Job title: Inspector
Changes to this post
Responsible to: Team manager
Job profile
Job purpose
Inspectors play a vital role in delivering the Care Inspectorate’s mission to ensure that everyone in Scotland experiences high-quality care, support and learning that upholds their rights, needs and wishes.
As part of Scotland’s scrutiny and improvement support body for social care and social work services, inspectors are responsible for registering, inspecting and evaluating care services for children, young people, adults and older people. They carry out risk-based, proportionate and evidence-led scrutiny activities that assure the quality of care and support improvement across the sector.
Our values in practice
Our organisational values, Equity, Integrity, Person-centred, Respect and Impact, are at the heart of everything we do. Inspectors are expected to embody these values in all aspects of their work.
Equity
As an organisation we embrace diversity and nurture an inclusive environment where everyone is supported to achieve equal outcomes. Inspectors promote equity by ensuring scrutiny is fair, proportionate, and responsive to the diverse needs of people experiencing care.
Key responsibilities:
- Plan and deliver timely and high-quality scrutiny interventions of registered services aligned with the Public Services Reform Act
- Understand the diverse contexts in which services operate and assess how well they support equitable outcomes
- Ensure accurate records of all services are prepared and maintained
- Share intelligence with other scrutiny bodies to support risk-based decision making and improvement planning.
Integrity
As an organisation we act impartially, fairly, and consistently, upholding transparency and accountability in all our actions. Inspectors demonstrate integrity by making impartial, evidence-based decisions and communicating findings clearly.
Key responsibilities:
- Apply specialist knowledge and skills to gather, analyse, assess and share information and intelligence on care services
- Provide balanced, constructive feedback and produce clear, evidence based evaluative reports within agreed timescales
- Support enforcement activities, attending legal hearings or other types of constituted hearings to give evidence or advice
- Follow processes and duties relating to further regulatory actions and maintain high quality records, including reports and correspondence
- Act in accordance with relevant professional codes of practice and national standards.
Person-centred
As an organisation we put people, empathy, compassion, and kindness at the heart of everything we do. Inspectors listen to the voices of people experiencing care and place their experiences at the centre of scrutiny and improvement.
Key responsibilities:
- Work in partnership with people who use services and their carers to understand their experiences and promote the Heath and Social Care Standards and best practice guidance
- Provide relationship management support to allocated providers
- Work with providers to support continuous improvement and signpost innovative or good practice
- Support the induction of new start inspectors and colleagues through peer learning and development activities.
Respect
As an organisation we value everyone’s dignity and are respectful in everything we do. Inspectors promote respectful interactions, challenge discrimination, and foster inclusive practices in all services.
Key responsibilities:
- Build effective, respectful relationships with providers, staff and other stakeholders
- Collaborate with colleagues and external partners to support consistency and shared learning
- Treat everyone fairly and respectfully, ensuring that all interactions uphold dignity and professionalism
- Work flexibly to meet the needs of the business and the availability of providers (e.g. evening/weekend work and travel across Scotland)
- Undertake such other duties as may be required by the organisation to fulfil the role of inspector.
Impact
As an organisation we focus on making a positive impact for everyone experiencing care in Scotland whilst ensuring our work delivers the best value to the public. Inspectors identify good practice, highlight areas for development and support services to make meaningful improvements.
Key responsibilities:
- Produce evaluative reports, within required timescales, to include clear evidence-based outcomes that direct and contribute to improvements in care and protection
- Provide feedback and report on findings to support improvement and signpost good practice
- Promote continuous improvement in the quality of care delivered by service providers
- Take a lead role on designated projects and other initiatives that require specialist knowledge, expertise and experience
- Work in partnership with people who use services, family carers, scrutiny delivery and policy partners to act as a catalyst for change and innovation
- Share knowledge and learning with colleagues and stakeholders to support innovation and sector wide improvement.
Professional expectations
Inspectors uphold the highest standards of professional conduct, maintaining registration with their relevant regulatory body and meeting performance expectations. They take part in ongoing learning including mandatory training and qualifications such as the Professional Development Award (PDA). By staying current with sector developments, legislation and policy, inspectors ensure their practice remains credible, reflective and improvement focused.
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.
Person specification
Qualifications and professional registration essential criteria
Professional registration
Be registered with or eligible to register with one of the following regulatory bodies:
- Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
- General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)
(Applicable only to occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, and practitioner psychologists)
- Other equivalent professional bodies across the UK nations
If applying under SSSC registration, you must hold a suitable practice qualification at the appropriate SCQF level. For details on acceptable qualification, please refer to our recruitment pages.
Hold, or be willing to undertake one of the following regulatory awards:
- Regulation of Care Award
- PDA Scrutiny and Improvement Practice (Social Services) – SCQF Level 10
Qualifications
Hold a qualification that meets the registration requirements of the relevant regulatory body – SCQF Level 9 (e.g. degree in social work, nursing)
Method of assessment:
- Application review and documentation
Experience essential criteria
Professional expertise
Significant professional expertise in the sector relevant to the role:
- adult social care
- healthcare
- early learning and childcare
- children and young people.
Experience
Demonstrable experience showing leadership and accountability in complex professional practice. This may include:
- Leading case management
- Overseeing projects or resources
- Providing expert guidance to colleagues
- Taking the lead on service development or improvement initiatives
Method of assessment:
- Application review and interview
Skills/abilities essential criteria
Evidence based professional judgement - Applies sector knowledge and critical thinking to deliver accurate, insightful advice and robust professional judgements.
Analytical decision making - Identifies priorities, gathers and evaluates evidence, and considers multiple options before reaching well-reasoned, defensible decisions.
Complex evaluation - Weighs up conflicted or nuanced information to form sound conclusions, and records findings clearly and systematically.
Effective communication - Communicates with clarity and impact, verbally and in writing, tailored to diverse audiences.
Relationship building - Builds constructive relationships with individuals and organisations at all levels, fostering trust and collaboration in scrutiny and improvement contexts.
Digital literacy - Strong digital literacy, including the use of Microsoft 365 and an ability to quickly learn and confidently use new software to collect, analyse and communicate evidence securely and effectively across all platforms.
Method of assessment:
- Application review, practical exercise and interview
Inspector competencies
Supporting and co-operating outcomes:
- Demonstrates respect, empathy, and positive regard for others, creating a sense of inclusion and belonging
- Prioritises people, working effectively with individuals, teams, and those who use care services to build trust and empowerment
- Acts with integrity, aligning personal values with professional standards and organisational ethos, and our aspiration for accountability
- Recognises the limits of their own expertise, seeks guidance when needed, and actively fosters a culture of listening, learning and improving.
Method of assessment:
- Practical exercise and interview
Communication and presenting outcomes:
- Communicates with clarity, credibility, and professionalism to support trust and accountability
- Builds strong relationships and engages confidently with diverse stakeholders, strengthening connection and collaboration
- Considers the impact of decisions on people and aligns actions with Care Inspectorate values of person-centred, respect, integrity, equity and impact
- Understands the broader strategic and policy context in which the organisation operates and contributes ideas to help shape the future
- Responds positively to change, remains resilient under pressure, and role models a culture of learning and improvement
- Manages setbacks constructively, maintaining focus on performance and delivery
- Tailors communication style to suit different audiences and contexts, empowering others to engage effectively.
Method of assessment:
- Practical exercise and interview
Analysing and interpreting outcomes:
- Applies a structured and analytical approach to problem solving, balancing rigour with accountability and fairness
- Identifies core issues within complex scenarios and responds with sound judgement that enables trust in outcomes
- Uses expertise effectively and embraces new technologies to enhance practice, supporting continuous learning and improvement
- Produces high-quality written communication tailored to purpose and audience, ensuring impact on performance and delivery
- Contributes evidence and insight that supports shaping the future of scrutiny and improvement in care.
Method of assessment:
- Practical exercise and interview
Organising and executing outcomes:
- Plans and prioritises workload across the short, medium, and longer term
- Delivers high-quality services that meet or exceed expectations
- Responds flexibly to changing demands and conflicting priorities
- Works independently with initiative and minimal supervision.
Method of assessment:
- Application review and interview