.
Desirable:
- A proven track record of promoting, leading and implementing strategies and change programmes to improve the development and quality of services
- Ability to take account of wider political and organisational sensitivities to deliver strategic objectives.
Objective decision making
Essential:
- The ability to assist the Chief Inspector Early Learning and Childcare Services to set, in consultation with others, the overall agenda, long term objectives and performance standards for the Directorate.
- Demonstrate analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
- Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- The ability to take responsibility for difficult decisions and to remain resilient against possible criticism.
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: Service Manager Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)
Responsible to: Chief Inspector Early Learning and Childcare Services
Responsible for: Team Managers
Principal working contacts
- Executive Director of Scrutiny & Assurance
- Chief Inspectors
- Executive Team
- Senior Management Team
- Team Managers
- Strategic Inspectors
- Regulated Care Inspectors
- Care Inspectorate colleagues
- Scottish Government Officials
- Integrated Joint Boards, Local Authorities, Agencies and Other Scrutiny Bodies
- Community Planning Partnerships
- External Stakeholders
- Sponsor Department
- Chief Social Work Officers
- Police
- NHS
Job purpose
Support the Chief Inspector ELC to manage the day to day delivery of inspection activity for regulated care services for children to ensure that the Care Inspectorate performs effectively and efficiently as an independent scrutiny body.
Support the Chief Inspector ELC in ensuring that the Care Inspectorate meets its responsibilities as defined by the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and other relevant legislation, to inspect and improve the quality of care and social work services in Scotland in a collaborative way.
Support the Chief Inspector ELC in developing, implementing and monitoring approaches to quality assurance, performance management, recruitment, training, development and support of staff .
Work with the Chief Executive, Executive Directors and Senior Management Team 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.
Key responsibilities
Strategic management:
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC to develop, deliver, monitor and review the regulatory practices, processes and procedures in children’s services to deliver robust, outcome focussed scrutiny and assurance and other activities which support continuous improvement in care and social work services.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC with developing, implementing and monitoring an integrated approach to quality assurance, self-evaluation, best value and consolidating excellence.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC with developing implementing and monitoring an integrated approach to performance management.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC with the recruitment, training, development and support of staff in inspection to support their continuous professional development and increase staff confidence and competence.
- Coordinate the work of contact managers, expert groups and quality circles.
- Coordinate formal and informal consultations.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC , working with the Registration Manager to ensure that the scrutiny and registration functions work efficiently and effectively.
- In conjunction with the Chief Inspector ELC support the implementation of the day to day delivery of regulated care service scrutiny and assurance activity for the Care Inspectorate and contribute to its direction, ensuring that all legislative requirements are met.
- In conjunction with the Chief Inspector ELC support the planning of regulated care service scrutiny and assurance for children’s services.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELCto formulate objectives, strategies, action plans and targets for all regulated inspection activity in respect of children’s services, and ensure that these are achieved.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELCto help build the diverse strands of strategic and regulated care service scrutiny and assurance activity into a cohesive, integrated and productive approach, aligned to the achievement of the Care Inspectorate’s corporate aims and objectives, focusing on consolidating excellence in all aspects of the Care Inspectorate’s work.
Operational management:
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC with day to day responsibility for the efficient and effective operational delivery of regulated care inspection activity for children’s services.
- Support the Chief Inspector ELC to develop innovative approaches to support the continuous improvement of the Care Inspectorate’s scrutiny and assurance work, including the development of quality systems, designed around creative problem-solving and bringing new thinking, delivery mechanisms and solutions to the Care Inspectorate.
- Help ensure operational activities are delivered efficiently and adhere to the principles of best value.
- Prepare and present reports to the Executive Team, Senior Management Team Board and Committees of the Care Inspectorate that are both timely, and informed.
- Deputise for the Chief Inspector ELCand undertake such other duties as may be required by the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team or Executive Directors.
People management:
- Guide, support and direct staff for Scrutiny & Assurance and ensure that their work is carried out in an effective, efficient and consistent manner and meets the standards, targets and requirements of the Care Inspectorate.
- Support, develop and mentor staff through regular supervision, performance development reviews and personal development plans to help build a competent and confident workforce where individuals are developed and supported to reach their potential.
- Promote consistent, high quality practice amongst staff encouraging them to give of their best and continually strive to improve performance and consolidate excellence. Manage the performance and monitor standards and consistency of practice of all staff of regulated care services.
- Support the recruitment and development of all employees, and the implementation of HR policies, within the function, ensuring that Care Inspectorate objectives are translated into meaningful and realistic personal objectives for staff and team plans.
- Promote the health, safety and welfare of employees, with responsibility for ensuring that Care Inspectorate health and safety policies, procedures and practice, and legislative requirements, are followed across all areas of service delivery.
- Promote diversity and equality of opportunity, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of service delivery.
- 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:
- Ensure productive and smooth working arrangements and protocols between staff delivering all regulated care service scrutiny and assurance in respect of children’s services and all other Care Inspectorate employees.
- In conjunction with the Chief Inspector ELC help to facilitate and deliver business and cultural change with the Care Inspectorate.
- In conjunction with the Chief Inspector ELC help promote customer focus internally and externally, supporting staff to work collaboratively with colleagues across the Care Inspectorate, as well as with people who use services and their carers, the Partnership Forum, scrutiny partners, service providers, government, health and other bodies.
- Develop effective working relationships with the Senior Management Team to ensure effective collaborative working and strong customer focus.
- Promote the principles of partnership working throughout the organisation and in all working practices in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Partnership Agreement.
- Develop and maintain productive and effective working relationships with a range of appropriate external stakeholders and relevant key policy contacts within national bodies, Scottish Government, local authorities, integrated joint boards and health boards, together with relevant, designated regulatory and quality assurance bodies and other statutory agencies with responsibilities for service delivery and commissioning. Use these relationships to continually improve service delivery, strengthen collaborative working, and promote the work of the Care Inspectorate.
- Provide leadership, contribute to and promote, the continuous development of the Care Inspectorate, managing change effectively and creatively.
- Support the deployment of appropriate mechanisms to consult with all relevant stakeholders concerned in the delivery of inspection of care, ensuring we fulfill our duty of user focus and that this informs continuous improvement in our work.
- Support, promote and encourage public, care user and carer participation in, and consultation about, the work of the Care Inspectorate.
Other duties
This job requires 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.
Service Manager (early learning and childcare)
Job title: Service Manager - Early Learning and Childcare
Salary: £35,730 (£71,460 FTE)
Hours: Part-time (10 days per 4-week period)
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary for 18 months (with the possibility of further extension)
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
Due to flexible retirement, we are looking to recruit a temporary part-time Service Manager to join our Early Learning & Childcare Team.
This role will oversee the work of Team Managers, who manage Inspectors to carry out scrutiny activity of early learning and childcare services including shared inspections with Education Scotland. Team Managers and Inspectors also play an important role in supporting quality assuring care services and providing professional advice to assist in developing the quality of service delivery. Acting as relationship managers, they provide support and challenge to local authorities, and providers of multiple services with the aim of supporting continuous improvement.
The successful candidate will manage projects and support the work of the directorate including overseeing the quality assurance of our scrutiny work. The role also involves liaison with external stakeholders, promoting the work of the organisation and contributing to national initiatives.
The role holder will be expected to support the Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate to ensure that the Care Inspectorate meets its responsibilities as defined by the Public Services Reform Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
This senior role works with other leaders and 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.
About you
You will have significant experience in services for early learning and childcare and experience of scrutiny and assurance activity. You must be able to work well with colleagues to achieve shared aims, support innovation and make best use of resources. You will demonstrate the ability to provide leadership and direction to a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of professional staff and be highly effective in working creatively and collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries.
Adept at challenging traditional thinking in a positive and constructive way, 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.
You will also be politically astute and demonstrate a broad knowledge of trends and relevant issues within health, social care, and education.
- You will be educated to SCQF level 9 (e.g. degree, graduate diploma/certificate, etc.)
- You will have a secondary Authorised Officer qualification - either PDA (Professional Development Award), RoCA (Regulation of Care Award), EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) or PSIF (Public Sector Improvement Framework)
We are looking for someone who has:
- Proven track record of effective management and leadership of staff in the area of health, social care, or education.
- Demonstrable experience of strategic planning and delivery of services and supporting and embedding sustainable business and transformational change.
- Extensive experience of collaborative and values-based leadership including working with partners.
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 the recruitment team in the first instance - 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 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 23 September 2024.
It is anticipated that interviews will be held in the week commencing Monday 7 October.
Professional Registration Information
As a Service Manager you will support the Scrutiny & Assurance and Strategy & Improvement directorates to ensure that the Care Inspectorate meets its responsibilities as defined by the Public Services Reform Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
The successful applicant must be registered with a professional body (this can be NMC, GTCS, NMC, HCPC or the SSSC).
For SSSC registration, there is a specific registration category for Care Inspectorate Authorised Officers (AO). There will be two levels of AO registration (Primary AO and Secondary AO), and identification of types of work undertaken (Social Care and Children & Young People).
If you are a SSSC registrant, on appointment as a Service Manager you will be required to register with SSSC as a secondary AO under both types of work (Social Care and Children & Young People) or be registered with another appropriate registration body (NMC, GTCS, HCPC).
We would expect non-SSSC staff to hold or gain the appropriate AO qualification (in this case EFQM would be the minimum qualification).
Person specification
Job title: Customer Support Adviser
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Demonstrate a successful track record within a similar role.
Desirable:
- Experience of working with external/internal contacts at all levels.
- Experience of working within the social care sector.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
Desirable:
- NVQ/SVQ level 2 or 3 in Customer Service or Call Handling.
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent verbal communication techniques in order to draw out and gather correct information and gain confidence from caller.
- Knowledge of customer service principles and practice.
- Listening skills.
- Problem solving skills.
- Good data entry/keyboard skills
- Ability to work on own initiative and prioritisation of workload.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Ability to use own judgement within identified boundaries.
- Ability to remain professional even when dealing with difficult or confrontational callers.
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication:
- 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.
Planning and organising:
- 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.
Flexibility:
- Demonstrates a flexible, positive approach to work.
- Listens to feedback and ideas from people and will take appropriate and considered action.
- Adapts well to change, adjusting priorities as required.
- Is able to work confidently within a changing environment.
Team working:
- 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:
- 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.
Job profile
Job title: Customer Support Adviser
Job location: Any Care Inspectorate office
Responsible to: Customer Support Officer
Principal working contacts
- Transactions Manager
- Customer Support Officer
- Business Improvement Manager
- Lead Tester & Release Manager
- ICT Development Team
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External agencies/service providers/service users and carers
- Members of the public
Job purpose
To answer incoming calls to the organisation, respond to enquiries and questions, pass callers on to appropriate colleagues when necessary, provide information and undertake general administrative duties, in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s policies and procedures.
Key responsibilities
- To answer all incoming telephone calls and deal with by either responding to query, appropriate transfer, taking a message or follow-up and return call.
- To take complaints from members of the public and log them in our Complaints application.
- Research requiring information using available resources.
- Provide callers with information as appropriate, within own remit of responsibility.
- Identify and escalate priority issues.
- Record call information accurately and appropriately.
- Produce call reports and/or information as requested.
- Attend meetings as required.
- Distribute information within the Care Inspectorate and to service users, carers, service providers and other external agencies as required.
- 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
Person specification
Job title: Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Track record of involvement in quality improvement (QI) project/ programmes across health and social care.
- Experience of leading innovation across health and social care.
- Experience of developing and delivering learning and development to a variety of staff groups and care providers.
- Experience of working creatively with partners to develop ideas and solutions to deliver change and improvement.
Desirable:
- Experience of scrutiny and regulatory process.
- Experience of implementing digital solutions in social care settings.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF level 9 (for example, Bachelors/Ordinary Degree, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Graduate or Technical Apprenticeship, SVQ, etc) or have relevant skills and experience relevant to the post.
- Hold or be willing to work towards a recognised qualification in quality improvement.
- Commitment to own CPD.
Desirable:
- NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) or equivalent
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- The ability to communicate with a diverse range of professional staff across the sector.
- Excellent negotiating, facilitating, influencing, and coaching skills.
- Able to think creatively to maximise the use of digital technology to improve outcomes for people.
- Knowledge and understanding of QI theory and its practical application in health and social care settings.
- Ability to set up systems to monitor improvement, analyse data and develop improvement solutions.
- Ability to develop and maintain extensive internal and external communication systems.
- Ability to work autonomously and collaborate with key stakeholders including Scottish Government, HSCPs, LAs, Health Boards and service providers in the statutory, independent, and voluntary sector.
- Excellent communicator both verbal and written, with the ability to translate plans into actions.
- IT literate, using the most effective methods to communicate and manage information.
Desirable:
- Knowledge and understanding of health/social care practice, theory, policy, and research.
- Appreciation of technology, its use and development in relation to the care sector.
- Knowledge of regulation, scrutiny, and improvement landscape.
Key performance outcomes
Quality improvement focus
Essential:
- Have a proven track record in leading QI projects/programmes and evaluating their impact.
- Demonstrate an understanding of national QI work across Scotland.
Desirable:
- Policy development
- Research activity
Planning and organising
Essential:
- Ability to prioritise effectively and achieve deadlines.
- Ability to react to changing priorities and to prioritise 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 personal power, negotiation, persuasion, and influence.
- Ability to give credible and realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
- Demonstrates experience of being part of positive cultural change.
Effective communication
Essential:
- Excellent oral, public speaking / presentation, and written communication skills.
- Ability to draft detailed reports and guidance documents.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the emphasis on negotiation, influence, and diplomacy.
- Experience in devising and delivering development sessions
Working in partnership
Essential:
- Work nationally and locally with a range of stakeholders.
- Ability to lead or participate in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working groups.
Please note – these are tkey performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role.
Job profile
Job title: Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Reporting to: Senior Improvement adviser (digital social care)
Principal working contacts
Internal:
- Senior Improvement adviser (Digital social care)
- Quality Improvement Manager
- Quality Improvement Support Team
- Health and Social Care Improvement Team
- Involvement and Equalities Team
- Scrutiny and Assurance Directorate
- External / Internal Communication Teams
- OWD team
External:
- Portfolio director, Scottish Government digital health and care directorate
- Care providers, care service staff and those experiencing care and their carers
- Other regulatory, scrutiny and improvement bodies
- NHS boards, staff and agencies, local authorities, Health and Social Care partnerships, and integrated joint boards
- Other sector organisations including Scottish Care, CCPS, SSSC, SHFA, SWA, COSLA, Digital Office and others
- Members of the public and other stakeholders
Job purpose
The post holder will work alongside the Senior Improvement Adviser (Digital social care), as part of the Scottish Government’s digital social care programme. The role also forms part of the Care Inspectorate’s Quality Improvement Support Team (QIST).
The post holder will use quality improvement (QI) methodology and develop the improvement support role in line with the Care Inspectorates Improvement Strategy and the national Digital Health and Care Strategy and Delivery Plan.
Key responsibilities
- To work alongside the senior improvement adviser (Digital) on a range of activities as agreed with the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Government’s digital health and care directorate.
- To contribute to the generation of knowledge and shared learning on technology and digital in social care through publications, networks, and engagement activities.
- To collaborate with other sector-based digital leads on projects that support the delivery of the social care portfolio within the digital heath and care directorate.
- Leadership and representation of the Care Inspectorate externally in the area of technology and digital in social care.
- Working internally with the Care Inspectorate to support embedding of technology and digital solutions for social care.
- Improve the use of digital in social care through a programme which supports the Care Inspectorate’s scrutiny and inspection processes.
- Input and support to the deliverables of the social care programme within the Scottish Government’s digital health and care directorate.
- Leadership and support on key areas related to technology in social care through publication, organisation and attendance at key relevant events.
- Identification of key priorities for technology and digital for the social care sector through engagement and network activities with colleagues and stakeholders.
- Partnerships and collaborative opportunities to further embed and enhance the contribution of the technology and digital in social care at local and national level.
Quality improvement
- Support the implementation of the Care Inspectorate’s improvement Strategy, the and the Scottish Governments Digital Health and Care Strategy and Delivery Plan.
- Lead and advise on quality improvement methodology and tools, design, and delivery of quality improvement projects / programmes.
- Supporting internal/external stakeholders with data collection, analysis, and interpretation to ensure a measurement framework is in place to support successful implementation and demonstrate reliable, sustainable improvements.
- Sharing good and effective practice in the use of technology across health and social care and establish mechanisms to spread and sustain improvement.
- Provide advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders on quality improvement including leading or participating in groups related to the work of the Care Inspectorate and the digital social care programme.
- Provide leadership and direction to develop quality improvement support resources for use by sector colleagues and care services.
- Provide leadership, direction and support on developing quality improvement pathways in relation to the use of digital technologies to support personalised care.
- Further expand opportunities ongoing training and development on quality improvement methodology and continue to build the capacity and capability of the Care sector workforce through a strategic approach with partners.
Relationship management
- Working in partnership with the Senior Improvement Adviser (Digital Social Care) and the Scottish Government’s digital social care portfolio team on a range of projects aimed at improving outcomes for people through the use of technology.
- Cross collaboration with a range of key sector organisations.
- Advise, support and work alongside the Senior Improvement Adviser (Digital social care) and the Scottish Government digital social care portfolio lead to identify and commission specialist support for quality improvement in care services.
- Work with Care inspectorate colleagues, social care staff and technology professionals to test, measure and report on the impact of technology solutions in social care.
- Engage with key partners to identify themes and trends which will direct future improvement support in digital social care.
- Advise and support the Improvement Support section, digital social care team and colleagues to improve practice directly with providers and partnerships, through sharing evidence from research, quality improvement methods and expert advice to update practice and improve care.
- Monitor, evaluate and report on all key areas and tasks advising on progress and challenges regularly.
- Work with the Senior Improvement Adviser (Digital social care), Quality Improvement Support Team and Scottish Government’s digital social care team to facilitate a comprehensive approach to relationship management between the Care Inspectorate and various parts of the health and social care sector.
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.
Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Job title: Improvement Adviser (digital social care)
Salary: £49,227 - £54,441
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Flexible (Any Care Inspectorate office)
Contract: Temporary until 31 August 2025 (possible extension pending funding)
About the role
The Improvement Adviser (digital social care) is an exciting new role, aimed at strengthening the use of technology to improve outcomes for people. Working alongside the senior improvement adviser (Digital social care), the post sits within the Care Inspectorate’s Quality Improvement Support team (QIST). The role is funded until the end of August 25 with the possibility of an extension. The role can also be taken as a secondment from your substantive post.
About you
You will be educated to SCQF Level 9, and ideally have the NES Scottish Improvement Leader (ScIL) programme (or working towards or willing to work towards) or an equivalent improvement science qualification. You will have excellent communication skills, adept at developing relationships with a wide range of people both internal and external to the Care Inspectorate. You will be passionate about improving outcomes for people, and able to demonstrate your experience of leading quality improvement projects and evaluating their impact. You will have a strong interest in digital technology, understanding its role in supporting people’s rights in a social care context.
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 work with the expectation that all staff will work collaboratively, within and across teams, in person (in an office or other work locations such as at an inspection), for 40% of their working week.
Our Headquarters are located in Dundee and due to the nature of delivery, it may be required to travel to Dundee or other Care Inspectorate offices.
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 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 complete the application form and submit it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 08:00 on Monday 9 September 2024.
To assist us to monitor the effectiveness of our equality and diversity practices, we would encourage you to complete our equal opportunities monitoring form as part of our application process.
The interviews will preferably take place in person on the 26 September in our Stirling office.
Person specification
Job title: Senior Intelligence Analyst
Attributes
Experience
Essential:
- Experience of providing a professional analytical service with a high level of autonomy.
- Significant experience of using a range of analytical methods to gain insight from large volumes of data and intelligence. Experience in presenting complex analysis clearly both in writing and orally, using an appropriate style that takes account of the needs of the intended audience.
- Experience leading projects and supervising the work of other professionals.
- Experience in most of the following:
- intelligence analysis
- statistical analysis and reporting
- data science
- data development and management
- data visualisation, including geographical data
- performance measurement and reporting
Desirable:
- Management or supervisory experience.
- Developing the skills and capabilities of other team members.
- Delivering an intelligence analysis service.
- Experience in contributing analysis to published reports and research papers.
Education, qualifications and training
Essential:
- Educated to SCQF Level 9 in a subject with a significant numerical component.
- Evidence of commitment to continuing professional development.
Desirable:
- Formal Intelligence Analysis qualification.
- Masters level qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. data science; statistics; mathematics).
Skills and knowledge
Essential:
- Excellent analytical thinking and reasoning skills.
- The ability to identify key trends in data and add value to analysis.
- Advanced data, statistical and analytical skills, with excellent IT skills.
- Experienced user of statistical, data management, data visualisation and business intelligence software for ETL and reporting purposes (e.g. R, Python, SQL, SAS, Power pivot, PowerBI,).
- Excellent data management and manipulation skills.
- Understanding of data quality issues and validation techniques.
Desirable:
- An understanding of Care Inspectorate data and strategic issues in the Care Inspectorate.
- Knowledge of relevant national data sources including open data
- Public sector/care services experience
- Code of Practice for Official Statistics Code
Key performance outcomes
Effective communication:
- Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups;
- Ability to express complex ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences;
- Addresses difficult issues so people are kept well informed and do not need to resort to the grapevine.
Impact and influence:
- Adopts a collaborative approach in setting stretching but realistic deadlines and targets for themselves and their team.
- Uses evidence to influence others towards a course of action.
- Builds a network of contacts to increase circle of influence.
- Uses the aims of the corporate plan to evaluate options.
- Influences others by example and acts as a professional role model.
- Focuses on key benefits to get message across.
Improvement focus:
- Identifies gaps in performance and makes appropriate suggestions for improvements;
- Aware of trends and changes and maintains professional knowledge and skills;
- Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.
- Encourages and promotes new ideas and expects others to do likewise.
Leading others:
- Delegates authority and responsibility to allow autonomous working and provides appropriate support.
- Recognises individual and collective achievement.
- Clearly demonstrates and communicates the values and goals of the Care Inspectorate.
- Ensures information and skills are shared effectively with their team.
- Coaches team members and seeks opportunities for team members to coach and mentor each other.
Objective decision making:
- Encourages and supports decisions of team members.
- Considers Care Inspectorate values in relation to impact of their decisions.
- Considers the wider context in which the Care Inspectorate operates.
- Makes effective decisions based on critical evaluation of all the relevant facts and evidence.
- 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.
Planning and organising:
- Excellent organisational skills, a good planner and manager of own and other’s work, and ability to take initiative and be highly proactive in progressing work;
- Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results;
- Regularly reviews joint goals and targets and reprioritises where necessary
- Delegates effectively to others and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
- Allocates people and resources effectively by taking account of individual strengths and development needs.
- Plans for the short, medium and long term in conjunction with colleagues.
- Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.
Team working:
- Provides leadership to the team, supervising, supporting and motivating team members.
- Understands different team roles and adapts to a range of roles within the team.
- Understands different team roles and adapts to a range of roles within the team.
- Contributes to the shared vision and purpose and shares this effectively;
- Works collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate.
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: Senior Intelligence Analyst
Location: Compass House, Dundee
Responsible to: Intelligence and Analysis Manager
Principle working contacts
- Head of Intelligence
- Intelligence and Analysis Manager
- Information Analysts
- Intelligence Researchers
- Strategic Data Officers
- Business and Digital transformation Teams
- Information Governance Team
- Managers and employees of the Care Inspectorate
- External Agencies
Job purpose
- The senior intelligence analyst is a technical specialist who is responsible for leading and overseeing the production of a variety of cutting edge analytical products that meet professional standards to support the organisation to be risk-based and intelligence led.
- The senior intelligence analyst will support the intelligence and analysis manager to manage the day-to-day work and development of the information analysts, researchers and strategic data officers working in the Care Inspectorate intelligence team.
- The senior intelligence analyst provides clear direction, guidance, support and challenge to information analysts, researchers and strategic data officers ensuring they understand and consistently apply structured analytical methodologies. They lead, enable and support staff to use a range of innovative analytical techniques.
Key responsibilities
Contribution to people management:
- The Senior Intelligence Analyst is involved in the selection of new team members and developing business improvement ideas that enhance working practices.
- They work closely with the Intelligence Manager supporting them to address performance and development of the team and to plan ahead, anticipating and responding to changing priorities, effectively using resources to deliver products to agreed timescales.
- Allocates work amongst team members, taking account of skills and workload of team members.
- Promote consistent, high quality practice amongst team members, encouraging them to give of their best and continually strive to improve performance and consolidate excellence.
- Share feedback with Intelligence & Analysis Manager to support them to manage the performance and monitor standards and consistency of practice of all team members.
- Promote diversity and equality of opportunity, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of service delivery.
- Support the Intelligence & Analysis Manager to ensure codes of practice and operational standards are met in respect of the team’s areas of responsibility.
- Support the Intelligence & Analysis Manager to ensure the delivery of continuous improvement and the deployment of quality assurance systems and processes.
- Use professional knowledge to support the development of consistent practice.
Intelligence and analysis:
- Produces analytical reports of the greatest scope, complexity, impact and priority to agreed timescales and professional standards.
- Is a highly skilled analyst with considerable expertise in at least some of the following: Intelligence analysis, statistical analysis and reporting; data science, performance analysis and reporting.
- Brings their analytical skills to bear within a complex data environment, with the technical skills to manage and developing data assets in collaboration with colleagues across with organisation.
- Supervises small ‘virtual teams’ on cross cutting projects.
- Promotes the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, producing high quality statistical publications which meet the needs of a wide range of users both within the Care Inspectorate and outside.
- Provides advice on statistical and analytical methods and is highly skilled in a range of associated software.
- Supports the Intelligence Team to develop new and innovative approaches to turning large quantities of operational data into valuable information assets and managing those assets to deliver valuable intelligence products.
- Delivers, and support the team to deliver high quality intelligence products that provide advice and recommendations to decision-makers
Relationship management:
- Builds and maintains strong working relationships with a range of customers, managing customer expectations and ensuring products meet customer requirements.
- Represents the team at a variety of fora, both within the Care Inspectorate and outside, including government departments, the care sector and professional groups.
- Ensures effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Communications, Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Operations function.
- Projects a professional image for the Care Inspectorate when dealing with colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrates enthusiasm for delivering excellent customer service.
- Demonstrates a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values.
- Carries out 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.
About Us
Inspector - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) (0)
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.